Thanks Coffin, just to defend a friend also...
Even CAP 768 has now been superseded by CAP 789 and the FTL limits found in CAP 371 are as follows:
Table A Two or more flight crew - Acclimatised
Local time of start Sectors
__________1 __2___ 3___ 4__ 5_ 6___ 7__ 8 or more
0600-0759 13_ 12¼ 11½ 10¾ 10 9½ _9 __9
0800-1259 14 _13¼ 12½ 11¾ 11 10½ 10_ 9½
1300-1759 13 _12¼ 11½ 10¾ 10_ 9½_ 9 __9
1800-2159 12 _11¼ 10½ _9¾_9 __9___9 __9
2200-0559 11 _10¼_ 9½_ 9__ 9__ 9___ 9 __9
Just to counter the above argument; for example the Exeter-Edinburgh-Exeter-Rennes-Exeter flights could have be covered by a single crew 0550-0720/0745-0915/0940-1040/1105-1200
I am assuming a local report of 0605 (45 mins being the minimum and avoiding the issues with consecutive earlies and following days off etc.) so what would be a 4 sector day would have a max flight duty of 10¾. Extending this by one sector (the taxi back from Bristol would not count) only reduces this by 45 mins.
Therefore theoretically it would have been possible to do a positioning sector and rely on bus transport to either BRS/NQY (not a stupid suggestion). The transfer times are roughly 1.5 hours from check in to ramp and once the flight had left with the original delay the pax would then be bussed at close of check in each time and arrive at approximately the same time.
This relies on communication from the airport to the operator that the airport is going to be closed all day for the appropriate plans to be put in place. I know ASW did very well during the closure of NQY but this took months of planning. There are many reasons why Flybe could not have arranged the above and I am not arguing that they should have, with 3 hours spare on the above duty (including the extra sector)(excluding commander's discretion)(excluding the possibility of splitting multi-sector duties and using STBY crews) my comments are towards anyone being Fu**ing patronising on here.
I am sure it was a very frustrating experience for everyone involved and lessons will have been learned by all.
C
Last edited by gilbertmchris; 18th Aug 2010 at 09:36.