What is your ideal schedule? And who offers it?

My last rotation was only 4 days since I used all my vacation. I literally begged the crew resources guy to not airline me to the east coast. Then I got the call. We have to airline you to PBI. I found a direct flight from SFO. Get to SFO. literally watch Asiana 214 stack the landing and wait for 2 hours. Get a call from SOC. "Heeeeeyyy did ya make it on the flight?" Um no. I'm talking to you. Oh well go home and we will try again tomorrow. Really? You don't have anything west of the rockies? No. Then I get a 6am flight out of OAK on SW to some crap hole and another flight to FLL not PBI. Close enough to drive though, end of day 2! Drive to PBI for an early ass flight to HOU on day 3. Get to HOU looking forward to getting home and then the call. "Heeeyyyyy can you guys do HOU to Sand Point Idaho?" Yes. Fly to Sand Point. "Heeyyyyy can you guys go to DEN?" We need to get the new FO paired. WTF really? Why don't I get private flights to pick me up for work! OK. That was a 14hr day and since I was in copilot McFancy Pant's home town. I elected to bug out that night on SW out of DEN to OAK. And just to add insult to injury the next day Captain Whatever and Copilot McFancy Pants repo empty to dun dun dunnnn, OAK.

Awesome just awesome. 2 empty legs so one copilot doesn't have to airline and I guess I am just a pile of trash...
 
My ideal schedule would be long call reserve out of SFO, but that's years down the road so who knows what carrier may offer that when I'm applying.

Atlas. I've sat so much residence reserve in San Diego the past couple months, a buddy of mine joked that I was the Atlas Yacht Club manager.

(I still found a reason to whine, in proper pilot fashion)
 
My last rotation was only 4 days since I used all my vacation. I literally begged the crew resources guy to not airline me to the east coast. Then I got the call. We have to airline you to PBI. I found a direct flight from SFO. Get to SFO. literally watch Asiana 214 stack the landing and wait for 2 hours. Get a call from SOC. "Heeeeeyyy did ya make it on the flight?" Um no. I'm talking to you. Oh well go home and we will try again tomorrow. Really? You don't have anything west of the rockies? No. Then I get a 6am flight out of OAK on SW to some crap hole and another flight to FLL not PBI. Close enough to drive though, end of day 2! Drive to PBI for an early ass flight to HOU on day 3. Get to HOU looking forward to getting home and then the call. "Heeeyyyyy can you guys do HOU to Sand Point Idaho?" Yes. Fly to Sand Point. "Heeyyyyy can you guys go to DEN?" We need to get the new FO paired. WTF really? Why don't I get private flights to pick me up for work! OK. That was a 14hr day and since I was in copilot McFancy Pant's home town. I elected to bug out that night on SW out of DEN to OAK. And just to add insult to injury the next day Captain Whatever and Copilot McFancy Pants repo empty to dun dun dunnnn, OAK.

Awesome just awesome. 2 empty legs so one copilot doesn't have to airline and I guess I am just a pile of trash...

meditating.jpg
 
I really loved doing high speeds 4 on 2 off highspeeds. I was home every day, and the 2 days off was really 4, so I would go visit friends around the country. Come back, the night of the 1st of four, do laundry the next day and repeat until the end of the month where I had a week off to go continent hopping. That was awesome.
 

Pretty much the reason I don't do 8/6. Our SOC must be like those WW2 war rooms where they move pilot models around a giant map of the USA on a gigantic table with those long wooden pushing sticks. Even better if it were a grumpy lady in a Nazi uniform from Indiana Jones, in a castle (named chaos) who will scream ALARM if you disturb her.
 
I once played 5 rounds of golf in a 7 day period...and I wasn't on vacation...and I still got my paycheck.
After Sunday I'm off for just over three weeks, and I still get paid. Thank you huge inspection! :)

Seriously though, for the last three years I've averaged just under 150 days of duty a year and about 300 hours. I generally have a week to ten days notice, some times up to several months. If I need to have a day off, I can schedule it using my vacation time. During Holidays if we take the people some where, we airline home. It's about as close to perfect as I can get. Yes, I don't know for sure what days I'm off or not, but for me I like it that way. True at an airline eventually you can bid a schedule that is nice and you at least know it a month in an advance. Things like vacation time is also bid in seniority order, when you're junior, good luck getting any thing off during the summer without a little help and luck. I'm definitely happier now than I was as a junior regional FO.
 
"Every [expletive] Wednesday?"
Some peeps may not know what AB is referencing here. I'll clarify since it has some truth to it.
I probably won't do it justice but I goes some thing like this......

So there was a big meeting with all the pilots and the union to ratify a new contract. The Chairman of the union steps up to the podium and says "I've got some pretty good news guys, they airline is going to give you a 50% raise and the only day you have to work is Wednesday." Most in the audience are quietly pondering what was said, when with a huge commotion a pilot storms out the back door screaming "EVERY F ing Wednesday!?!?! They want ME to work EVERY F ing Wednesday!!"
 
My last job was great. 3-4 days a week. Weekend/holidays off. Home every day. Still wishing things would have worked out.
 
I'm pretty much living it. 2 week on, 2 week off, reserve. I have a nice place to stay near my ONT base and don't get used much. Lately, anywhere from one to four days out of my two weeks on. Karma will catch up to me once or twice a year and I'll get sent to Asia for two weeks or get a nasty week of all nighters. But so far this year, knock on wood, I've been very lucky and haven't been too busy. Lots of time to post on JC.
 
Basically what I've got now, but with no duty day over 6 hours and about 2-3 days a week. Oh yeah and a 300% pay bump. Also only Chieftain or Caravan only, except trips to our local gravel strips.
 
I once played 5 rounds of golf in a 7 day period...and I wasn't on vacation...and I still got my paycheck.
I normally squeez in about 2-3 rounds while on a 4-6 day reserve stretch, granted some get cut short. Beauty of living on a course and having a membership!


O and the perks of in base reserve!
 
I normally squeez in about 2-3 rounds while on a 4-6 day reserve stretch, granted some get cut short. Beauty of living on a course and having a membership!


O and the perks of in base reserve!
That must be nice for the three months it's not sub zero with wind that feels like your face is peeling off. :)
 
You can find me making snow angels and forts during those times.

Seggy, while it can suck, it's still home. Now you want to talk about a place that sucks? Ever been to Texas? ;)
 
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