Originally Posted by
Peter47
As a matter of interest was the level of deadheading common throughout the network or only certain routes? And what proportion of time was spent off-schedule? I presume that a lot positioning was required to cope with diversions and delays which were probably more common back then.
Also roughly how many nights away from home did cabin crew spend each year in thew 70s. I suspect that crews don't spend any longer away these days but fly many more productive hours.
Also a question for BEA (Back Every Night) crews. Looking at the schedules there appears to be far less overnighting at back stations back then. Did BEA cabin crews spend many nights away. (I believe that pilots flying Internal German Services would have stayed away more but most of the CC were locals.)
Internal German Services pilots operated a flight from LHR into Germany, for instance Duesseldorf, the flight then continued as a IGS flight to Berlin. Same on return to LHR after flying Internal German Services for a week. The pilots loved their " German Tour ", accomodation was excellent, and the allowances plenty. Some were so lucky to have private accomodation in Berlin, the so called " Home Sleepers ". Those were the good old days. IGS cabin crew were all based in Berlin with a German contract,
i.e. cabin crew inbound from LHR would nightstop at the first German destination, then IGS cabin crew took over. Vice versa. This rule was very strictly observed.