Min is 9h consecutive per 24h. 9h from the time you are off duty to on duty again. That means you can go 6 days straight leaving the plane at 9pm and showing back up at 6am. which we do
And when I leave at 11pm, after a day at home without sleep, fly 6 hours in 3-4 legs and be done at 8am ... It's legal per FAA. Am I rested and fit for duty? Not really as I keep falling asleep in flight, mind you I have no autopilot nor first officer. The human body doesn't have a on and off switch where you can fall asleep right away and enjoy your 9 hours.
And off course there's the work arounds, like spending 10h in an airliner/airport does not constitute 'rest' even per FAA standards, but as long as you are not on any company flight log, you still pass the FAA duty inspection.
