Flight crew reports that the air carrier is scheduling unrealistic flight times.

Attributes
ACN	440170
Time
Date	199906
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : eyw.airport
State Reference	FL
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Beech 1900
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 315 flight time total : 3100 flight time type : 875
ASRS Report	440170
Person 2
Function	other personnel other
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company
Primary Problem	Company

Narrative:

The attached sheet contains the actual flight time required per segment and scheduled block time used by the company in scheduling flcs. The problem lies not so much in the flight times, although these times do not adequately reflect actual performance of our much older than new airframes/engines, but rather in the arbitrarily factored block times. Certain legs remove taxi times altogether. The attached sheet shows many (not all) segments and how many mins per segment the company has shortened the block time to decrease their operating cost per flight segment. Not all segments are included on this list. This is just a sample of the majority. Flight times used are based on optimum performance of the aircraft, in many cases cruise power is not used rather a maximum TAS of 240 KTS is substituted. Block time should allow adequate taxi time of 15 mins as is done on many segments but arbitrarily shortened on others. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that the scheduled times did not include taxi time on as many as 4 legs per day. Often actual flying time ran more than 9 hours actual when the scheduled times were less than 8.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC RPTS THAT THE ACR IS SCHEDULING UNREALISTIC FLT TIMES.

Narrative: THE ATTACHED SHEET CONTAINS THE ACTUAL FLT TIME REQUIRED PER SEGMENT AND SCHEDULED BLOCK TIME USED BY THE COMPANY IN SCHEDULING FLCS. THE PROB LIES NOT SO MUCH IN THE FLT TIMES, ALTHOUGH THESE TIMES DO NOT ADEQUATELY REFLECT ACTUAL PERFORMANCE OF OUR MUCH OLDER THAN NEW AIRFRAMES/ENGS, BUT RATHER IN THE ARBITRARILY FACTORED BLOCK TIMES. CERTAIN LEGS REMOVE TAXI TIMES ALTOGETHER. THE ATTACHED SHEET SHOWS MANY (NOT ALL) SEGMENTS AND HOW MANY MINS PER SEGMENT THE COMPANY HAS SHORTENED THE BLOCK TIME TO DECREASE THEIR OPERATING COST PER FLT SEGMENT. NOT ALL SEGMENTS ARE INCLUDED ON THIS LIST. THIS IS JUST A SAMPLE OF THE MAJORITY. FLT TIMES USED ARE BASED ON OPTIMUM PERFORMANCE OF THE ACFT, IN MANY CASES CRUISE PWR IS NOT USED RATHER A MAX TAS OF 240 KTS IS SUBSTITUTED. BLOCK TIME SHOULD ALLOW ADEQUATE TAXI TIME OF 15 MINS AS IS DONE ON MANY SEGMENTS BUT ARBITRARILY SHORTENED ON OTHERS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT THE SCHEDULED TIMES DID NOT INCLUDE TAXI TIME ON AS MANY AS 4 LEGS PER DAY. OFTEN ACTUAL FLYING TIME RAN MORE THAN 9 HRS ACTUAL WHEN THE SCHEDULED TIMES WERE LESS THAN 8.

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.