When I looked after Virgin 747 Classic crews at Gatwick 1988-1994 (VS had 8 x 747's at that time) the Rosters and crew layovers were not a source of complaint back then AFAIR.
It was in the later years after I had gone that my Crew friends bitterly complained that the rosters had became very 'tight' and that just one night at Destination and B2B's became the norm...
This is an older story from a MAS Malaysian Airlines System Boeing 747-400 'local' pilot (First Officer) from some years ago (told from around the early 2000's?)
which is an interesting read. >>>
Hi there.
I have worked at MAS (Malaysian Airlines) for the past 11 years. I am Malay and was selected for the MAS Cadet Pilot AB-INITIO Program in 1994. A group of us cadets then completed all of our initial Pilot Licences and Flight Training at BAE Systems Flight Training in Adelaide, Australia over a 10 month period.
We then came back to Kuala Lumpur KL and underwent further training inhouse with Malaysian Airlines. A few months later, I was lucky to be place on and then trained on the Boeing B737-300/400.
These Classic B737s were excellent airplanes to fly.
Our routes on the B737 basically linked KL with all of the major cities and islands within 3 hours flying time throughout Southeast Asia.
Two years later my seniority allowed me to move up to the Airbus A330-300 widebody, which was a brand new airplane in our fleet, with state of the art FBW technologically. The A330 also has a lot of range and allowed me to fly as far as Australia, the Middle East, India, and Japan.
Three and a half good years flying the Airbus A330, and again my seniority gains allowed me to move up and this time I accepted a spot on the Queen of the Fleet and the Queen of the Skies - the Boeing B747-400 Widebody!
What an awesome airplane, and also an incredible view taxiing from way up in our office/cockpit.
I then was flying the B747 all over the world for many years.
The range on this aircraft is staggering, and because of this long range, the cockpit is equipped with a Bunk Sleeping cabin with 2 beds and a door for privacy. We use these beds for proper sleeps and rest on our flights over 8 hours - which happens to be most of them.
Our destinations on the B744 are excellent. My favourite places to fly into and out of are London Heathrow and LAX (Los Angeles). My favorite destinations to visit and spend a 2 day layover are Buenos Aires (Argentina), Cape Town (South Africa), Los Angeles (USA), and Vancouver (Canada).
Our rosters on the B747 are quite good - mostly due to the long flying times between KL and our destinations. Because the flights are mostly over 12 hours, we get very good layover times and nice hotels once we reach the destination - usually 48 hours or longer in the hotel. 48 hours is a perfect amount of time for some rest and some exploring. When we return home to KL, the flight again is usually over 10 or 12 hours and we will receive at least 2-3 days off at home to recover and get ready for our next journey.
So all in all the rostering system at MAS is good and healthy.
Because of the long range of the B744, most of our flights involve two sets of crews - meaning 2 Captains and 2 First Officers. One crew usually operates the first half of the flight, and the second the latter part of the flight.
Becoming a MAS Pilot, and a B747 Pilot, was a dream come true for me. I highly recommended the MAS Cadet Pilot Program for any Malay or Malaysian citizens interested in aviation. I also recommend MAS as a great place to work and fly for experienced pilots - both Malaysian and expats.
Over the last year or so, many of our experienced First Officers, and some Captains, have opted to leave and take on positions at the growing Middle Eastern airlines like Etihad, Qatar, and Emirates. For that reason, MAS now has a bit of a shortage of experienced pilots and will most likely be recruiting expats to fill the void over the next few years.
I hope you found this helpful.