tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8024452810108480973.post9059677693769681013..comments2024-02-19T04:50:58.801-05:00Comments on Daddy...Daddy, come back!: Ask a Pilot WifeJoannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06970722739917121208noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8024452810108480973.post-77633813893319562112012-11-12T09:49:32.823-05:002012-11-12T09:49:32.823-05:00Yes, Top Gun! Holy hotness of men in that movie.....Yes, Top Gun! Holy hotness of men in that movie...aside from my husband, of course, you can't get any hotter than Wolfman in that volleyball scene! Joannahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06970722739917121208noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8024452810108480973.post-8207934188672101742012-11-11T13:45:05.688-05:002012-11-11T13:45:05.688-05:00Nevermind my reference to George Carlin. I obvious...Nevermind my reference to George Carlin. I obviously just had a major brain fart and am showing my age in more ways than one. It was, of course, from Top Gun........ duhhh......Sue K.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8024452810108480973.post-327541113948276772012-11-11T13:20:59.230-05:002012-11-11T13:20:59.230-05:00I love George Carlin and the "rubber dog shit...I love George Carlin and the "rubber dog shit out of Hong Kong" story!! (it was George Carlin, wasn't it?). Either way, I remember it well and always thought it was funny!<br />I hope you and yours have a wonderful Thanksgiving! Gosh, is it really mid-November already??Sue K.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8024452810108480973.post-91153059459001046192012-11-07T10:06:37.698-05:002012-11-07T10:06:37.698-05:00Sure thing. Well, these are 737 domestic pilots I...Sure thing. Well, these are 737 domestic pilots I am talking about. Of course the same wouldn't hold true for wide-body internation pilots. These senior guys would also piggy back 2-day trips. So, four days of flying, and being gone just two nights a week. When pilots are that senior, their is a decent amount of flexability.<br /><br />Joannahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06970722739917121208noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8024452810108480973.post-66032648528180935142012-11-07T00:13:46.680-05:002012-11-07T00:13:46.680-05:00Thanks so much Joanna!
I didn't know that it ...Thanks so much Joanna!<br /><br />I didn't know that it was possible for senior pilots to have a schedule where they could be home every night.Keithnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8024452810108480973.post-61176297756872923662012-11-06T11:03:43.102-05:002012-11-06T11:03:43.102-05:00Hi Keith!
I am happy to describe the bidding proc...Hi Keith!<br /><br />I am happy to describe the bidding process, as much as I know it for Steve's airline...and I am sure that all airlines are different.<br /><br />I think as a whole, a pilot wants to fly as many hours as possible while being away from home the least amount of time. Also as a whole, I don't think a pilot cares where he flies. Now, international may be different, but all I know is domestic right now. Having said that, at this point Steve knows that 4-day trips are his life right now. He knows that if he bids 4-day trips, he will usually get Friday, Saturday and Sunday off. Just last year, his typical thing schedule was leaving on Sunday, and coming home on Wednesday. So, in just this year, his seniority increased enough to give him this "upgrade" of having weekends off. <br /><br />The next step up will be bidding for 3-day trips. In a good couple years, he could very well be leaving for work on Monday, and getting home on Wednesday...all the while getting the same amount of flight hours as he did with a 4-day.<br /><br />One of the most senior trips out of his base is an MCO turn. I think that is something like 5 flight hours a day, so if you do that 4 days a week, that is about 20+ hours of flying (give or take) all the while being home every single night. <br /><br />An FO is "allowed" to bid for a CA when the bidding system tells him he can. Again, this is to the best of my knowledge from what Steve has told me. There are a certain number of CA slots, so when a CA retires or leaves, a slot will open up. The only way to fill CA slots is to pull from the FO group. Well, if there are no CA slots available, then no FO can move up. If there are a ton of CAs retiring, then a ton of CA slots will open up. When they moved the retirment age to 65, there was a good 5 year stall in pilot movement, but now things are starting to move again. The same goes for equipment. <br /><br />Having said all that, it is your choice of you want to move to CA or if you want to change equipment, if you have the option to change equipment. I think Steve can hold FO on a 757 now, but we aren't even considering it. He would have to commute to another base, and his schedule would be worse than what it is. We are chosing quality of life right now. <br /><br />I hope I answered your questions. I am happy to answer any more questions you may have. Joannahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06970722739917121208noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8024452810108480973.post-65775736931165178152012-11-06T04:27:49.213-05:002012-11-06T04:27:49.213-05:00Arrgh!!
Of course I meant to say "bidding&qu...Arrgh!!<br /><br />Of course I meant to say "bidding" 4 day trips.Keithnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8024452810108480973.post-67604857197901775692012-11-06T04:25:01.122-05:002012-11-06T04:25:01.122-05:00Hi Joanna, I'm facinated by the airline pilot ...Hi Joanna, I'm facinated by the airline pilot life. I'm one of those dreamers who never made it happen. C'est la vie.<br /><br />When you talk about Steve biddnig 4 day trips and other pilots bidding day trips it makes me wonder how much control airline pilots have over the number of days that they fly, routes they can fly, etc. Could you describe that process a little?<br /><br />And when is a FO allowed to bid for CA?<br /><br />Thanks, and I really enjoy your blogs.<br /><br />KeithKeithnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8024452810108480973.post-10650457401160266652012-10-23T08:38:44.936-04:002012-10-23T08:38:44.936-04:00Ah yes, the Top Gun reference. :) My husband is ...Ah yes, the Top Gun reference. :) My husband is an FO also but is at the top of the seniority list so the schedules are getting so much better. Sometimes a better schedule is worth less money at our house.Amberhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08778678789173107387noreply@blogger.com