The New FAR Part 117

[wheelsup]

Our schedules have taken a dump, went from 15-16 days off to 12-13 for me and commutable both sides to uncommutable one side and some lines were uncommutable BOTH sides with 12-13 off. This has killed any semblance of a life commuter pilots could muster. Yes we would love to all be at the majors but guess what they aren't hiring 10,000 pilots in the next month so we are stuck where we are at.

If the company could increase productivity to 6-7 hours per day we'd be doing it already because it means less pilots on payroll with less benefits paid. I would like 6-7 hours of block a day, but it just isn't going to happen.

 

[surreal1221]

ALPA will soon be releasing an interactive FAR 117 smartphone application to help pilots transition. Very neat product and it allows a good level of tailoring so that crew members stay legal.

 

[TallFlyer]

I know people where I work (C5) are preparing for min days off for a while, but since the majority of our legs are under an hour and we're contractually limited to 6 per day we're not your average jet regional.

 

[wheelsup]

I know people where I work (C5) are preparing for min days off for a while, but since the majority of our legs are under an hour and we're contractually limited to 6 per day we're not your average jet regional.

You'd be surprised, sounds like our Charlotte flying

 

[Autothrust Blue]

I think this is overall going to be a net win.

You are kidding right? Average block:duty tends to be 5-5:30 per period (mixing 200/900). Take 10% off min. 4 hours a day would end up @ 19 working days a month to hit 75 credit. Currently it's 12-14ish working days to hit 75 credit. I know we are in slightly different "realms" but 117 will be hurting days off... Although we may be more rested during trips and not "spent" after the last block in.

(This is going to be highly biased towards the 7-or-8-legs-a-day LAX-(SAN, CLD, SBA, PSP, BFL) flying that I do now, so be forewarned.)

What you speak of is already not uncommon on the EMB 120 where I work for junior guys who can't hold the plum, high-credit 3- and 4-day trips. I've had a bunch of bid periods where I got a smidgen over guarantee and policy min days off...the good news is that not much is likely to change in my compensation from the point of view of "gone X days, get paid Y hours", and I won't have to fly 8 leg, 14-hour days anymore. I'm looking forward to kissing my 1005 report, 8-leg, done-at-midnight days goodbye.

Yep. Complicated, convoluted, and for me at least, doesn't seem to address the problems. Way to go. Notice how the the first part says: "...no flightcrew member may accept assignment to a flight duty period if the flightcrew member has reported for a flight duty period too fatigued to safely perform his or her assigned duties."

Screw something up and your fitness for flight may be evaluated.

If I screw something up severely, they're going to evaluate my fitness for flight anyway.

 

[Autothrust Blue]

I know people where I work (C5) are preparing for min days off for a while, but since the majority of our legs are under an hour and we're contractually limited to 6 per day we're not your average jet regional.

Good deal. I want that.

 

[TallFlyer]

Good deal. I want that.

Eh, an efficient trip around here seems to average 5-6 hours a day. That's a lot of days to work to fill a 85-95 hour bid window.

 

[Autothrust Blue]

Eh, an efficient trip around here seems to average 5-6 hours a day. That's a lot of days to work to fill a 85-95 hour bid window.

I know that feel.


AFIS LINK ACK

 

[Cruise]

My company just finished an eval on how our schedules would be affected. To echo Seggy, the answer wasn't much. The airbus schedules saw next to no change. The E190 saw only a 2% loss in days off for similar credit, mainly because the 190 does a lot of 3 leg with occasional 4 leg day. Airbus guys cry when they get 3 legs.

3 leg day…..what is this of which you speak?!?

 

[Autothrust Blue]

3 leg day…..what is this of which you speak?!?

Blasphemous.

I'm not even any good until the fourth leg.

 

[BobDDuck]

I'm not even any good until the fourth leg.

Yeah, by leg 7 or 8 I start to get a feel for things.

 

[Eagle421flyer]

I'm a little late to the party as I was in training. As a general rule 117 will affect carriers that fly 5 or more segments (legs) a day bc it effects your flight duty period. The absolute best you could do on length of duty period is 14 hrs and 2 legs after that if you do 3 segments (legs) your flight duty period would drop to 13 hrs. Refer to 117 table b.

Another big change is you can now augment domestically to get a longer flt duty period.

For carriers that do 4 segments(legs) or less a day and don't fly the backside of the clock the impact of 117 is not as great.

If anyone has any questions let me know I helped developed the training program at my former carrier. The 117wordpress website is very accurate and a great resource.