Rumor Control Update

December 18, 2000

FAA Sets Duty Limits

A rather important ruling has been handed out by the FAA's Deputy Chief Counsel. You can find the letter from the FAA, written to the Allied Pilots Association Scheduling Chairman, by clicking here. This letter has been scanned and optimized for easy download, so you may find some strange typeface here and there.

Here are a few examples of how this new ruling can change the duty day.

For Regular Reserves and Lineholders, the new ruling limits the duty day to 16 hours (but don't forget that the Contract is more restrictive than this). For Short Call Reserves, this new ruling can have a significant effect on the length of the duty day and the amount of rest needed after flight duty.

The new rule requires that when a pilot is scheduled for a duty period, then that pilot must be able to look back 24 hours (from 15 minutes after the last flight segment blocks in at the destination) and find a 9 hour period which had been designated as a protected rest period.

• Example- Short Call Reserve pilot Smith has a protected rest period which begins at 2200 on Monday and ends at 0700 on Tuesday. At 1015 on Tuesday morning, pilot Smith is called by daily scheduling to fly a three day trip. The first duty period of the three day trip is scheduled to land in MEM at 2100 on Tuesday evening, therefore, pilot Smith is scheduled to be off-duty in MEM at 2115. Looking back 24 hours from 2115 Tuesday, pilot Smith finds that he has received a protected rest period of 9 hours (2200 Monday thru 0700 Tuesday). Pilot Smith can accept the flight assignment.

In actual operation, if the last flight segment is delayed for any reason (even a reason which is beyond the control of the airline), the pilot may only continue to fly that last segment if he/she will find at least 8 consecutive hours of rest when looking back 24 hours from the anticipated end of that duty period.

• Example- While on the assigned trip, weather becomes a factor and delays the last flight to MEM. Because reserve pilot Smith began his most recent protected rest period at 2200 on Monday evening, pilot Smith knows that after 2300 on Tuesday he will no longer be able to find at least an 8 hour rest period in the 24 hour period beginning at 2300 on Monday evening. Pilot Smith may only fly the last leg if the flight will block in at MEM by 2245 ( placing pilot Smith off-duty at 2300).

In the event that pilot Smith lands in MEM and looks back to find less than 9 hours of Protected Rest in the last 24 hours (the look back must always be greater than 8), then pilot Smith has entered a reduced rest period, and must have a compensatory rest period that evening.

• Example- Pilot Smith departs on his last flight segment to MEM and blocks in at 2215, which puts pilot Smith off duty at 2230. Pilot Smith looks back to find 8 hours and 30 minutes of Protected Rest in the last 24 hours. Pilot Smith must have a compensatory rest period ( a C1, C2, or C3) which begins that evening in MEM.

In this example, it is possible that the remainder of the crew could be legal for a reduced rest period (R1, R2 or R3) due to the late arrival in MEM, however pilot Smith requires a compensatory duty break in MEM.