Source: Elines

As we are all aware, pairings involving continuous overnight duty, sometimes referred to as “stand up all-night flying” are being seen in many of the bid packages especially for those of us based at locations at or near the West Coast or in Hawaii. These pairings are the result of realigning the parameters upon which pairings are constructed using home domicile time.

We are hearing from some of you that these new flying sequences are a concern for you. Given that these sequences having a five or six hour “sit” during the overnight hours are new to all of us, we need your assistance in identifying the specific issues that are a concern for you now that we’ve had some actual experience flying these pairings.

To that end, we’ve established a dedicated e-mail address, COD@unitedafa.org to provide you with the opportunity to provide your Union with specific information, that is, concrete descriptions of the impact of this flying on you.  

While the leadership of the Union has already taken steps to address some of our concerns about these pairings with management, we need your help in reporting the impact these pairings are having on you.  It’s not just enough to indicate that you don’t like the pairings. What we need to learn about are the specific challenges these pairings present when flying them.

Please write to us providing the following information:

• Name
• File Number
• Pairing Number
• Date
• Base
• Copy of the pairing, as completed

We need specific information on how these sequences of flying impacted you before, during and after each of the duty periods. Describe the impact of these pairings, how they affected you, your alertness and your ability to perform your vital safety functions during the duty period. When you are feeling this impact is important to capture. Note the time and what specific activities you were performing at that time. 

We will collect this information and develop a scientific approach to these concerns all with an eye upon improving our overall quality of life. Once you’ve detailed this information, send it to us at COD@unitedafa.org for cataloging.