Career pilot: Reserve life

More senior pilots can bid for a set schedule of trips. Trips vary from one-day round trips to four-day trips with multiple legs per day. There’s something for everyone as long as your seniority allows you to get it. If your seniority is so low that you can’t “hold a line,” you’ll end up on reserve. Typically, a pilot will receive blocks of reserve days for a month. For example, five or six days on duty and two or three off.

Reserve pilots at my airline receive 12 days off per month as opposed to line holders who typically get a few more days off. On reserve, however, you may not get used, which is something like a day off—if you live near your base. The day before your first reserve day, the company scheduling department gives you an assignment for the next day. It could be a four-day trip, a time to be available by phone, or a stint to sit standby at the airport. If you’re on phone availability, the company gives you two hours to get to the airport, so don’t plan on goofing off at a beach that’s four hours from your base.

Life on reserve is unpredictable and can be quite stressful. Typically, reserves cover trips that more senior pilots are unable to fly because of illness, delays, legalities, or myriad other reasons. Reserve pilots may be called in to complete a flight on which a previous crew ran out of duty time, for example. These can be a terrible situation to inherit as it’s likely that the flight has been delayed significantly by maintenance or weather, and passenger patience is low. While it’s in the interest to get the flight out quickly in such a case, reserve pilots can’t succumb to hurrying their job, potentially jeopardizing safety.

Life on reserve is unpredictable and can be quite stressful.Reserve pilots receive a monthly guarantee of hours that is usually less than what line-holding pilots fly. At my airline, reserves get 73 hours guaranteed while lineholders typically fly 75 to 90 hours per month. Reserves are paid the greater of hours flown or 73 hours. In the busy summer months, it’s possible to fly more than your guarantee.

Depending on your type aircraft, where you live, and your savviness with the scheduling section of the pilot contract, reserve can be a good lifestyle. If you live in your base, it will likely mean more time at home. Packing a bag is interesting, however, since you never know where you’re going to end up. Everything from flip-flops to gloves and a scarf may be needed for trips ranging from Aruba to Anchorage.

For me, reserve has been a mixed bag. I’d prefer not to be tethered via phone to the scheduling department and to have a clue where I am going and when. However, I have spent more time at home—allowing me time to work on restoring my family’s Cessna 172—than I would have had were I flying a full schedule. I just have to get used to having a bag packed and uniform ready for when the call comes.