attypilot

Could someone from Guam please explain the Special Reserve Rules? Do they allow placement of all reserve days in a single row so you could have a week off at the beginning of the month and the end of each month essentially building a two week on and two week off schedule? Would that type of schedule be possible and/or easy for a junior guy to get each month?

hummingbear

It's called compressed reserve. All your days off (typically 12) compressed into a single block. During your reserve days, they will call you every week or so & release you into 30 hours of rest to maintain legality for future flying assignments. You can bid in such a way that if you are awarded reserve and you bid compressed, you are guaranteed a compressed reserve line, even if it doesn't fall on the off days you requested. Stacking your days off so that one month's end rolls into the other's beginning is not guaranteed- and harder to accomplish- especially for the bottom guys.

The catch: you are NOT guaranteed a reserve line. At times on Guam, the bottom few pilots end up with forced lines made up of the least liked night trips. Reserve is usually junior, but not always "down to the bottom" junior. In June, the bottom 2 guys got lines- I have no idea if that was intentional. In May, RSV went all the way to the bottom. Compressing is an awesome option for traveling on your days off if you live in base, but I'd be pretty cautious about bidding Guam as a commuter- especially if you're junior.

There is also a way to waive some legality limits and compress a flying line. 10-12 consecutive days off used to be pretty easy to hit, but just from sheer lack of trips under COVID I'd imagine that's harder to do now, especially if you're junior.

hummingbear

Solid choice.

ugleeual

Tacos Sineloa… my favorite place for grub

attypilot

thank you very much for the information! Very helpful

Lockonn

Looking to PM someone who is out there, or has been out there, with a family to pick your brain a little bit before my class date arrives late July/ early August!

hummingbear

Feel free.

Rambo3Z

Is there company sponsored housing? What are the shipping arrangements for moving our belongings? Are there size and weight limitations?

hummingbear

Is there company sponsored housing?
No. You do get $3K/month (taxable) to offset miscellaneous costs of living on a remote island, which some people consider a housing allowance but it's usable however you choose.

What are the shipping arrangements for moving our belongings?
Company paid move to the island if you stay for 18 months, including shipping of 2 vehicles. If you stay less than 18 months (for reasons other than displacement), you pay a pro-rated cost of your move based on however early you leave. If you stay an additional 18 months, you get a paid move back. If you do not move within 200 miles of your new pilot base, the paid move back only gets your things to a West Coast port- NOT your new base. (I.e., transfer to ORD & move to ORD, company ships your things to ORD. Transfer to ORD & move to BNA, company ships your things to California.)

You also get 3K lbs/year of free shipping on UAL to use however you want.

Are there size and weight limitations?
Yes, for the company move, but it's pretty high. (Around 25K lbs.) I don't know of anyone who wasn't able to move all their home goods within that tolerance, but I suppose there's someone out there.

guppie

2 of my favorites!!