KC10 FATboy

Thank you. I'm on a dialup connection. Not just dialup, but a very slow dialup and I don't have a copy of the PWA with me.

Thanks.

80ktsClamp

I commuted for my first 8 months after I got hired. Had a couple times that it was going to be a bit of a close call- scheduling was always very understanding. Make sure you follow the rules and keep them informed as the situation progresses. That will sharply reduce your chances of getting hosed and they will do whatever they can to help.

acl65pilot

I think that a lot of us that post here quite often have realized how many people actually read this thread without posting or having a screen name. I am in the crew lounge a lot and I see a lot of people just reading it. Most do not even have screen names. Add to that, there are people from both sides of the fence that use this thread to measure the pulse of the engaged group.

Best of luck to ya. Are ya EV?

acl65pilot

+1 The schedulers are very understanding. Treat them with respect, they are professionals just trying to make sure there is a warm qualified body in the seat.
Be honest and they will normally go the extra mile for ya. Also, the schedulers that just moved from MSP are awesome. I enjoy talking to them. Great people.

maddogmax

Since I did not stay at a Holiday Inn last night and not an attorney, could someone explain the shortcall/longcall policy for reserves. Are they assigned on a daily basis or do you know in advance? Also, can you only be assigned short call 6 times a month. It looks like I may end up on reserve and trying to figure this out. If this is too hard is there a simplified reference somewhere I can refer to. Thanks

acl65pilot

Look on the ALPA website. They had the Cliff Notes to many of the sections up there. Section 23 would be what you are looking for.

As for Reserve. You bid for a long call reserve line in effect. At the schedulers discretion they can convert you to short call six (6) times in a month. It is not seniority based, or really based on anything but their discretion.
The short call period for domestic is twelve (12) hrs, and international categories like the 777/744 etc are twenty-four (24) hrs. You can be used for a domestic rotation for the first 12 hrs of a 24 hr period.
To be converted to SC as we call it they need to give you at least ten (10) hrs of notice prior to the start of the SC period.
Make sure you check your schedule after 1500 on your last off day to see what your reserve assignment is for your first on call day. This check is time stamped and is required by the PWA. You do not necessarily need to akc a trip or SC period at that time, and do have until a few hrs prior to that assignment to do so. (In effect it is just easier to do so, but not required.

I would also look up the DALPA resource "When Scheduling Calls." It answers a lot of questions for ya.

Denny Crane

WSC is a great resource. Just a note, the schedule check on your last off day on reserve for your first on call day is after 1500 BASE TIME. Base time being where you are based not necessarily where you live!

Denny

acl65pilot

Good point!

Dash8widget

This is one of those things that really needs to be fixed on the next go around. It makes absolutely no sense why, in a given month, an international category pilot can be on short call twice as long as a domestic pilot. If the company really has a need to have an international guy on SC for 24 hours then that needs to count as two SC periods. Or better yet, have the SC rules be the same for all categories.

acl65pilot

I agree. Really I do. At a min I would like them to have to assign domestic or international to the sc period.
In places like ATL 24 hrs of short call on the 777 and ER suck. You have early AM departures both domestic and international and super late ones as well. 24 hrs means 24 hrs.

I know, we agreed to it, but to get called out in your 23rd hr of SC for a 12 hr flight is just crazy.