Narrative:

I am a reserve captain in phoenix, az. My company considers a pilot to be on reserve all day (0001-0000 local). Without knowing what flight assignment I may be given. I am unable to plan my rest prior to an assignment. I woke up today at XA30 PST. At XC30 PST I received a call from flight control assigning me to a trip beginning about 12 hours later PST in lax. The trip releases 11 hours and 10 min later at XX00 in lax. Since I am on reserve and I have to fly the trip, when I release tomorrow morning I do not feel I would have had the required rest for the trip. (In my interpretation of the far's). I consider my responsibility to be from XX30 PST (wake up) until XX30 (trip release) 23 1/2 hours. I was able to sleep from XX00 PST until XX00 PST, so I feel I will be safe to fly the trip. This was only because flight control had called early enough for me to get some sleep. If I had received the call at XX00 PST, I would not have slept but would still have been obligated to take the trip for fear of disciplinary action. For proper planning of rest prior to a flight, I feel reserve pilots should be given the same consideration as a pilot who holds a regular line. (Regular line pilots are able to plan rest because they know when they must be available for duty). The company does not release a pilot from reserve upon assignment to a trip, the pilot is on reserve until the report time of the trip assigned.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LTT PLT COMPLAINS OF SCHEDULING PRACTICE OF LATE FLT ASSIGNMENTS AND INADEQUATE REST.

Narrative: I AM A RESERVE CAPT IN PHOENIX, AZ. MY COMPANY CONSIDERS A PLT TO BE ON RESERVE ALL DAY (0001-0000 LCL). WITHOUT KNOWING WHAT FLT ASSIGNMENT I MAY BE GIVEN. I AM UNABLE TO PLAN MY REST PRIOR TO AN ASSIGNMENT. I WOKE UP TODAY AT XA30 PST. AT XC30 PST I RECEIVED A CALL FROM FLT CTL ASSIGNING ME TO A TRIP BEGINNING ABOUT 12 HRS LATER PST IN LAX. THE TRIP RELEASES 11 HRS AND 10 MIN LATER AT XX00 IN LAX. SINCE I AM ON RESERVE AND I HAVE TO FLY THE TRIP, WHEN I RELEASE TOMORROW MORNING I DO NOT FEEL I WOULD HAVE HAD THE REQUIRED REST FOR THE TRIP. (IN MY INTERP OF THE FAR'S). I CONSIDER MY RESPONSIBILITY TO BE FROM XX30 PST (WAKE UP) UNTIL XX30 (TRIP RELEASE) 23 1/2 HRS. I WAS ABLE TO SLEEP FROM XX00 PST UNTIL XX00 PST, SO I FEEL I WILL BE SAFE TO FLY THE TRIP. THIS WAS ONLY BECAUSE FLT CTL HAD CALLED EARLY ENOUGH FOR ME TO GET SOME SLEEP. IF I HAD RECEIVED THE CALL AT XX00 PST, I WOULD NOT HAVE SLEPT BUT WOULD STILL HAVE BEEN OBLIGATED TO TAKE THE TRIP FOR FEAR OF DISCIPLINARY ACTION. FOR PROPER PLANNING OF REST PRIOR TO A FLT, I FEEL RESERVE PLTS SHOULD BE GIVEN THE SAME CONSIDERATION AS A PLT WHO HOLDS A REGULAR LINE. (REGULAR LINE PLTS ARE ABLE TO PLAN REST BECAUSE THEY KNOW WHEN THEY MUST BE AVAILABLE FOR DUTY). THE COMPANY DOES NOT RELEASE A PLT FROM RESERVE UPON ASSIGNMENT TO A TRIP, THE PLT IS ON RESERVE UNTIL THE RPT TIME OF THE TRIP ASSIGNED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.