January was another busy month of flying, starting the year out strong on block and credit (this also has to do with holidays). Even though we encountered some challenging flights due to weather and maintenance issues, everything worked out in the end. I was fortunate enough to have some longer legs this month, which was a nice change of pace compared to our ‘short hops’.
Totals: 82.6 hours block time, 91.1 hours credited time (this will be higher once adjusted for holidays), 12 days off
1 - PHF-CLT(DH/)LYH-CLT-CAE
2 - CAE-CLT-JAN-CLT-MDT
3 - OFF
4 - OFF
5- MDT-CLT-AGS-CLT-OAJ
6 - OAJ-CLT-FWA-CLT-OAJ
7 - OAJ-CLT-TLH-CLT-TRI
8 - TRI-CLT-AGS-CLT-MDT
9 - OFF
10 - OFF
11 - OFF
12 - MDT-CLT-MGM
13 - MGM-CLT-CAE(DH/)CLT-CHO
14 - CHO-CLT-TRI-CLT-OAJ
15 - OAJ-CLT-CAE-CLT-MDT
16 - OFF
17 - OFF
18 - OFF
19 - MDT-CLT-FWA
20 - FWA-CLT-FWA
21 - FWA-CLT-JAN
22 - JAN-CLT-MDT
23 - OFF
24 - OFF
25 - OFF
26 - MDT-BOS-ROC(RTG)ROC-PHL
27 - PHL-SYR
28 - SYR-PHL-RIC
29 - RIC-ORD-MDT
30 - OFF
31 - MDT-CLT(RTG)CLT-ERI
There are a lot of factors that play into this; sometimes I can be on duty for 6 hours, other days I may see 12 hours. Sometimes like tomorrow I can start at 5:24 AM and end by noon and eating BBQ for lunch… it just depends on what type of flying I am scheduled for.
Regulation 14 CFR Part 117 limits pilots to be ‘on duty’ for specific period of hours. A great example is on the 26th, I had a return-to-gate due to mechanical issue, which caused a 3-hour delay. While my report time was 4:44 AM, I became a “pumpkin” around 2:44 PM (term used when you run the risk of exceeding duty time and cannot fly) which resulted me in ferrying a plane to Philadelphia from Rochester, NY, taking an extension (2 hours past duty limit) to assist the company (in safe considerations) because I could not finish the legs of ROC-BOS-SYR.
Below is a graph on flight duty periods which breaks it down per report of hour and number of flight segments:
Another good looking month! Despite the annoyance of weather/maintenance issues, I always am glad to have the experience (as long as it’s not go home day). It’s a good learning experience and I’d rather it happen to me whilst I’m still an FO and not a brand new CA!
I find it funny that you typically do the shorter flights and enjoy the change of having longer flights. It’s the complete opposite for me. Whilst I like the credit of the longer flights, the shorter flights are more exciting because there’s no time to waste. Maybe we can swap places for a month!
A GREAT month at Piedmont if I would say so. I prefer to fly more than sitting around and sometimes I see a few trips with quite a bit of sitting, especially around CLT.
This current trip I am on, my average block in 3 days is around a 1.6-hour flight time. Not to shabby at Piedmont; mostly 2-leg days! Tomorrow’s 4 legs and it’s the special day (of which we don’t name because that’s when maintenance and weather happens ).
I agree, I always prefer to be flying rather than long overnights, lost days, sits, or deadheads. Luckily most of our lines don’t have many long sits and if they do (at DFW), I sometimes have enough time to go home for an hour or so. That special (not to be named) day always happens to bring some unwanted excitement!
Interesting, I just had another pilot mention to me that he went home on a long sit. I would never, ever, have the nerve to do that. I would be afraid of something happening and not getting back on time and having to explain why I left the airport. I suppose it is just the paranoid part in me.
I see your point. I think providing you have plenty of time and give yourself room for delays to/from the airport, it is relatively low risk. I haven’t found anything in our contract that explicitly prohibits it and I live about a 10 minute drive from the airport employee lot. It ends up being about 25-30 minutes from front door to gate and I usually give myself an hour to be safe!
Fun fact, we had a 4 hour sit one time in Philadelphia and for some reason the flight attendant was running late to the plane for boarding, they tried to put the blame on the employee bus; however, when company spoke and then sent an email out… it was to be that even during sits you are to NOT leave the airport vicinity. I’m not sure what your contract states Roscoe, but sometimes I’ve had flight schedules change on me during my sit which ultimately shallowed my long sit to a shorter one (rare, but happens).
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