I'm an FO about a year in with a struggling ULCC and considering Atlas to get out of the commuting rat race. I understand from reading previous posts that the airframe you choose (and base to some extent), can result in very different lifestyles. I hear 767 R2 can afford a nice lifestyle if looking to be home more often. I live in Louisville, KY and looking at the CVG base, which is I just mapped to be 1 hour and 27 minutes in traffic this morning. If I understand the reserve system corectly, R2 is report within 1.5 hrs, cutting it extremely close. In this scenario, would then get a hotel for me since I'm right on the bubble? Thinking I'd move to the east side of town to give myself an extra 20 minutes! ha

The R2 report is actually within 90 minutes of initial contact. You have 15 minutes to call Crew Scheduling back. So being within an hour is a safer bet.

If you are outside this range, then yes, you will be provided a downtown hotel at company expense, on Per Diem, and earning CRT with Time Away From base running from first R2 start time through release to days off.

R3 airport reserve may be a better bid, as you can just drive to the Airport Hotel for a few hours, 4 or 6 hours I think is the duration.

We also have a number of out and backs, like CVG-ORD-CVG and CVG-SJU Hotel SJU-CVG that would give you plenty of time at home with the CRT clock running.

Thanks for the quick reply. Is it typical in your experience that they call you for a trip with a 90 min report window for R2? Mostly night flying for the out and backs?

From what I have heard, you are likely to be activated, then put into rest for a report in 12ish hours. R3 is the short call stuff. Plan for that, and be pleasantly disappointed, wondering how you are going to get to work on time.

Aside from an outbase, I have only done R2 once, and it was in SEA. On about day three or four I was called and had over 24 hours to report for a commercial DH to CVG... operating leg canceled while I was sitting in back of an Alaska Air Jet. Flew back to SEA a day later and never heard from scheduling for my last 11 days.

Great Pay check, Bellevue restaurants are really expensive, and I haven't seen SEA Reserve on a bid packet since.

Thanks. Is there a particular airframe that tends to start and end trips in CVG? Seems like ACMI's landscape is ever-changing, so maybe this is a difficult question to answer. Would be nice to hop in the car and drive home after a long trip. 747?

If you are based in CVG you will always start and end trips there, no matter what airframe. You might be performing a flight or just airlining in but you will always be starting and finishing there on your first and last day of work. I am based here and live here (about 20 minutes away) and it is nice to get off and drive home. No difference on operating or airlining.

I live near the CVG area too and I am interested in Atlas too and wants to know what is the best fleet to chose from so that I can be home more. From what I read here I see 767 people are home often?

Greatly appreciate the response. One more question - I'm 6'5" and wondering if one aircraft provides more bunk space than the others. Seems maybe trivial but could equate to difficultly getting rest and really affecting qol and health if I'm unable to fully stretch out.

Can't speak to the 767 but I've flown both the 747 and 777. I'm 6'2" and don't come close to touching the bottom of a bunk in either. The potentially bigger problem (No pun intended) for both tall and or "husky" guys are the Lavs and that probably is bad no matter what aircraft you fly.

I would say the bunks on either 74 or 77 would be sufficient. 76 and 73 dont have bunks so doesn't matter. Me personally, I love the 74 bunks since they are seperate "rooms" from each other (except on the BCF's, LCF's, and pax birds). The 777 bunks are stacked on top of each other.