"calling in sick" with Part 121

Bumblebee said:
I had a jerk call in for the first round trip of a four day trip because he didn't want to wake up. Then he took the trip back after I got back to FAT which took me out of contention for flying a four day trip on reserve, and I ended up with ready reserve for that day, plus a bunch of single leg trips that week causing me to get a hotel. I found out it was a guy in my upgrade class and told him what happened and he said, "seniority rules" There's a special place in Hell for these types off idiots.
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I thought that if not rules-bound, then at least good etiquette says that if you bang out of a trip sick, and it gets reassigned and a reserve is called up to take it, then you don't (shouldn't) have the right to take it back, as you essentially forfeited it. If you want a make up trip, go find an open line and take it. Is that not the case?
 
That's how it worked at AMR. If, for example, I called off sick for a 4-day trip, but got better on day 2 I could call up and put myself on the "make up list". "My" trip, that 4-day, was already gone and I had no claim to it anymore. However I could put myself on the make up list and ask to be called for something else that may pop up.
 
MikeD said:
I thought that if not rules-bound, then at least good etiquette says that if you bang out of a trip sick, and it gets reassigned and a reserve is called up to take it, then you don't (shouldn't) have the right to take it back, as you essentially forfeited it. If you want a make up trip, go find an open line and take it. Is that not the case?
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Some places are like that. Some aren't. At the shop I'm at, a line holder can come back to a trip the next time it comes through their domicile. Of course, there are 4 day trips that never come back through domicile, but normally that just deadhead somewhere to get back on it. There are certain captains that I routinely cover for because they bang out sick for the first day or so of their trip because they don't want to commute in and miss a football game, or a evening of boating or what ever.

The best (worst) I ever had happen to me was a time where I was deadhead from my domicile to CLT to sit for 3 hours to cover a trip where a guy was out sick. I got on the plane and the other captain was already there. Long story short, but he thought he was going to miss his commute to work so he called out sick but then ended up making it anyway. He saw they hadn't but the trip back on him, but didn't bother calling because he thought that if both he and a reserve showed up to the plane, maybe they'd just let him go home again, but still get paid. When he found out that that wouldn't happen (duh) he stayed on the trip which meant I got to sit for 3 more hours (having just missed the next flight) to deadhead back to base. I said something to him about it and his response was "eh... you're a reserve, that's what you are here for".
 
When sick, I call in sick. When well, I call in well.

I will NOT knowingly fly with anyone who is sick. I'm tired of those jackholes who are at home with their little pox breeders, then bring the lil' darlining's latest recombanant reverse-RNA miracle of natural selection to work for everyone to enjoy. Sit in a 4 cubic yard box with another person, and YOU WILL have what they're having, and as a bonus, thanks to incubation times, you'll be hacking and feverish on YOUR DAYS OFF.

Screw those guys, and the horse they rode in on.

Richman
 
Richman said:
When sick, I call in sick. When well, I call in well.

I will NOT knowingly fly with anyone who is sick. I'm tired of those jackholes who are at home with their little pox breeders, then bring the lil' darlining's latest recombanant reverse-RNA miracle of natural selection to work for everyone to enjoy. Sit in a 4 cubic yard box with another person, and YOU WILL have what they're having, and as a bonus, thanks to incubation times, you'll be hacking and feverish on YOUR DAYS OFF.

Screw those guys, and the horse they rode in on.

Richman
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The worst times I've been sick is after being exposed to ill crew members. Certain members of the crew are worse at coming to work than others, but I'll let y'all presume which I'm talking about to avoid the haterade.
 
Wow, the sick/reserve thing sounds uber complicated for you guys with RON schedules, guess there's somthing to be said for local carriers that have you home every night!
 
BobDDuck said:
Some places are like that. Some aren't. At the shop I'm at, a line holder can come back to a trip the next time it comes through their domicile. Of course, there are 4 day trips that never come back through domicile, but normally that just deadhead somewhere to get back on it. There are certain captains that I routinely cover for because they bang out sick for the first day or so of their trip because they don't want to commute in and miss a football game, or a evening of boating or what ever.
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I don't get why someone would care to come back to their trip. When I called out sick, I'd just spend 4 relaxed days at home instead of pushing myself back to work.
 
If you are sick call out. Nothing worse than flying with someone constantly coughing and sniffling in the cockpit.
 
Bumblebee said:
I had a jerk call in for the first round trip of a four day trip because he didn't want to wake up. Then he took the trip back after I got back to FAT which took me out of contention for flying a four day trip on reserve, and I ended up with ready reserve for that day, plus a bunch of single leg trips that week causing me to get a hotel. I found out it was a guy in my upgrade class and told him what happened and he said, "seniority rules" There's a special place in Hell for these types off idiots.
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That kind of attitude really rubs me wrong, to say the least. What people such as him don't realize is that aviation is such a small community. The person you deliberately walk on today may become someone who is in a position to help or hinder your career one day in the future.
 
Lee D said:
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That kind of attitude really rubs me wrong, to say the least. What people such as him don't realize is that aviation is such a small community. The person you deliberately walk on today may become someone who is in a position to help or hinder your career one day in the future.
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Oh yeah, and if there is ever a time to tell this story when it matters, I will. Especially after his completely selfish response.
 
MikeD said:
I thought that if not rules-bound, then at least good etiquette says that if you bang out of a trip sick, and it gets reassigned and a reserve is called up to take it, then you don't (shouldn't) have the right to take it back, as you essentially forfeited it. If you want a make up trip, go find an open line and take it. Is that not the case?
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SkyW policy allows the line holder to reclaim their trip if they are able.
 
Bumblebee said:
Which is great unless it is abused.
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Yeah, I agree. I believe most guys and gals are pretty good with the policy. But, as usual, there are always exceptions. . . . . jerks!

In response to the OP, If you don't think you are fit to fly, then you call in. I have found that our company is generally very good with sick and fatigue calls. Especially in the past few years; which I believe directly correlates to the 3407 accident. If your sinuses feel like someone drilled a hole half way into your skull and injected it with raw “Cholula or if you’re 2 year old kept you up most the night and the only thing that would keep you semi conscious would be a intravenous Red Bull drip, they usually just tell you thanks and call us back when you are better. Both of those are based on personal experience. J I don’t think the policy always so friendly, but in the last few years it has improved.
 
Bumblebee said:
I had a jerk call in for the first round trip of a four day trip because he didn't want to wake up. Then he took the trip back after I got back to FAT which took me out of contention for flying a four day trip on reserve, and I ended up with ready reserve for that day, plus a bunch of single leg trips that week causing me to get a hotel. I found out it was a guy in my upgrade class and told him what happened and he said, "seniority rules" There's a special place in Hell for these types off idiots.
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Did he admit to calling off because he didn't want to wake up? That would be hard to not to respond to, but in general I think it is bad form to be second guessing some one's decision not to fly. Not really responding to you and this incident, but just the general practice of a reserve guy wanting to know if it was an eye problem.

For the OP
1. Consistently calling off on holidays etc might get you some scrutiny.

2. As far Drs notes, I have a buddy that flies for United that tells a story about when United trial ballooned a sick note policy, and one of the pilots expensed in an expensive cab ride, wait and return because he was too sick to drive...
 
he decided that he didn't want to wake up early enough to get back to work, so he called in sick for the out and back leg...he was a friend before this happened and he was trying to get with a mutual female friend (another captain). He even told her his plan the evening before.
 
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