At the moment, Day1 start in AGP & fly North. Night stop in one (or several) locations, Day 5 Southbound to AGP.
Day1 & 5 can either be operating or positioning sectors. For the last 6 mths this sometimes allowed opportunities to commute into CPH/ARN etc from other places (particularly handy for Scandinavian domiciled colleagues).
Having failed to effectively tackle Norwegian, the Union has decided the way to advance everyones case is to insist that Norwegian ensure we are present on any rostered positioning flight. Apart from screwing up the time off at home for my Scandinavian colleagues I don't see this achieves very much else. Too little too late, and a rather pathetic attempt to make up for their lack of resolve when their dispute was at its height.
There is an ongoing "expectation" that we will have AGP based aircraft from end of Oct, but this is not confirmed. Current rumour is 2 based airframes, so obviously this will not radically change the current roster of most based crew, although there will be a small number of out & back duties amongst the mix.
Most days are 2 x 3-4 hr sectors from up North, sometimes 4, once in a blue moon 6, and as I said Day 1 & 5 are usually 1 sector, either op or posn.
Monthly hrs not so high, the Union is succeeding in its aim to make us look inefficient
As the "Summer agreement" between Norwegian & the Union has ended they are not quite sure how to best use us, so most of us have had weeks of Standby's on the Sep roster. Previously there were the odd day here & there, but usually a week of SBY in the past meant simply that they just hadn't decided where you would fly that week.
Once roster has been published days off CANNOT change (unless you agree to work a Day Off, for which you are paid) but the pattern can be moved 1 day either side & 1 day taken off (given back later in the month) subject to minimum block of 3 days at the planning stage . . . . . BUT, I have been told that those recruited recently for LPA base are on a totally variable roster with no fixed pattern, so this may now be history.
Some colleagues were "moved" from AGP to LPA/HEL and "seniority" (well, the Contractors equivalent) does not appear to have been considered.
Rumours for next bases are ALC & LGW, timescale ? probably early next year ?
LPA is foreseen initially as a Winter base, so anyone headed there may expect to learn about the new bases sometime before 31st March.
Proposed Annual Leave system does not appear to have too many admirers,it is also very difficult (if not impossible) to swap Days off & the Union is making it rather more difficult than it need be for Commuters (
)
Nonetheless, still one of the better contract jobs out there, who knows what will happen at the end of two years as the Union has demanded that at this stage we be offered "permanent" employment. Those of us in AGP will have a "Heads Up" next March when HEL (the 1st contract base) becomes 2 yrs old.
Waiting, with a mixture of trepidation/anticipation as to whether I am offered a nice contract, or told to get the
out of my LHS at my Base because the contract offered is "too" good & a permanent FO from up North (who didn't like/want my "contracted" terms) is now about to usurp me (with the Unions blessing of course) now that something better is offered.
I am a fairly pro-union guy, but it isn't all sunshine for everyone & I think their efforts may be a little misdirected at this time.