N_N
I forgot to multiply by 2 for the wrap days in each season, so add 6 to my 52 to get your 58, agreed (or 56 if you choose to ignore the non assignable days before DFW).
Why you would wish to ignore them is another matter - whilst you cannot clash work using them (unlike wrap days) they can be useful, as can bidding for a sim check to start on a Monday, which gives you a protected, non operational, guaranteed day off on the Sunday before the simulator - another way of engineering another weekend day off. By requesting a 'late' sim detail, it effectively totally frees up the Sunday, and indeed that day can then be used for clashing work off the Saturday. With 2 sim checks per year you can achieve another 2 weekands (well at least Sundays) off each year.
I reckon that with prudent bidding, even the most junior person can achieve about 10 weekends off a year.
[Not trying to score points, just trying to give accurate information to potential colleagues]