Sink r8

Isn't it odd that you have a guy that flew for a living, apparently had a couple careers without any known incidents, then goes out and gets drunk (and caught) juuuuust before this rule, which potentially implies +/- considerable expenditures at the airlines, is finalized?

You guys don't think he could possibly resurface as a lobbyist for A4A in about, oh, two years or so, do you?

tsquare

Ray LaHood is a douchenozzle

Bucking Bar

It has not been reported who he was out with that night. If I were a betting man, it would not surprise me to learn his C2H5OH level was brought to us, sponsored by someone billing the "Airlines for America" by the hour.

Trained lawyers, working as lobbyists, telling you how great you are while they buy you drinks (not drinking would just be rude, right?) ... are an intoxifying combination.

Bucking Bar

No one picked up on my post, but I had to laugh when last week he sent out a blast text message to NTSB subscribers during rush hour about his recommendation that people not text while driving.

He's like Scary Mary all over again. What he lacks in intelligence, charm and looks he more than makes up for in ego.

gloopy

It doesn't really matter if its considered duty as long as its not considered rest. That's the key. Not sure if the weekly/monthly max duty times made it into this ruling or not but if they did I'm sure there was never going to be any way sitting long call for 5 days and not being used or called for anything would be enough to have someone "duty out" for the rest of the week/month.

As long as the company still has to show the required rest before release at the end of flying and reserve is not considered rest, calling it duty or not makes no difference. Even today you can theoretically sit long call for days at a time without "rest" because long call doesn't count as rest. If you need to be used, you still have to have the look back rest and long call/home reserve does not provide that.

tsquare

The difference is that Mary Schiavo was spot on correct about the FAA and Valujet.

Jack Bauer

Bullet points put out by DALPA:


· The new rule incorporates fatigue science to determine flight time, duty period and rest periods.

· The maximum duty period depends on when the pilot’s day begins and the number of flight segments he is expected to fly. It ranges from 9-14 hours for unaugmented crew operations.

· The FAA limits unaugmented flight time to eight or nine hours depending on the start time of the pilot’s flight duty period. These new times are hard times, not scheduled times. This means that, unlike today, you cannot go over the maximum unless already airborne on the last leg. Note: The original Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) included a 10-hour maximum with the industry lobbying for 11 hours.

· The rule includes a 10-hour minimum rest period prior to the flight duty period and mandates that a pilot must have an opportunity for eight hours of uninterrupted sleep within that period. Reduced rest and compensatory rest have been eliminated in favor of the new mandates.

· The rule addresses potential cumulative fatigue by placing weekly and 28-day limits on the amount of time a pilot may be assigned any type of flight duty. The rule also places a “100 hours in a 28-day” and “1000 hours in a 365 day” limit on actual flight time.

· The new rule requires that pilots have at least 30 consecutive hours free from duty in 168 hours (seven days), a 25 percent increase over the previous 24 in 7 rule.

· The rule provides significant improvements to pilots, both domestic and international, who are on reserve (e.g. no more 24-hour international short call; 14 hour max). Note: This is first time reserve provisions have been incorporated into the regulations.

Our contract has always had provisions more restrictive than the FARs. For example, our rest, break in duty and duty time rules were developed to supplement FARs that, at the time, did not address these issues. The new FARs now provide guidance that, in some cases is less restrictive than our PWA, but in other cases more restrictive. Where the new rule is more restrictive it will govern, but where the PWA is more restrictive, it will continue to govern.

The MEC Scheduling Committee, Contract Administration Committee and Negotiating Committees are already busy dissecting the new rule to determine to what extent and how they will affect the Delta pilots and Delta’s operation. Unfortunately, rumor and speculation have already started to mount. For example, misinformation is being spread about how the new rule will allow Delta to operate its flights to and from Western Europe with two-man crews. We encourage you to review Touch & Gos 11-14 – Flight Time Duty Time NPRM, which will provide you with an overview of how the new rule and our existing contract will work together to provide the conditions under which we operate.

Over the coming days and weeks, you can expect to receive comprehensive information from ALPA National detailing the new rule and how it will affect our profession. In the meantime, if you have specific questions on how the rule will affect Delta pilots, you can e-mail [email protected]. Please do not rely on rumor and hearsay in an effort to evaluate the rule.

ALPA has worked diligently to modernize the flight-and duty-time regulations for nearly 25 years, facing government bureaucracy and stiff industry resistance. While this new rule represents some significant accomplishments, not all of ALPA’s concerns were addressed. In a press release today, ALPA President Captain Lee Moak wrote, “While the new rule brings much-needed science-based improvements in flight and duty regulations, ALPA is disappointed that cargo operations are being held to a lesser standard.”

This rule provides air carriers with two years to make changes to their existing flight schedules and operations and if necessary, to address any labor agreement issues. ALPA will continue to advocate at every opportunity for One Level of Safety and One Level of Flight Time/Duty Time during that transition. In the coming days, ALPA will analyze the regulations to determine how they will meet the union’s long-standing goals for addressing pilot fatigue and ensuring that airline pilots will be well positioned to arrive at work rested and ready to perform their jobs.

BigGuns

As pilots this is going to kill us at Delta. We have to many categories in one city each night (or in and out throughout the day). It will be very very hard to stage crews. We must get min credit pay for those lost days/overnights, or we will see a lot more weak <18 hour four day trips... I'll have to work 20 days a month just to get 70 hours of pay!

gloopy

All the more reason rigs and a fair min day are vital in C2012. The company chooses to operate a million fleet types and in all honestly there is some revenue generating and optimizing premiums in doing so. But the blowback is more and more cities with scenarios like this. Not our problem. DH us to and from on DCI or offline if necessary or pay us for our time to sit around all day to support the operation while not flying.

When we very reasonably make the case for SWA+ reasonable premiums (to account for significantly higher revenue generated per pilot compared to SWA) for small narrowbody planes and up from there, the compay will try and "counter" with "but we demand SWA productivity. We should counter their counter by saying "Yes! We agree! We will be happy to accept SWA daily credit via rigs or block time, however you want to work it, while also getting average SWA days off for lineholders and reserves at the narrowbody level and SWA average W-2's for small narrowbodys, plus reasonable premiums because we generate way more revenue per pilot, and up from there for larger planes.

If the company insists on sitting us 30 hours in hotels but then squeals about SWA productivity, throw that straw man right back in their lap.

acl65pilot

Exactly.



.