Originally Posted by
pilotgolf13
Hi everyone,
I am currently a Flight instructor in the phoenix area and am trying to find more information on knowing what to do for the next step in my aviation career. My long term goal is to end up at a major, but Ameriflight intrigues me because of the type of flying that they do.
I currently have 550tt and have looked into the 900hr program, however what is the possibility for getting based in PHX? My wife just started a new job and I know starting at 900 I would be in the chieftan and I hope by doing so I could be based in PHX and work myself up. If not, where is the next possibility, ABQ, BUR?
How do outstation routes work?
About how long does it take to upgrade?
What are your experiences with ameriflight?
Thank you for your help and time everyone!
Well you have a bit of time before you meet requirements at AMF and regionals so anything could happen between now and then. I would say if your end goal is a major, then go to the regionals. Again, this may change, but nobody has been hired into an actual major from AMF in a long long time. There have been a couple of guys that have gone to Allegiant and Jetblue but those are far and few between. If you had any interest in charter or corporate, with the possibility of the majors, AMF isn't a bad place to spend a couple of years. You will be underpaid and overworked but you're a CFI so you're underpaid and overworked right now.
Sounds like all the bases are understaffed right now so the ball is in your court on where you want to go, but again that can change tomorrow. Outstations work just as they sound. They leave from an airport other than PHX, and go to various airports.
The flying was fun at times and I gained a lot of experience. Your experience will vary greatly at the base you go to. I was in OAK and I still put it against any base in the system as the worst. Sounds like things are moving in a good direction for the pilots as far as pay. That being said, the planes get older and more tired, the crew apartments (if your base uses crew apartments) get nastier and the schedules never get better, they only get worse. If you're willing to move, you will upgrade quickly but if you stick in a base like PHX or the new ABQ base, who knows.... In HWD, it looks like a couple of Amerilifers are in the two turbine runs and who knows when they will leave, so I think upgrades there have slowed greatly. Upgrade times are going to really vary on when you get to your base, and the movement at the time. That being said you could probably get hired into a turbine once you meet 135 mins and are willing to take a crappy run in a crappy location.
My advice if you go to AMF is to get your time as quickly as possible, and move on. The longer you stay, the longer you are not getting jet time, 121 time or both which is going to be the next necessary step in your career to make it to a major. DO NOT DRINK THE KOOLAID! Be realistic. Southwest isn't going to hire you from AMF, United is not going to hire you from AMF. Will this change someday? Maybe but probably not if you look at other more relevant flight experience that charter, fractionals, regionals provide.