Sisyphus
OK so you want 8hr "duty days. You will therefore show up at my place of work to do a "DI" one half hour before flight time. Regardless of how much of that "duty day" you actually fly, you will spend at least one half hour doing paperwork for said flight(s) and tending to the a/c. That includes helping engineers(s) push said a/c into the hangar if so asked. If you won't do that when asked, you will have problems with more people than me and they won't be half as diplomatic.
Now you take the 8hrs and substract the times I've mentioned and that's what you would like as a "duty day".....I see. So now you have made your "flying" services available for 7hrs....and that's assuming that you flew for 7 hrs. If you did in fact, fly that 7hrs, then allow me to serve you a coffee and perhaps another type of drink later on because I'm "one happy mother" and "you the man". Then again, maybe you just did 2.5 hrs, but your duty day is done you say, because you have reached the 8hrs "on duty". I must put another pilot on duty to cover for you because you aren't available for any further hours and all you did that day was 2.5hrs. If you "maxed-out" out at 8hrs, I can't use you anyway for flying any more and after you do the required paperwork, you're all done 'baby', unless you "hog" the coffee pot or are nice enough to help someone else aaround the place. THAT sir, is the reason for the 14hr "duty day". If you only put 2.5hrs of flying in that day, I trust that you wouldn't be too tired to fly some more during that day or perhaps "condescend" to perhaps help with other ground duties when asked because you haven't yet put in your 8hrs of flying and it might take 12-14 hrs for that to take place..
"Time away from home" is a personal thing and "to each his own". Personally, I'll thank MOT to stay out of my personal life. If they wished to be part of my personal life, then where were they with a "spare tit" when it came time to feed my kids. When I reach my limit, I'll advise company well in advance of same and if they have nobody to replace me, then they have a big problem.......they got an a/c sitting idle and no pilot on site. Where will I be?....on my way home to put in many days around my abode that exceed 14hrs. I suppose that MOT would like to have a say in that too. Good companies recognize how long you've "been out" and it never was a big problem before all the "fancy-smancy" new rules. For those that don't think that way or want smaller working days, try HeliJet, Trans Canada Pipelines or Ontario Hydro, etc....good pay too. Just don't take a Base Manager's job either for better hours because you are in for some "rude surprises" and perhaps "wifey" is also........'cause now you are considered by many to be part of that dreaded, "screw-everybody management". Day's off or annual vacation?...........as I was told "make them yourself because that was part of the deal when you took that position"
So you promote your kind of industry that you would like to see and I'll watch mine "fade off into the sunset" because from what I'm witnessing, your side is winning. While your at it, get the damn rates up because if you don't, sooner or later a lot of those "s.o.b. owners" are going to "throw in the towel" because they will get better return on their money at the local bank or Credit Union.
