Standing By

Standby.

So you look on your roster and you see about 100 sby's. Sby=stand by. Standing by to be called in to operate a flight. For many reasons you could be called, there are hundreds in fact. It's not so bad, you could end up not being called at all and have the day off to do whatever you want. Standbys are awkward. In the summer, they are almost definitely going to change before the day even arrives. That's the summer time rush for you. Standbys in the winter are different. With the season generally being a quiet one, it is pretty unpredictable whether you'll get called or not.
I remember one occasion I was on standby from 0600am until 1400 and was up and ready to go. This was when I first started flying so I wanted to be well prepared as I didn't really know how it all worked. It got to 1345 and I knew that with 15 minutes to go, I was safe! So, I got redressed into my jeans and casual clothes and thought I'd go for lunch with a friend. Well, my luck soon changed......By 1355 I was back in my uniform and packing up my crew bag setting off to the airport to operate a flight that seemed to be 24 hours long!!!! Yes, that's right, they called me. They called me with 5 minutes of my standby left. I remember being close to tears!!! So stupid I was to think that I had got away with it! Unpredictability=standby.
You never know whats around the corner. Even though the industry quietens down during the winter, with all the colds, flu's and ridiculous British weather, you never know when you'll be called in. The weather has a major impact. Understandably so though, its always better to be safe in this game. Never ever take the chance.
Standby=do not plan anything. You want to plan something? be wise, do it in your own time. You'll be so gutted if you get called when you've just that second arranged to see your mate you haven't seen in months.
Standby=if you don't get called, its like a day off! yippee! Now you can plan something!!!
Standing by, does exactly what it says on the tin....
Oh by the way, I got over my gastric flu! my my my indeed, was so unpleasant! I was so hard done by for a whole week! I couldn't even drink tea and have only started too again now! The flatulence was interesting.....!
Keep smiling be back soon x

I haven't been well lately, I came down with gastric flu....vile so it was. I am recovering now, thank god because I was like a woman possessed in that bathroom early hours of Friday morning. It was like something out of the Exorcist, so awful my boyfriend couldn't look directly at me for fear.
So I'm back into work today, feeling much more alive.
Lets just hope my flatulence has died down......I wouldn't want to be seated in a ailes seat today people........

I'll let you know how I get on.....!