if we are up to the 900 hours we will probably just be given unpaid leave
Well you certainly can´t keep flying if you get to 900, so it would be unpaid leave! Mind you, can you get ´leave´ if you´re merely a contractor - surely you´re simply unemployed
Regardless, on the topic of 900 hours I refer you to my last post. Nobody will get more hours over the course of a year whether they´re on a 5/3 or 5/4....It´s just a question of the number of standbys.