Have you looked at other bases? Yes you guys are getting hammered in Seattle because the company is choosing roughly 12%reserve coverage for SEA CA but your schedule is not average by any stretch. You are an extreme. Average utilization for captains in Seattle is somewhere around 50 hours and that’s high compared to any other base. Yes there’s a single long call over 80 hours now because they got called yesterday after I posted but on average the long calls are working less than the short calls. There are more captains with less than 25 hours than there are with over 70. I don’t know why you’re being so dramatic man, I’m just pointing out data.
Considering leaving the profession for good, could use advice
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CoffeeIcePapers
Well-Hung Member
ASpilot2be
Qbicle seat warmer
That's true. My concern was they go to the most closed minded countries of the world. Wasn't sure about her safety.
Boris Badenov
Fortis Leader
They go to Kuwait a fair amount. I think I'd just stay in the hotel if I were her, there, but it's not like it's Saudi or something.
Other common destinations are fine, though. Japan, Korea, Ireland, Bulgaria (this may be less now that we're out of Afghanistan).
They are going through a rough patch at the moment and people are not happy, but it might be a good place to check the heavy/international box and it's certainly a much *easier* job than the freighters.
BEEF SUPREME
Well-Known Member
The entire reason I’m talking about my schedule is that it’s likely what a new hire will deal with. It takes seniority to hold other bases with the exception of SFO. PDX took over a year when I was hired. Your path is an anomaly. Don’t act self righteous when you’re the exception to what new hires will face going forward. Unless we hire and upgrade an impressive number of pilots in 2025-26 this will be the standard for anyone junior on either list. I fly with the junior FOs getting called out on the same RAP. I hear firsthand what their life is like with the additional stressor of living in a crash pad.
Maximilian_Jenius
Super User
According to the FB's, your wife seems to be having a ball.
ASpilot2be
Qbicle seat warmer
She loves the job. Hopefully they get a new contract and improve a lot about the job.
JustinS
Well-Known Member
Everyone has different perspectives. The same way some people love certain types of trips that others absolutely despise… You’re getting hundreds of different opinions on very specific things. I think at this point you have more than enough information to decide whether you want to continue to play the game or hang up the wings.
JDean3204
Well-Known Member
Rough patch, as in being bought by ATSG. Oops I said that out loud, my bad
In all seriousness, any ACMI move outside of Atlas can be risky imo. This darn industry seems to cycle through who is good and who is turd.
Autothrust Blue
Speed Bugs, Surf, Sunshine
Classical frak-ups that make everyone mad: telling the damn truth.
BEEF SUPREME
Well-Known Member
Did you see @BobDDuck post about how many black swans I qualify for. It's only two. 9-11 and the Pandemic.
2008 financial meltdown - nope
Age 65 - nope
2 737 MAXs crashing killing everyone onboard because of MCAS significantly delaying growth where I work - nope
A door plug blowing off an aircraft where I happen to be employed - not at all silly
I think what you're seeing is a lot of posturing from behind a keyboard mixed with "I had to suffer so you need to suffer too" mentality. It's easy to say "I can easily handle your schedule on reserve. I loved the golden days of 10 legs a day in a clapped out turboprop where I slept on a bed of nails under a bridge to live my dream of becoming a top notch wide body aviator." HARUMPH "You kids have it so easy nowadays!"
It is entirely another thing to live that schedule. I was worked within 1 hour of guarantee last month. Called out 6 of 6 days of reserve. One of the call outs was a 3 day trip with a red eye. The last day of reserve I was worked into my day off but not within the limits of being protected by my new and wonderful contract that is so super and amazing.
I for sure have empathy for what you are going through. It isn't easy. It honestly feels like survival. I'm making it but just barely. I have two days off. I managed to change the oil on my Carolla and I'll probably get a ride in today. I can eat clean for 2 days easily. I make enough to try on the road but it's so hard to find healthy food near our layovers. Our crew meals seem to be designed to kill us slowly but there is no time to eat anything else for the majority of what I'm called out for. You don't even get those.
