FDL definitions

[Bartholomew]

Perhaps someone could inform me what the difference is between the following:

"Commuting - time spent travelling between domicile and point of report for a Flying Duty Period
...when associated with....
"Duty - Any continuous period during which a crew member is required to carry out any task associated with the business of the Company (and don't try to tell me rest isn't part of the tasks which the Company requires me to take part in!)
...and...
Positioning - The practice of transferring crew from place to place as passengers in surface or air transport at the behest of the Company(isn't this duty???)
...and...
Travelling - All time spent by a crew member transiting between the place of rest, and the place of reporting for duty (once again, isn't this duty?)

I could almost redfine all of the above as:

1) Commuting - You must go to work
2) Duty - You are at work
3) Positioning - We move you whilst you are at work
4) Travelling - You move whilst you are work, but you don't really... it's a figment of your imagination

I think that 1, 3 and 4 fall under 2.... when the phone rings...WE ARE AT WORK!

Comments please?

[boredcounter]

Do you live in company accommodation, with company transport to work?

[Nightrider]

Commuting - time spent travelling between domicile and point of report for a Flying Duty Period

That is your private part, no one is on duty when commuting to the office, shop, company.

"Duty - Any continuous period during which a crew member is required to carry out any task associated with the business of the Company (and don't try to tell me rest isn't part of the tasks which the Company requires me to take part in!)

The company part, this is why you are employed. And no, rest is not part of the company's business.

Positioning - The practice of transferring crew from place to place as passengers in surface or air transport at the behest of the Company

Twofold, positioning has to be defined as it is not counted as a sector, thus it will not reduce your max FDT available in terms of landings.
It is also important to see when this takes place. If it is before an active Flight Duty, it will count as time towards the FDT, if it is after your last landing (without having a break of at least the minimum required rest), it does not count towards the FDT but towards the duty time.
You may have to look up Flight Duty Time and Duty Time in your regulation.

Travelling - All time spent by a crew member transiting between the place of rest, and the place of reporting for duty.


This is usually the time spent on any transport to travel to your place of rest or from there to the reporting point, applies at outstation.
This cannot and will not, again look up your local regulations, count towards duty time if your minimum rest is granted, the time spent travelling in each direction is less than 30 minutes or, as perhaps explicitly mentioned in your regulation, allows for a minimum of 8 hrs in your (Hotel-)bed.

So.....you start at 03:00 driving to the airport A, report at 5:00, position to base B, fly 4 sectors and end up somewhere at airport C at 16:15. The captain gracefully extended the FDT by 15 minutes as there was a delay enroute somewhere. You miss the positioning flight home and have to wait until 21:00 to catch the next one. At midnight you reach homebase again and after filing all docs and getting to your car etc, you drive home in a safe and sound condition and reach wife and kids at 02:00... a perfectly legal day, no harm done.
Your FDT is just 11:45, your DT is 17:00.

By the way, you can even work again that very evening....