Also of note once blocked in at that very moment that is the end of your FDP. Yes you could DH somewhere but you aren't able to accept another flying leg without going into rest. Unless of course their was acknowledgement of updated schedule prior to block in.

 

Like an ACARS message telling you to check your schedule when you land...

Ask me how I know.

 

Exactly, but IMHO that is a bit of gray area that should be looked at by the FAA.

 

An ACARS message is meaningless. It is not a valid method of notification so if that's what it says it goes in the trash. If it's to tell us to check schedule it's also meaningless because UPA requires that at the end of a trip anyway.

 

Ok, contradictory info on this page. UPA says check schedule but some say FDP ends. Does this mean you can be assigned flying after a rest period or does this mean your day can continue?

 

I apologize I wrote the above wrong the company can add additional flying per contractual guidelines but all flying must be within the FDP limits. At a previous carrier we had no such requirement to check our schedule so it was considered the end of the FDP.

The reg reads a little strange:

"If the certificate holder does not have an affirmative intent for no further aircraft movement at the conclusion of the flightcrew members last scheduled segment, then the flight crew members FDP has not ended."

So since we have the requirement to check our schedule after our last segment we fall under the above.

At the previous carrier we had no requirement to "check in" after a reserve pairing thus our FDP terminated at that time.

clear as mud?

 

^^^This!! Never answer the phone. Let it go to VM, check the VM and verify that it is in accordance with the contract. On that note, read the contract when you're on reserve and have nothing else to do and take notes. I've been burned several times in my four short months here and had I known the contract, that wouldn't have happened.

As to not calling scheduling when you don't have to, DON'T DO IT. Out of sight, out of mind.

I learned the finer intricacies of deviating the hard way by calling at the end of my trip. I had been assigned a trip off a 0100 SC (called at 0145). I was paired with a CA from EWR (not my base) and the trip ended there. I was going to deviate and decided to just call them once I was done with the trip. It would be late afternoon on my second to last day of reserve. What could go wrong.....

I walked to the gate for my scheduled DH and called to deviate. I soon found myself on a DH from EWR-SFO (right at my FDP limit), overnight, one leg from SFO-SAN, 27 hr layover in SAN and finally a SAN-SFO with DH home on my day off.

Lesson 1: Had I not called them, I wouldn't have opened myself up to reassignment until completion of my originally scheduled DH. And I would have not had the FDP to make the schlepp across the country. I also wouldn't have presented as an easy target in their time of need.

Lesson 2: By not knowing the contract, I missed out on the reassignment requirement in 20-L-2 for return to my base. They violated 20-L-2-a-(2) in my case. Had I known that, they would have had to return me to my base after the SFO-SAN leg the next day.

So the "they can't violate the contract" statement isn't technically correct. They aren't supposed to violate the contract, but their human too....or just evil...not sure which.

Lesson 3: For the other new folks out there on reserve, here is how to deviate without calling skeds during the trip:

-Once you have the trip assigned and you want to deviate, let them know during the call or call scheduling and get the deviation approved so it shows "Fake" in the schedule before you depart.

-Find your flight you want in employee res (if UAL flight) and book with the "deviation" drop down option. This is still a PS booking.

-Email PSC with the PNR for approval. As long as your schedule says "Fake" they will approve the PNR.

 

As a reserve you are required to call scheduling after your last flight before deviating to be released. You cannot assume since they allow you to deviate when you call to set up a deviation that you are released to deviate.

 

I keep seeing reference in this thread to the UPA concerning checking your schedule by 1800 on your last day off for the following day and acknowledging your trip. The UPA NO LONGER APPLIES!

FAR 117.25 (off the top of my head...does). You are NOT required to check your schedule before midnight on your last day off. You are NOT required to acknowledge your schedule before midnight. So....if you check your schedule and do not acknowledge until midnight...the earliest they can schedule you is a 1000 short call. If you fail to acknowledge it....they will call you...after midnight.

Do NOT answer the phone on your last day off. The Crew Desk uses 18 different numbers to contact you. I live in CA and some of them come up as "CA TOLL FREE CALL".

 

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