Originally Posted by
PotatoChip
I have a good handle on the lifestyle, and have worked at an ACMI carrier (a competitor) in the past, so I understand the need the know what you are getting into. But my question for all of you who apparently love Atlas is simply, why?
Not the company, the lifestyle. Why does the lifestyle work for you? Why do you love it? Why do you think it is better (for you) than a typical 121 schedule? What is it about 121-supplemental, and Atlas specifically that you like?
Looking forward to your opinions.
My $.02.
I love the lifestyle because I get my time all at once. I like doing all my flying at once in the month. One trip to work, one home, and I actually get a weekend or two off every month. I am one of the ACMI heavy guys that worldfr8dog mentioned, and I too worked at a competitor of Atlas for 6 years before coming here. Prior to that, I did a total of 9 years in the regionals (the so-called "real" airline world) where I almost
never got a full weekend off, and I had to sweat jumpseats as well as using a day off each week to simply decompress. In other words, I have more time to actually
enjoy my time at home when I get most all of my days off in one big block. My wife also likes being able to go on vacation without having to use vacation time.
Then there's seeing the world. Whereas once I flew to Peoria, Albany and Detroit, now I fly to Paris, Almaty, and Dubai. I've chalked up 58 countries on 5 continents, and I can't wait to see more. Not everybody is into that. I am. Also, ACMI schedules are Forrest's proverbial box o' chocolates. You may think you know what you're going to do for the month, but just accept that that is a nice thought, and may not bear much resemblance to reality. If you aren't supremely flexible and get thrown out of your happy place easily, don't do this job. Again, I love it.
Now specifically, why did I risk the wrath of my better half and hold my figurative breath after getting laid off until I had a chance with Atlas? The simple fact of the matter is that right now, Atlas simply does it better than anybody else out there. The company seeks business aggressively and maintains the customers they have. You might think I'm being rah-rah and a koolaid drinker, but let me assure you, I've been in doing this stuff for some time now, and my critical eye is quite happy with my decision to hang it all out for a chance to come here. Sure, I'm just in training, but this is certainly not my first rodeo, and if the rest of the operation is on par with what I've seen so far, Atlas really has their act together. Yes, we pilots can always gripe about things, that's our nature, but compared to my friends elsewhere, this is a sweet gig. Not for everybody, but for those who like it, I wouldn't recommend any other.