Originally Posted by
camerontucker
Well me and my girlfriend have talked about it and she understands what my career calls for. My biggest question is if I had the choice between going to UPS/Fedex (having to spend money to commute) vs. going to Atlas (not having to spend money to commute and being able to live anywhere) which one would you choose.
Seriously, you aren’t yet in the point of your career where even YOU understand what your career calls for. That isn’t knocking you (or her) because we have all been there, but you wouldn’t be asking such incredibly naive questions if you were.
My GUESS is that you have somehow bought in to the old “Boxes don’t b!tch” mantra and decided that’s the be all and end all. If that’s what you really WANT, far be it from me to try to dissuade you (note the screen name) but I would caution you that the mantra is only that and that depending on the experience you get before you become competitive at any of the major cargo carriers you will have a huge variety of other experiences and opportunities.
FedEx and UPS haven’t exactly been setting the world on fire with their hiring either:
https://www.fapa.aero/pilot-hiring-history
and while Atlas has been doing a little better in that regard, you are sort of paying for that with reduced pay, especially the first few years. And if what is driving this is indeed “the ability to live anywhere” you are basically talking about being a commuter (which adds time to the beginning and end of every trip) that is dependent not on whether you are moving people or boxes but by what the commuting options to your base(s) are from whatever airport you will be departing from. if your nearest reasonable airport is only served by a once a day EAS flight living there is going to be problematic no matter who you are commuting to or what you have in the back
At a minimum you ought to at least look at the commuter clauses in the various airline contracts and - if you and your girlfriend actually are not already hard over. decided on a make that decision based upon what will give you an EASY COMMUTE RATHER than on who may or may not be paying for it.