This is the next part of our series “Know your CWA” in regards to “Positioning”, which covers “Positioning immediately before or following an operating sector”.
B1-36.6 Positioning
When a Pilot is required to Position immediately following an operating sector the total time spent on Duty shall count toward the Duty Time, with a maximum combined Flight and Positioning time of:
- a) Standard Flight Crew: 16:00 hours.
- b) Augmented Flight Crew: 18:00 hours.
When a Pilot performs a Duty consisting solely of Positioning, the time from Block Off of the first positioning sector to Block On of the last positioning sector shall not exceed 20 hours.
Transportation to and from Hotel accommodation at the behest of the Company is not considered positioning.
Positioning applies to all modes of transportation. Certain airport pairs, as listed in the OM Part A, are considered the same airport for the purpose of determining if positioning time is required.
The beginning and end of “Positioning before or after operating sector” times are specified in CWA Art. B1-36.2.2-4 and distinguished by the means of traveling.
Also in this case, all times spent positioning count as Duty Time and CWA Art. B1-36.2.2-4 must be consulted in order to:
- calculate the actual Duty Time, which is added up towards the Duty Period Limitations as defined in CWA Art. B1-36.1.2
- determine the required Rest Period after positioning a pilot is entitled to
- calculate the overtime payment according to CWA B1-39.5.1 if more than 160 Duty hours in one consecutive Roster Period of 28 days are worked.
In addition, it is important to know that a positioning before an operating sector must be considered when determining the maximum allowable FDP!
B1-36.2.2 Positioning on board of an aircraft before operating sector(s)
Positioning sectors shall not count as sectors when determining the maximum FDP.
* The time can be increased for operational reasons by the Company only.
B1-36.2.3 Positioning by other means than aircraft before operating sector(s)
Positioning sectors shall not count as sectors when determining the maximum FDP.
B1-36.2.4 Positioning after operating sector(s)
Positioning sectors shall not count as sectors when determining the maximum FDP.
* The time can be increased for operational reasons by the Company only.
**If an aircraft is not used for positioning, Block On shall be replaced by the actual arrival time of the vehicle used for transportation.
Example A (Positioning immediately before an operating sector):
A pilot is scheduled to position from MEX to JFK and then to operate a flight to ORD. STD of the commercial flight in MEX is at 14:00 UTC. Arrival time in JFK is 19:05 UTC and the STD of flight CLX xyz from JFK to ORD is 21:25 UTC. CLX xyz is scheduled to arrive in ORD at 23:05 UTC.
In this case the FDP already starts in MEX 1h (Reporting Time) before STD of the commercial flight and ends on actual block on in ORD at 23:05 UTC. Total FDP is 10:05h. The total duty time (combined Flight and Positioning time) is 10:35h.
Example B (Positioning immediately following an operating sector):
A pilot is scheduled to operate flight CLX xyz from BQN to AMS as Standard Crew, stay on board and position from AMS to LUX. The allowed combined Flight and Positioning Time is 16 hours. Reporting Time in BQN is 22.45 UTC and the flight arrives in AMS at 09.35 UTC. There another crew takes over and the pilot positions now from AMS to LUX on the same aircraft. Block On in LUX is at 11.35 UTC. Total FDP is 10:50h. The total duty time (combined Flight and Positioning time) is 12:50h.
But what if the combined Flight and Positioning time of 16 or 18 hours would be exceeded?
In this case it is the obligation of the company to change the roster accordingly and to e.g. plan a rest period immediately after the Flight Duty Period.
Please follow this link to download your copy of the CWA for your perusal on the company provided iPad or any other computer for future reference.
If you have any questions do not hesitate to contact us at cvboard@alpl.lu for clarification.
All parts of this series can be found here in the Publications section under Cargolux Board.
