Bellanca

For as understaffed as we are, it is absolutely ridiculous how many 12 hour 4 days there are in August. I even saw a 9 hour 4 day! What a waste of a crew (especially reserve crews since these are going to end up in open time, or people will just call in sick). These 4 day pairings should be 18-20 hours, but pairings > 18 are in the minority next month. (At least for STL) Also, multiple deadheads are way too common.

You'd think utilizing crews more efficiently would be a priority of some sort now... along with hiring.

CBreezy

That's where management is failing. They can't seem to figure out how to build efficient pairings and instead give out these garbage pairings. I know it has a lot to do with what they are given but can't imagine they can't fix their program to get rid of this poor utilization to fix staffing woes.

bjohnson09

Had a 8.5 hour 4-day in June. STL seems to be really bad about it. Especially with the PIT-RDU shuttle

etflies

I saw 802 on FTWeb going from DEN to VCV last week. Good riddance.

As far as crew useage, I doubt you'll find anyone to disagree. I spent the week before last flying 1 leg per day. Had awesome overnights in TVC and the like but not at all an efficient use of crew.

MavAv8r

It just goes to show we aren't at the nuclear point. The company is mad about what we want for PBS (from what I hear)... you think bad pairings is any coincidence? It's been that way off and on for awhile, but with more flying pairings get better, unless the company wants to punish you for it.

When vacation's get cancelled, 200% pay happens, and everyone has 85 plus hour lines with 15 days off, and we are canceling flights for crews then I'll be worried. In the meantime staffing is fine. They could easily, EASILY, free up an extra couple of reserves in every single base every month if they wanted to by building better pairings. Which they have shown they can do ( See ORD opening last summer ).

We also have 25 - 30 Captains, and 45 Plus FO's either in training or awaiting IOE. The place is fine. A little short, but they can alleviate a lot of that at their own will. At some point, they will have to.

B200 Hawk

So are we just quitting the idea of electronic EFBs and LiDO? This FSDO is pathetic. iPads, big scary concept that has never been thought of before.

CBreezy

Compass got Lidos approved and removed Jepps. Surely it can't be that hard. If you can't read a chart because it's a LITTLE different, you have no business in an airplane.

AluminumFoil

Compass is approved and only using Ipads/LIDOs. No more carrying Jepps also.

Coneydog

New aircraft, new pilots, new routes, new pilots...that's a recipe for an asap. That comes straight from a chief pilots mouth. That's why we don't have them yet. And FWIW, I'd much rather have a Jepp subscription on the iPad rather than lido.

Coneydog

I just heard sick calls are now getting to your chief pilots desk and to expect a phone call and possibly provide a doctors note. Things are getting ridiculous.