Timbo

"Back in the day..." everything revolved around 75 hours per month, for pay. You didn't get paid more, if you flew more, you got a bow wave.

The bid sheet lines were built 68 to 75hrs. and reserve was only 70. If, due to re-routes, over-fly, holding, what ever, you ended up flying say, 80 hours in a month, the "extra" 5 hours was called your "Bow Wave" and pushed into the next month...or you could put the 5 hours into your Bank, to be withdrawn in a "short" month, to bring you up to 75.

Say next month your line was only 71 hours, well, if you had 4 hours of bow wave, you would get your 75 hours pay. But if you got a 75 hour line and over-flew it to say, 85, well, now your bow wave into the next month would be the 5 from last month, plus the extra 10 in this month, for a 15 hour bow wave going into the 3rd month.

In no case would you be paid 85 hours, (like today) anything on top of 75 was either going into your bank or into your bow wave. If over a few months, you accumulated say, 20 hours in your BW, you could drop a 20 hour trip and use your bow wave to cover it, to get paid 75. If you were constantly getting called out (inverse assignements) to fly over 75 hours, you didn't get paid extra, you got a bigger bow wave.

When I was hired in Sept. of 1985, the company was so short of pilots, there were many 727 Engineers with 200+ hour bow waves, because the company "froze" their bow waves, ie. would not let them drop a whole month (or even one trip) to use up their bow waves.

After a 4 day trip, guys were getting re-routes in the jetway as they tried to go home, from the gate agents (no cell phones back then), so to keep that from happening, a lot of Engineers would run off the plane via the aft airstairs, across the ramp, to the parking lot.

Finally, DALPA said, "Enough, you MUST HIRE pilots!" and they did. My first 6 months, as one of the most junior engineers in MIA, I flew some of the best lines in the bid package, because they finally had to allow guys to use up their 200hr. bow waves. So guys were dropping their entire 75 hour lines, and I, being the junior guy, got assigned these lines!

forgot to bid

Thanks Denny and timbo!

newKnow

Fellas,

I've got a bud who is on reserve for September. He got called out for a greenslip last week, but within a few hours scheduling called back and canceled his trip because they couldn't find an FO. They told him they would give him suit up pay.

Question (s):

Does this suit up pay still go on top of his reserve guarantee?

Does he still get his next reserve day off? (Ala rolling thunder style.)

Timbo

You'll never get "a big check" for your bank, but if you are smart, you'll fill up your bank to the 60hr. max while you are a F/O, then bid Capt. and take it out, at Capt. rates. The Bow Wave simply allowed you to drop future flying and cover it with the bow wave. You got paid 75 per month, no more.

We rarely worked more than 12 days a month, (3 x 4 day trips or 4 x 3 days) that's about all it took to get to 75, and there was zero incentive to go over that, as you were not going to get paid more, just a bow wave or bank. Now we have guys trying to fly 85-90, how many jobs do you think that has cost? That's one of the chief contributors to Stagnation today. You want more Stagnation? Just keep parking trips to get up to 95-110 hours. For every 4 guys in your category who pick up an extra 20, that's one less pilot needed in category, or a 20% manning reduction.

Eck4Life

I believe no and no. The only way he will see that money (all 2 hrs of it) is if he happens to break min guarantee.

Had it happen to me. Went out the airport and sat around for about 4 hrs before they scrubbed the flight. I didn't get one red cent for all of that trouble because I didn't fly more than 70 hrs that month. Or I guess, if I had flown past 68 I would've started getting some of it.

newKnow

Ok. I'll tell him. He won't be happy.

Thanks for the quick response though. Gotta love APC.

volav8r1

sorry for the thread shift, but I'm thinking of moving the family down to the Tampa area. Any of you guys do the TPA to ATL commute? Travelnet shows a 757 every hr or so back and forth, how tough is it for a junior guy to catch the jumpseat? Or should I wait 10 years til I start moving forward on the list?

Timbo

Seniority has no bearing on who gets the jumpseat, it's strictly first come, first served, but you had better set your watch to beep at 11:57, 7 days out!

tsquare

Out of MCO though, it is only 2 days before... just sayin'

Bucking Bar

That's a good idea. Now if I can only remember to do that ten years from now.
Tampa is one of those cities Delta seems to love, or hate. Seen them throw all kinds of airplanes in there, pull everything out, go in with a ton of RJ's pull those out, put mainline in, pull it out, etc ... . Probably worth attending on of the roadshows and getting a little more information before actually moving the wife & kids.

If it were me, I'd not do it. Commuting is a real pain with nearly every flight full.