flying hours

[c.r.m what is it]

Hi guys,

Need some help here! Is anybody else having problems understanding these new rules about cabin crew flying hours?

One minute i am being grounded, because I have worked to many hours, and the next I am not!

Does this roll on, or just run from say apr to apr? If i change airlines do I start from 0 again? It just seems I never get the right answers from my company.

Cheers in advance


crm

[phoenix son]

c.r.m.

By "new rules", what exactly are you referring to? I suspect what you may be getting at is the fact that your cumulative hours are now calculated over a "rolling" period rather than a calendar week, month, year etc, so that in theory they should even out over the course of the year.

I'm not an expert by any means, but I'll help if I can...

[c.r.m what is it]

I'm sorry, did'nt make myself very clear, that is what i am on about.

I am just worried that i am being restricted to such few flying hours already, after a busy summer, I don't want to have to give up flying, but can't afford to be grounded all the time.

Do they carry it on to other airlines, or would you start again? Does anyone know the answer to that one??

[phoenix son]

in my airline (UK charter), the nature of the work means that the summer season is much busier, and therefore the crews are much closer to their maximum hours in this period of the year, therefore they can expect to work a much-reduced roster through the winter. I'm certainly not aware of any of our crews being grounded due to reaching their annual limit (could be wrong of course).

I have no idea what the situation is when you move companies, although I strongly suspect that you start from scratch.

[Getoutofmygalley]

Hi c.r.m.

I am in the same boat as you and I wouldn't be surprised if we both worked for the same airline!!!

My roster for March initially only had 6 sectors on it thanks to high duty hours, the remainder of the roster was made up with Airport Standby, Home Standby and HIGH duty days. So far this month, both of my Airport Standby days have been changed to flying duties. At this time, thanks to duty changes, my roster is now showing 14 sectors for the whole month (when usually it is 60+).

I telephoned crewing the other day and I asked how I am doing for hours and I was told that I am at 897 hours and 29 minutes which more or less means I am going to be grounded for the rest of the month. I asked crewing if the flying year runs April to April (as is what is commonly believed by crew at my base) and I was told that it is a rolling year. Unfortunately for me, my April roster will contain lots of HIGH duty days on it as well :(

Crewing generally try to keep a few hours back so that we can be used in the event of other crew going sick (hence the fact that one minute you are grounded and the next minute you are flying) but thanks to incurred delays and people going sick, all the hours that crewing have kept back for me have now been used.

Still, at least I will now have a nice time off over Easter..... :E

[ezygalleyboy]

The new rules are the CAA's interpretation of the European Working Time Directive, which limits both flight and cabin crew to a total of 900 block hours in any 12 month period.

Most UK airlines are fighting this legislation, as they say cabin crew can safely work longer than flight crew, which is probably true, but not exactly fair. ;)