Terrible line in March. FAR 117 to blame?

9

99driver

Well-Known Member
I was awarded 98:52 hours block in March. I did not even bid max credit. The most I've ever had (even bidding max credit) is 92 hours. We are way short staffed in March.
I simply wanted to see if this was common among my regional brethren for March (I'm at SKW). If it is, why at your airline? Thanks in advance.
 
Well, for various definitions of "terrible" - some are griping about how 14 CFR 117 results in "inefficient" schedules. Clearly, you don't have that problem, but the opposite.

And no, I do not have that problem. 50% LA Bro toad, awarded 78:40 credit, 13 days off, gonna collect 1:20 of credit for doing nothing and probably snag some carry-out once SkedPlus opens.

Something wrong with the computers, no doubt.

 
99driver said:
I was awarded 98:52 hours block in March. I did not even bid max credit. The most I've ever had (even bidding max credit) is 92 hours. We are way short staffed in March.
I simply wanted to see if this was common among my regional brethren for March (I'm at SKW). If it is, why at your airline? Thanks in advance.
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98 hours holy crap! Where are you based?

Autothrust Blue said:
Well, for various definitions of "terrible" - some are griping about how 14 CFR 117 results in "inefficient" schedules. Clearly, you don't have that problem, but the opposite.

And no, I do not have that problem. 50% LA Bro toad, awarded 78:40 credit, 13 days off, gonna collect 1:20 of credit for doing nothing and probably snag some carry-out once SkedPlus opens.

Something wrong with the computers, no doubt.

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I've heard horror stories about the new schedules. Thankfully I've only had to I fly 1 month under 117..BUT it can't be worse than endless hours of classroom duty....why did I switch again?
 
Autothrust Blue said:
Well, for various definitions of "terrible" - some are griping about how 14 CFR 117 results in "inefficient" schedules. Clearly, you don't have that problem, but the opposite.

And no, I do not have that problem. 50% LA Bro toad, awarded 78:40 credit, 13 days off, gonna collect 1:20 of credit for doing nothing and probably snag some carry-out once SkedPlus opens.
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78 hours w/ 13 days off is probably more indicative of the 117 rules. I'm not sure what you were getting before, but at my company I was getting 15-16 days off with 80-85 credit at the bottom of the list. Much better under the old system, for sure. I only did one month under it, not horrible because I had training but the second month (which I didn't work) was horrendous.
 
I've had vacation in both months since 117 hit the books, so my hours of block aren't entirely accurate. But even ignoring that fact I have had schedules more efficient than I've ever seen. I hit about 125 hours of credit for January and only 5 of those were vacation days.
 
wheelsup said:
78 hours w/ 13 days off is probably more indicative of the 117 rules. I'm not sure what you were getting before, but at my company I was getting 15-16 days off with 80-85 credit at the bottom of the list. Much better under the old system, for sure. I only did one month under it, not horrible because I had training but the second month (which I didn't work) was horrendous.
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90+ this summer with 10-11 days off.

No, thanks. (We'll see if they manage to do it again, though...apparently you can be murderously efficient, as @Screaming_Emu points out.)
 
I went from 15-16 days off with 85 credit to 12 days off with only a few commutable trips and 80-85 credit....117 kinda blows on these inefficient trips
 
Last month-72 hours.
This month-72 hours.

Of course, in my three years as a line holder, I have flown over 80 hours only once, and over 70 hours only three or four times. Needless to say, I bid for maximum time...at home.

Just don't tell my wife.
 
Seggy said:
It isn't 117s fault.

It has to do with the contract (or lack of one) you have, then the type of flying assigned to your FFD company's fleet type you are on.
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Yup. Last year as the specifics of 117 started to come out, I would often look at my current trips to see if they were legal. Most of them were, and I usually work some rather high block trips.

In fact, in January there were multiple times where I was scheduled to get up to as much as 35 hours of block in 7 days, something I couldn't have done under the old rules. Yet I still was having reasonable duty days and overnight rest.

My concern with the 117 rules is this. If everything goes according to plan, our trips are just fine. But if we continue down the path of multiple significant maintenance/operational delays in a single day.

I see one of two things happening. Either the company is going to have to fix these problems ahead of time (spare planes, more preventative MX) and start running a better operation. Or we will do what happened with the tarmac delay rule and just mass cancel everything.
 
Has little to do with 117 or lack of contract. Has a lot more to do with March being a near record hour block month. We apparently even turned down some extra flying. March is always one of our biggest months.
 
@Seggy we have a contract. Only the company does not ;)
If we violate rules, trouble follows. If company, excuse me, Company does, suck it.
Although unionized carriers are the same from what I hear... "grievance it".
 
bike21 said:
Has little to do with 117 or lack of contract. Has a lot more to do with March being a near record hour block month. We apparently even turned down some extra flying. March is always one of our biggest months.
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To the tune of about 6% systemwide, according to the thing that appears in my mailbox once a month.

(OP, you *do* read your RSR and systemwide scheduling reports...right? ;) )

Incidentally, the systemwide report says that the Brasilia is less efficient this coming bid period. I didn't notice, although I do have two one-leg days. (I don't care. I'll happily collect minimum daily guarantee to fly for 41 minutes on my way to Carlsbad.)
 
I got 86:43 with only 10 days off.. mostly because they brought the stand-ups back.. not a good march for time off! (Bro FO)
 
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