Reserve status

This regulation establishes three types of reserve duty for airline pilots, each with different rules:

Long-call reserve is the default unless the airline specifically designates otherwise. If assigned a flight duty period that crosses into your "window of circadian low" (roughly 2 a.m. to 6 a.m. home base time), you must receive 12 hours' notice.

Airport/standby reserve means you're physically at the airport waiting. All time spent on airport standby counts as part of your flight duty period, limiting how long you can subsequently fly.

Short-call reserve limits your availability period to 14 hours maximum. The total time from when your reserve period begins until your flight duty ends cannot exceed either 16 hours or your maximum flight duty period plus 4 hours, whichever is less. After completing short-call reserve, you need specific rest before another assignment.

Airlines can only shift you from long-call to short-call reserve if you receive the required rest period first.

*This is a plain-English summary for study only. The official 14 CFR text on this page is controlling — always read the current regulation and consult a CFI.*