Legal Rest

[suthernbelle]

What are your opinions about legal rest? At my airline, minimum legal rest is 10:15 from block in to block out. I am reasonably certain that our minimum legal rest is the FAA's rule on minimum legal rest. This is the scenerio. Take away 15 minutes from the time that you block in and are released. Wait for the hotel shuttle. Sometimes you're lucky and the van is there. Other times, you're not so lucky. Have to wait 15 to 30 minutes. Once you get in the van, it is a 15-minute drive to the hotel. Now, you're at the hotel. Take a shower and get ready for bed. About 30 minutes. Try to get to sleep, another 30 minutes to one hour. Next morning, get up and get dressed. About one hour. Then, the hotel shuttle picks your crew up one to one-and-a-half hours prior to pushback.

Okay, let's do the math. I am not good at math, so someone correct me if I am wrong. At best and if you're lucky, you are looking at six hours and 30 minutes rest. In reality, you are looking at five hours and 45 minutes rest if you consider that the hotel shuttle makes you wait 30 minutes and it takes one hour to get to sleep because you are too wound up or overly tired from working a 14+-hour day.

So, when do you eat breakfast? When do relax? When you arrive at the airport, the gate agents are ready to board. Then your day starts all over again. Maybe another 14-hour day?

Okay, let's look at 12 hours as minumum rest. Again, correct me if I am wrong. I figure with all the maximum time deductions, you are looking at almost eight hours of rest.

Minimum and legal rest are safety issues just like training and arming doors. You have the knowledge, but if you are asleep on your jumpseat, you cannot be safety-conscious because you are unconscious.

[This message has been edited by suthernbelle (edited October 01, 2000).]

[GalleyWench]

Belle, Does your airline not also have 'key to key' legal rest minimums? Many airlines have legal rest and them a lesser legal rest that is time spent at hotel in room(in theory). Meaning we have 19 hours legal rest, 17 at place of lodging. That is when we sleep, eat,etc.

[suthernbelle]

No, we don't have a "key to key" legal rest. What we do have is the rest between being released and reporting the next day. Key to key sounds like a good idea.

S'Belle

[Belg1972]

Hihi

WE have the block to block system. But we as Cabin crew add 1 extra hour upon arrival in our base. So your rest only starts one hour after your plane is on blocks. Flight crew have only 30 minutes. The reason: I don't know...

Belgje

[suthernbelle]

That does not surprise me. What is contractural rest for your airline?

Leaving on a five-day trip tomorrow. Be back Thursday. In the meantime, have fun and fly safe.

S'Belle

[blacksheep]

in our airline we have 9 hours rest minimum out of the home base, and the double of the flight time (starting 30 min after ldg)in base.
BUT!!!! When one aircraft is wet leased to other companies (with F/D, and 2 pursers), we are sent out of base for periods from 1 week to 21 days! And during all this time we are considered out of base! And this means that you can work for 21 days always with minimum rest! I know, I did it!