A brief explanation of the Whitlow Letter  It is common practice
to want to pick on the FAA, and often with good reason. However,
there are times when the feds do something that is most
definitely for the greater good. Most pilots, for example, are
aware that in the wake of the Colgan crash in Buffalo, N.Y., the
FAA has created new rest rules designed to make it easier for
pilots to be adequately rested during their trips. This is a
win-win for the companies (though, to hear them tell it, they
will all go bankrupt), the pilots, and the traveling public.
But the real breakthrough for this came around 2000, when the
FAA issued what is commonly called the “Whitlow Letter.” At that
time, the standard practice at the airlines with regard to
reserve pilots was to work under the assumption that if a pilot
was on reserve, he was not technically on duty until he actually
reported for an assignment. This meant that if a pilot woke up
at 7 a.m. and went on reserve at noon for a reserve window of
availability of 14 hour