When you start you will get a mix of reserve and some pairings; the intent of which is not to let anyone go too long between flying days in order to maintain proficiency. You can bid whatever you like from day 1 as there is no differentiation between reserve and blockholders, you'll simply get weened off reserve as you get more seniority; though some people will still bid the occasional reserve day as they get higher up the list because it suits them.
In theory, the company does its best to set the pairing durations as assessed through pilot feedback (for example, if only 10 pilots say they want to fly 4 day pairings, they will try to set a low ratio of 4 day pairings). But while you are in the bottom 1/3 or so of the list you can plan on the leftovers. The pairings range from 1 - 4 days but the 1 day pairings are generally hard to come by. The good news is you're only in the bottom third for less than a year.
On average, layovers are 16 hours or so.
Porter Schedule
Moderators: North Shore, sky's the limit, sepia, Sulako