Captain Bob the dude I flew with for years during my first 135 job always just said "Life is hard and then you die." His words have always rung true. This career can be amazing sure. I saw it just before the pandemic hit. I flew with the number one seniority pilot at the airline to Maui. DH in first class after a 24 hour layover. He picked my brain about corporate because he wanted to keep flying after he retired. So he offered to buy me dinner. On the walk back from dinner we stopped to watch whales breaching in the bay near our layover hotel.
"My god. I've finally made it. Praise the lord the struggle is over."
The next week the pandemic caused a near halt of travel and the furlough rumor mill started in full swing. I'll probably never see a schedule that good again or trips like that again either. It was a fleeting moment that lasted just a few days. I've never been able to trade, drop or pick up trips due to staffing since that day even as an FO. I've never got the line I asked for. I haven't been able to use 3rd step because 3rd step started the month I went into upgrade class. Vacation open time was taken from us in 2020 and never returned. I've never been able to make all of the NW Cup DH races. Which I call my family reunion since 2019.
My only hope going forward is to make sound financial and health decisions so I may retire as soon as possible.
phill1174
Well-Known Member
QOL issues like schedules are arbitrary. Personally I have no desire to be on the road any longer than 4 days and even then that’s one day too long sometimes. Some people love being gone on longer stretches. @Maximilian_Jenius has been asking me about bidding the whale at brown but I have no desire to be done for 12-14 days. Only you know your niche.
I’m also in the mindset of not needing weekends off. I’ve gotten used to getting them off as it’s pretty easy at UPS. The same goes with summer vacation. I’ll let everyone trip over themselves for a summer vacation but September or October is perfect for me. Not a lot of kids running around and it doesn’t feel like the earth is on fire.
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Boris Badenov
Fortis Leader
12-14 is the exception, at least in SDF. Much to the consternation of many commuters. I'd say most of my trips are 5-8. Which is plenty for me, but, as you say, some guys want to just get it over with.
JordanD
Here so I don’t get fined
Hey, we bid the same seniority!Again, as the bearer of unpopular news, that’s a pretty OK schedule, better than a lot of junior narrowbody FO schedules at the big airlines. And if you live in base, it’s a fantastic schedule. But then, I’m of the school of thought that weekends are over-rated because everything is crowded, can’t go to Costco and too many of my colleges run themselves ragged all year for the flex of saying “I have weekends and holidays off” but are so worn-out they don’t do jack anyway.
This is 70% in category as 350 CA, 2100/17000-ish pilots, 26 years of seniority:
View attachment 78529
I have a busy schedule, but it’s what the money is for. Work is…. Well, work!
Yup. I'm at mainline and I'm currently working 8 straight days in a row. Legal, because a couple 30+ hour layovers. Sucks massive donkey nuts, but it's incredibly rare and I'm sure I screwed something up in my bid.
phill1174
Well-Known Member
I should’ve added SDF as the outlier. I looked at you all’s bid pack last month and thought “d*amn they have a lot of reports on the junior lines”. I do feel like there’s more of a happy medium in SDF though.
Boris Badenov
Fortis Leader
I'm bidding 78% the last time I looked, and I'm astonished by how gentlemanly the lines I can hold are. Of course I live in base and that makes a huge difference, but junior whale here isn't really all that bad. For me. YMMV, etc. etc.
Boris Badenov
Fortis Leader
phill1174
Well-Known Member
I was ready for it this bid period. We had weekend stuff but not as much as I thought. We also seem to have shrunk a bit this bid period so that may be why.<Postal Contract enters the chat>
phill1174
Well-Known Member
You let them tell you’re not qualified. Being qualified is a lot more than hours or ocean crossings. Keep an eye out for a call since you’ve applied.
She’s on instagram or Twitter iirc. I remember seeing some of her content out there. She seems like a sweet lady so I wouldn’t be reluctant to reach out again.
If you can definitely make time for it. Even if it’s riding FedEx out there and coming back in the afternoon. You’ll be exhausted but it’ll be worth it.
Boris Badenov
Fortis Leader
She's an extremely nice person, and a good pilot, as well. She's also very busy, AFAICT. I don't think she would take it poorly if you were to reach out again.
