Originally Posted by
Hawaii808
1. going from a regional to part 135 single pilot cargo operation isn’t as easy as he may think.
2. Never say you would be in for the long haul if you have never worked at said operator. Sure, say it in an interview in a much more professional way, but to proclaim it when facing a furlough or complete job loss is short sighted.
3. Ameriflight is a job for the young time builders, not for the middle aged regional captain. I did it for 3 years over a decade ago. Got a lot of great experience from it, but I’m not gonna go back to it ever again.
Some very good points.
The fact that the VAST MAJORITY of the cargo at AMF is now "no touch" makes it easier for an older pilot to do feeder cargo. Not saying it's much easier than it was 20 years ago, but not having to push you own cargo to the door at outstations for a driver is a big help.
Yes, it's a different kind of flying, oddly rewarding for some, with lots of hand flying, down in the weather. Intense at times, typically with older, less well equipped equipment.
Honestly it's the type of job that suits some people well...but is a nightmare for others. Much more of a blue-collar type of flying job, and if it's in a location you want to be in, it can honestly be a good job (perhaps a spouse who loves their job and you hate commuting, or like small town rural life on an "outbased" route).
Will you ever make HUGE money? No, but for many people finding the right mix of QOL, location, money and time is more important.
Would I suggest a typical RJ pilot move a family half way across the country for a job like this? Not likely unless they really disliked the regional lifestyle, and REALLY want something totally different.
Yes, you will get you shirt dirty, get soaked in the rain, freeze you butt off in winter, work some odd hours, often on minimum rest. What you get is typically a schedule you know months in advance, and typically all day or all night at home with the weekends off...not having to deal with terminals, etc is a plus IMHO.
EVERY job has BS, it's just a matter of finding the flavor of BS that you can tolerate.
Honestly, after years of corporate flying, I ended up going back to cargo for the stability. Cargo tends to change much more slowly than passangers when the eccnomy goes up or down....