MysteriousMrX

So.. which is it??
Is upgrade 6-7 years?? Or less than a year?
What do you need for upgrade, aside from 121 requirements? Does Atlas require certain company-flown hours?

JonnyKnoxville

Research is the answer to your question. I would say the vast majority of the pilots that come to Atlas choose to believe the warnings are not really as bad as they are or they do not do any research at all before showing up for class. Once they are here a few months, their new reality sinks in and the regret begins to build.

CaptDave

Southern side, on the 73 is currently less than a year, IF you have 1,000 hrs part 121 time.

wjcandee

I reread the post several times because I knew there couldn't have been seventy-three upgrades at Atlas this year of people with less than a year of time at that carrier; it took me a minute to understand that CaptainDave was talking about the 737 program at Southern (duh--still on my first cup of coffee).

I think he is saying that in the 737 program at Southern, which flies a few 737-400s for DHL and 4 737-800s for Amazon, upgrades have come very quickly. Upgrades have come quickly because Southern is rapidly-expanding that program, but the downside is that it is reportedly having a very-tough-time fully-staffing this program, and Amazon has yet to meaningfully-expand the program beyond just a few stations. A fifth 737-800 has been sitting stored ready-to-go, and should be added when it can be staffed and Amazon wants it. Amazon also has the option of adding up to 15 737-800s at Southern in the future. But it's Amazon's option as to whether to add those aircraft at Southern.

While the program could seem to be full of opportunity when one looks at how Amazon has expanded the 767 program to 40 767s and now on its way to 50 767s, this is a new program that one can't assume is going to be a wild success like the 767 program has been. It's a fair inference that it could be, given that Amazon could be seen to need some kind of smaller aircraft if it is going to expand to serve smaller network nodes. But that assumes that Amazon decides to serve those nodes on its own air network, which it doesn't have to do. Amazon could also serve them by multi-stopping a larger aircraft, like DHL does.

The big issue with the program at this point seems to be that Southern is reportedly having a great deal of trouble staffing the program sufficiently and reliably, and several possible reasons for this have been discussed on here. What effect that has on the Southern contract with Amazon and the program generally remain to be seen.

Mr Rumbold

LOL.
well there you have it. False advertising. I'm sure X was referring to upgrade on the 747 or 767.. they might say it's a year but now you're relegated to the 737.

Why is upgrade so long now on the heavies? Seems that if things are as bad as they are described, people would be and are jumping ship for purple or brown or wherever, and a new-hire would climb the seniority ladder pretty quick and be able to upgrade? No?

Globemaster2827

If you go Southern 737 my guess is that it does end up being like a year and a half but buyer beware... Those trips will probably have you commuting 3 times a month which means 3 days you give back to the company AND pay tax on. My understanding is that they might block 200 hours a year.... So...

If you go to Southern on the 737 with no PIC I'd expect it to take 5-7 years to get your PIC. It will be a pain commuting to CVG AND paying for it with taxes. It might not be a bad idea if you're 23 and instructing on a light twin. If you're a 30 year old RJ FO, you're going to ruin your career. If you're a 30 year old RJ Captain with 1000 PIC and a degree who has applied to be an Instructor and denied it might make sense.

The moral to the story is that it all depends on your resume. It just doesn't make sense for many people but there are some where it does make sense.

China2017

Who knows how to apply at Atlas?

Riverside

Shouldn't be too hard. They advertise everywhere.

JonnyKnoxville

...and if you get past the 60% failure rate in initial new hire training on the 737. You also must have a minimum number of hours flown in company aircraft to upgrade.

In other words...

*Some Restrictions Apply. LOL

JonnyKnoxville

We are starting to lose aircraft and work to our competitors. Things are as bad as they seem and in many cases worse. Our average annual attrition is around 13% on the Atlas side. Losing a few hundred pilots a year is no joke.

Keep in mind, few senior Captains leave. The biggest pilot churn is in the First Officer ranks and junior Captains. Upgrades were coming for a while due to growth but now upgrade time will be exponentially increasing.

1) Few senior Captains leaving
2) Losing aircraft
3) Reduction in work from customers

This all leads to few upgrade opportunities.