For those who are interested in working here at Atlas or want some input concerning what it would be like the first year as an FO this has been my experience by the numbers. I'm not here to sugar coat anything or make it seem like the best or worse place to work.
I have a military background and still fly in the reserves/guard. As a military pilot Atlas has been a military friendly environment to work in. So these numbers are a little distorted because of military leave requirements. Take it for what it’s worth.
1 Year Synopsis
Training days in Miami- 62 days
Total Flight time 747- 438 hours
Legs flown- 61
Destinations-29
Countries- 11
Longest leg- 14:51
Shortest leg-1:15
Favorite Location- Coogee Beach Sydney Australia
Days off- 130
Work Days- 115 (Not including training)
Days away from home -177 (Includes training)
Military days off- 35 (Includes a 6 week mandatory course)
Most consecutive days off - 32 days (I was able to bid this schedule 2 times)
Most credited hours in one month- 89 hours
First year pay- $44,000.22*
I did not volunteer any days off or try to work extra. I would have made more money if I did not have to use Mil leave.
Destinations:
Miami, Chicago, Sydney, Honolulu, Shanghai, Anchorage, JFK, Vancouver, Guam, Narita, Nagoya, Hong Kong, Incheon, Kabul, Hahn, Misawa, Houston, Tianjin, Los Angeles, Osan, Okinawa, Cincinnati, Kuwait, Aktau, Singapore, Leipzig, Almaty
Countries:
Australia, China, Canada, Japan, Korea, Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Germany, Kuwait, Singapore
I have enjoyed my time working for Atlas this first year. There are a lot of areas that can be improved upon with a better contract. Coming from a military background its a very easy job and a similar lifestyle to flying in the AMC world. Everyone has varying experiences. I did not experience any major issues with scheduling or dealing with the company. Your expected to be away at least 17 days a month. Be aware of what your getting into before you commit to this type of job. If your use to being home in between short trips this may be an issue for you and your family. I personally enjoy the long periods of days off and working all my days on up front. When it comes to the airframe in my opinion it doesn’t get better than the 747. At the end of the day its just another airplane and a comfortable way to make a living.