13pro

thank you. What’s the call out period? I assume 15 hour reserve availability?

Timmay

Two hour call-out for check-in, 14-hour RAP.

at6d

And if you get a two hour call, you get close-in parking reimbursed.

flensr

One "feature" (ie. loophole) in our reserve rules is that even if you're on an AM reserve period, the company can switch you to cover a PM trip by simply deadheading you out the day prior during your assigned RAP period, then the entire rest of your reserve days they can fly you whenever they feel like it.

I just spent a 4-day trip almost a full 12 hrs opposite of my acclimated sleep schedule. I was AM reserve with 0300 RAP start time, and they gave me a PM ETOPS trip that had me finishing up each day near midnight pacific time so I was a full 9 hrs off of my normal sleep schedule. It was a miserable trip (saved only because the CA is a great guy) and I lost almost the entire day after the trip recovering since due to being acclimated to 0300 wakeups, I woke up every single day of the 4-day trip around 5am even though I wasn't going to start flying until 3-4pm and wouldn't finish until near midnight each day.

Yes, it's legal per our contract. Yes, it goes exactly opposite against the entire intent of FAR 117, our rest rules, and every single fatigue management directive and guidance we've ever been given including official company provided materials on avoiding fatigue. Suck it up buttercup is the official SWA answer, and there's no sign that this will get addressed or fixed in our next contract. Legal but stupid isn't much of a defense in court if we bend an airplane, but for my own protection I've been saving every single email from SWA leadership where they've been telling us to suck it up, fly sick, etc. Yea it probably won't make much difference if "something happens" but I'm sure gonna drag the lot of them thru the mud if they try to blame me for anything that happens while I'm on duty.

That's "how reserves are like" at SWA right now. Cover your butt because the company will cheerfully put you into a terrible situation and hang you out to dry. Remember, the negotiations team has repeatedly told us that they're happy with the wording as-is, and are willing to drag negotiations out forever because it's working so well for them as written.

flyguy81

Just call in fatigued. Problem solved. That’s what it’s there for.

I do it every single time they give me a AM trip as a PM rsv. Eventually they’ll learn….

Zard

bingo. I do PMs. I don’t do PMs turned AMs.

AJ311

If people actually did this it would stop with the quickness. I’m shocked at some of the things people accept because they either don’t know any better or want to “get the job done”.

e6bpilot

Not knocking on anyone who doesn't call in fatigued, as everyone has to do their own calculus where this is concerned. I have had a fatigue call where the outcome was way worse than just gutting it out.

That being said, what was mentioned above about the company continuing bad behavior until they get a rea$on to change it is very true. They used to plan east coast AM trips to west coast flyers. After getting enough fatigue calls they suddenly decided that it was a bad idea and stopped doing it. The same thing would happen if nearly every RAP switch ended up in a fatigue call.

flensr

I flew it because as scheduled it was within my own limits/capabilities. If they'd tried to extend it or add more legs, that would have been an easy call.

flyguy81

Which is only a call you can make. As someone who doesn’t usually go to sleep before midnight, there’s no way I’m showing up for work before 8 am body clock time.