Former FO
Schedule - AM is pretty defined with 1230/0100 showtimes and you fly through the night. In summer, expect 14 hour duty days and about 5-7 hours block. PM is on call. Mostly moving Amazon and USPS. If you are on PM you usually do freight and that is rough on the body. Just moving jars and jars of dog food back and forth from the front of the 1900 to the back is rough.
Pay - 500 hrs is $35. Add $2.50 for every 500 hours after that.
Captain is 70 first year.
Training - Brutal. Know everyone in Alaska wants to work there. You have to have an in to really be called. It is tough too. They will send you packing if you screw up a memory item after the first week of ground. I liked this about them. Also, if you ever get called up to the CP, they will ask you memory items and let you go right there if you can't say them. They're dead serious about it because they want their crews safe and sharp. At 75 hours of IOE, if you do not have back-to-back thumbs up from the standards captains, you are gone. No exceptions.
Cons: You do not get paid to throw boxes. A lot of the FOs get injured. The midnight runs to Kodiak get tiring when you show up driving in at 1215 for a long day and dispatch tells you, "oh go back to bed! New showtime is in 3 hours!" Kind of BS and violates rest rules, but when you are building time...
Pros: Upgrade is based on ability, not seniority. Lots of flying. Alaska flying. You feel you got purpose as the people you deliver goods to need you. Great IFR flying and some wild visual approaches that only AK has