Okay, this time I'm talking about myself and I'm not sure the answer.
I recently had a flight. Due to late pax I got in late and was into a minimum rest situation. The company had not arranged hotels for me or my FO yet and asked if I could get the FBO girl to help.
She was fine with it and proceeded to call hotels on her list. No dice. She went through a dozen or so and they were all sold out. This took 45 minutes or so. Since we were on min rest that means the flight the next day has to be pushed back.
Finally the company comes up with a hotel and we get in a cab and go. No problem. But we get to the hotel with a confirmation number and the hotel informs us the 'rooms aren't ready but housekeeping is working on them'. It's going to be at least a half hour. Fine...back on duty we go and the flight the next day gets pushed more.
After an hour and a half with us sitting in the lobby in uniform and couple calls to the chief pilot we eventually get our rooms. It's now 2330 local and tomorrow's flight is pushed 3 hours.
Here's the problem. Going in I knew tomorrow's flight was to fly a cancer patient. Either to treatment or from, I'm not sure. But just looking at the guy you know he's on deaths door. He traveled with a nurse who sterilized the plane before he even got out of the limo.
Am I a Jerk for insisting on the required 10 hours of rest? I suppose I could have pretended to be on rest while we were waiting in the lobby. Everybody I fly thinks their travel is important enough for the pilots to drop everything...but I think this one really was.
I sort of feel like a schmuck for sticking to the regs for the full 10 hours...but then, where do you draw the line? Is sitting in a hotel lobby rest? I'd say 'no', but maybe the situation dictates?
Anyway, thought I'd share and see what y'all thought.
I recently had a flight. Due to late pax I got in late and was into a minimum rest situation. The company had not arranged hotels for me or my FO yet and asked if I could get the FBO girl to help.
She was fine with it and proceeded to call hotels on her list. No dice. She went through a dozen or so and they were all sold out. This took 45 minutes or so. Since we were on min rest that means the flight the next day has to be pushed back.
Finally the company comes up with a hotel and we get in a cab and go. No problem. But we get to the hotel with a confirmation number and the hotel informs us the 'rooms aren't ready but housekeeping is working on them'. It's going to be at least a half hour. Fine...back on duty we go and the flight the next day gets pushed more.
After an hour and a half with us sitting in the lobby in uniform and couple calls to the chief pilot we eventually get our rooms. It's now 2330 local and tomorrow's flight is pushed 3 hours.
Here's the problem. Going in I knew tomorrow's flight was to fly a cancer patient. Either to treatment or from, I'm not sure. But just looking at the guy you know he's on deaths door. He traveled with a nurse who sterilized the plane before he even got out of the limo.
Am I a Jerk for insisting on the required 10 hours of rest? I suppose I could have pretended to be on rest while we were waiting in the lobby. Everybody I fly thinks their travel is important enough for the pilots to drop everything...but I think this one really was.
I sort of feel like a schmuck for sticking to the regs for the full 10 hours...but then, where do you draw the line? Is sitting in a hotel lobby rest? I'd say 'no', but maybe the situation dictates?
Anyway, thought I'd share and see what y'all thought.
