My 16 hour 3 day turned into a 10 hour 3 day after I was displaced so another pilot could be trained with the Captain I was to fly with (Captain was a Check Airman). My new 3 day trip was worth 10 hours...but I'd be paid 16.
I showed up for my first flight Wednesday night at 7PM. Yadda, yadda, yadda cancelled due to weather. I was happy as it was supposed to be a reduced rest overnight. Back home I went. If I commuted I'd have to pay for a hotel. I stayed the night with my family. My 3 day 10 hour turned into a 2 day 7 hour trip.
Next day I went back up and had one leg to the overnight. Long overnight.
Didn't sleep well. Mostly due to being in the wrong time zone. Any time zone other than my own is the wrong time zone. Just the way I see it.
Woke up at 03:30 AM. Van time was 5:00 AM. Three legs. First leg was on time...which was important as I had to be home by noon for a repairman.
Next two flights were a bit delayed due to weather. I was going to land at 11:30AM..original time was 11:05AM.
My leg on the go home. Flew fast. A little tired. Somehow greased it on.
Blocked in at 11:38AM. In my car by 11:52AM. Home at 12:20PM. Not too shabby. Flew 7.5 hours total.
Now the long part of the day.
I'm taking my family to Disney for the weekend. The only flight we can get on leaves at 10:50PM. I plan to sleep on the plane. By the time I get to our hotel I will have been on the move for 26 hours.
Gotta pack. More later.
Pilot and FA schedules have got to some of the strangest in the work-a-day world. It must work for someone or those contracts would have seen major changes, decades ago. Someday, some Professor of Human Engineering Factors will study the subject and write and interesting paper.. I cannot think of any reason you folks put up with it, other than - I guess you just like to fly. All of your serious prep work is done on your own time and not a dime in pay until you turn on the noise makers. I'll never understand it, but then I don't fly for a living either. Fun posts...
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