May 2018 Schedule

Schedules Chris's Schedule
1
  1. long call reserve
  2. field standby
  3. long call reserve
  4. off
  5. off
  6. off
  7. off
  8. off
  9. field standby
  10. LGA-IAH, IAH-SAT
  11. SAT-IAH, IAH-YYC
  12. YYC-DEN, DEN-LGA
  13. EWR-ATL, ATL-EWR
  14. off
  15. off
  16. off
  17. off
  18. EWR-BOS
  19. BOS-EWR, EWR-LAS
  20. LAS-ORD, ORD-IAD
  21. IAD-ORD, ORD-IAD
  22. IAD-EWR
  23. off
  24. off
  25. off
  26. field standby
  27. EWR-SAN
  28. SAN-SFO, SFO-EWR
  29. short call reserve
  30. long call reserve
  31. off
2

Chris,

Can you define short call reserve, long call reserve and field standby for me. I think I might know what they mean but I am not 100%.

Thanks!
Jay

3

Jay,

Sure, with the caveat that these can vary from one airline to the next. Long call at my airline is 13 hours, meaning that they have to give you 13 hours to report for a trip when they call you. Short call is three hours of notification and airport standby means sitting at the airport for four hours. Think of it as fun, less fun and no fun.

Chris

4

Thank you for the info! Two follow ups: 1. In the case of standby, you just have a 4 hour window where you go the airport in case they need you and then if you aren’t needed in that 4 hour window, you just go home? 2. How does short call work with someone who commutes if they only give you 3 hours? In your case, is ORF less than 2 hours from EWR?

Thanks again!
Jay

5

Actually I might be off by an hour on question #1. I was thinking you had 3 hours to departure and still had to commute, when in actuality, you have 3 hours to report. My bad.

6

Jay,

If they haven’t used you after airport standby, you just go home.

As a commuter, short call stinks as it means I have to go to the crashpad in EWR so I can make the three hour call out. Commuting is always on your time and at your expense. Some of the many, many reasons that I recommend so strongly that pilots move to base and not commute.

Chris

7

Jay,

Just clarify, on short call Reserve you have 3hrs (at my airline 2) to report for duty. That does not mean you’re only on call for those 3hrs. Again it varies from airline to airline but most short call you’re ON CALL from 10-12 hrs but once they call you have 3hrs to report. So in your scenario you’re released and can do whatever after the 12hr Reserve period.

Now as a commuter if you’re on short call Reserve you had better be reasonably close to the airport. Even if you live a short 1hr flight away you still need to get dressed, drive, park and HOPE there’s a flight at that time AND there’s room on that flight. If you’re on short call you’ll need a crashpad or hotel.
Adam