Hi, I'm looking for a little insight on what life on reserve looks like. I keep reading that there is the ability to upgrade quickly on a NB at AC because the lifestyle that goes along with it is trash.
I've been told that once you get in the left seat, expect to be a reserve pilot for at least 10 years and say goodbye to weekends off for the same amount of time. Is that estimate still valid?
Cheers
Reserve pilot
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Northof60th
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PostmasterGeneral
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Freshredmeat
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Re: Reserve pilot
You should get used to reserve if you want to do what you are supposed to do and maximize the "pension"
So chase the bottom of every list to never have summer vacation, 18 days of reserve, bidding on "patterns", being on Neverending short call because there is no long call, and good luck planning anything for a decade plus
It's not bad as long as you enjoy living near the airports in the most expensive cities in world, have no family, plans or a life.
I love everytime someone says the new pension is "better"
So chase the bottom of every list to never have summer vacation, 18 days of reserve, bidding on "patterns", being on Neverending short call because there is no long call, and good luck planning anything for a decade plus
It's not bad as long as you enjoy living near the airports in the most expensive cities in world, have no family, plans or a life.
I love everytime someone says the new pension is "better"
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co-joe
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Re: Reserve pilot
Yet several people on here have suggested that it is true. As of today, 10 years company seniority would get you roughly 60% base/type seniority in the left seat of a Max in YVR. Would that allow you to hold a block? I'm guessing that in YYZ your relative seniority on type would be higher, but how much?
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Cavalier44
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Re: Reserve pilot
In November, the most junior YVR 737 CA blockholder was showing 80% seniority. In YYZ, the most junior 737 CA blockholder was 78% seniority. Both of those would be a date of hire around 2017. It's definitely not 10 years to hold a block as a narrowbody captain at either YUL, YVR, or YYZ. I've discounted using December as a reference because many people who are middle of the pack seniority-wise bid reserve intentionally to hold the days off they want during the holidays, meaning the blocks will go more junior than they normally would.co-joe wrote: ↑Wed Dec 28, 2022 2:53 pm Yet several people on here have suggested that it is true. As of today, 10 years company seniority would get you roughly 60% base/type seniority in the left seat of a Max in YVR. Would that allow you to hold a block? I'm guessing that in YYZ your relative seniority on type would be higher, but how much?
Realistically, you're probably looking at your first six months to a year on reserve as a narrowbody FO, depending on which base you select and how much growth is forecast for that position. Then you'd have three years as a junior blockholder, and an upgrade in your fourth year, which is conservatively about how junior narrowbody CA upgrades are going at the present time. Then back on reserve for another year or so as a junior narrowbody CA.
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Curiousflyer
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Re: Reserve pilot
It really depends on your starting point. New hire coming in today? Yeah 10 years might be a close guess.Northof60th wrote: ↑Wed Dec 28, 2022 7:59 am Hi, I'm looking for a little insight on what life on reserve looks like. I keep reading that there is the ability to upgrade quickly on a NB at AC because the lifestyle that goes along with it is trash.
I've been told that once you get in the left seat, expect to be a reserve pilot for at least 10 years and say goodbye to weekends off for the same amount of time. Is that estimate still valid?
Cheers
Why? Well you need a seniority number of around 3000 to be a NB CA and hold a block. New hires coming in are around 4500. We have very few mandatory retirements coming in the next 5 years (50-60 per year) then that slowly ramps up to around 100 a year.
Anything more than that is a hope based on growth. AC has no formal growth plans.
While it’s true that 4 years in today are able to go captain, they are still 600 numbers before being able to hold a block, those 4 year captains could easily sit for another 6 years before getting a block (based on retirements alone).
Weekends off as a NB CA block holder is even further away, that sits around 2300. Want to get your days worked down to 10-12? Well that’s approaching WB CA territory at 1700.
All numbers are for YYZ based pilots (most junior base)
Personally I think we will see some growth, nothing crazy, but my best guess is 7-8 years in you’ll be able to hold a block as a NB CA.
Re: Reserve pilot
It’s hard to account for growth…. Not that many years ago, seniority 3000 would have been a new hire, now they’re a NB captain!
In terms of reserve, it matters most how many are below you. When I first checked out as an A320 FO, I didn’t get a reserve block because so many people were being trained behind me, that they all made up the reserve list for that month… and by the next month most of them probably held a block too.
Meanwhile, there were 4 guys in my PIT course who were awarded EMJ FO positions…. And that position wasn’t offered in any of the PIT courses for almost a year afterwards. So they were the most junior EMJ FOs for that whole time. Which meant reserve (except possibly for December, when you could be too junior to hold reserve, but those days are gone!).
Now as a captain on reserve, I have been the most junior captain on this machine for most of the last 6 months… only in the past few weeks have they trained two more junior to me. But with the "best fit" rules, seniority on reserve has lost most of its meaning… junior or senior, we are all equally screwed. But in the end, reserve is not as bad as I feared it would be. Even as a commuter, I get to see my family for a few days every week… and I get to do some flying that a junior blockholder would never be able to.
The most senior reserve pilots on my type have about 5 years more seniority than I do, however I don't think it will be 5 years before I can hold a block. As long as we keep growing, that goal will get closer!
In terms of reserve, it matters most how many are below you. When I first checked out as an A320 FO, I didn’t get a reserve block because so many people were being trained behind me, that they all made up the reserve list for that month… and by the next month most of them probably held a block too.
Meanwhile, there were 4 guys in my PIT course who were awarded EMJ FO positions…. And that position wasn’t offered in any of the PIT courses for almost a year afterwards. So they were the most junior EMJ FOs for that whole time. Which meant reserve (except possibly for December, when you could be too junior to hold reserve, but those days are gone!).
Now as a captain on reserve, I have been the most junior captain on this machine for most of the last 6 months… only in the past few weeks have they trained two more junior to me. But with the "best fit" rules, seniority on reserve has lost most of its meaning… junior or senior, we are all equally screwed. But in the end, reserve is not as bad as I feared it would be. Even as a commuter, I get to see my family for a few days every week… and I get to do some flying that a junior blockholder would never be able to.
The most senior reserve pilots on my type have about 5 years more seniority than I do, however I don't think it will be 5 years before I can hold a block. As long as we keep growing, that goal will get closer!
Re: Reserve pilot
I have said before, I don’t recommend commuting as a lifestyle, but for various reasons I put up with it. Even as a block holder, I would be away from home every week… it’s not ideal, but we manage.
In the end what works for your family may not work for the next pilot’s. I have an understanding family who see the pros, and make do with the cons.
