Everyone makes good points, but all the good and the bad washes away over time. It all comes down to pay and quality of life. Believe or not you can get some decent QOL here. So we're definitely not the best place to be. But we are firmly in the "Good Enough" category. That's good enough for me. The key point is to know yourself. Know what you really want.

 

Early in my piloting career, someone told me: When you have a lot of free time, enjoy your free time. When you're busy making money, enjoy the money. You'll never get to enjoy both at the same time.

Sounds kind of like Capt Obvious, I know. But a lot of us will complain about working too much, then when we get a break, we complain about not making any money.

 

Another early in my career advice was: Half your pressure is getting to work and getting home, unless you are fortunate enough to live in base where it's your dream location and it never closes and you finish your career there. Crystal ball required as no one knows until you're finished and looking back. Being a former mil type I have moved well over 10 times easily. While at Atlas my family has moved four times and have finally narrowed down our roots to a single state and away from large cities or so we believe. That lack of pressure alone is priceless for us. I myself had intentions of moving on well over a decade ago, but made a full stop at Giant being able to come and go/live where we please to include my globetrotting.

There is a different angle which has some sacrifices (depending on base and OT availability, etc.) if you have deep pocket requirements; therefore, I don't recommend it for most. Atlas is definitely a unique career path and my flying schedule and time off reflects a lifestyle choice with significant seniority staying on the right side. There is something to be said when you bypass several upgrades to attain a sweet spot in which you can choose high lines, specific dates, great locations (specific bases) to break up some monotonous regions and OT if you require some very significant increases in cheddar. Lines values have decreased (ORD) for now, but having the ability to regulate your life based on your priorities is another priceless characteristic.

It's not for everyone no doubt, but if you would care to see more than most, experience more than most, have significant blocks of time off by sacrificing longer times away than other outfits with care free commutes this might be a place of you. Just me speaking: Who knows exactly what lies ahead, but it has been a very enjoyable ride which none of my friends elsewhere can emulate nor does it necessarily reflect their priorities. I have earned less and more than them at times and they most likely will be ahead $ wise in the end if you care, but overall it truly is the journey I relish, the crews I enjoy and experiences I have gained that keeps me on course here at Atlas. It's not like I will be chomping at the bit to travel anywhere upon retirement. (This is one specific lifestyle from a Giant 74 junkie)

 

Man something is seriously wrong here. There's way too much positive vibes for it to be an Atlas thread!

(That and the wider industry is looking rocky so suddenly the "safe" choice is starting to look pretty good)

 

People are fans of saying that ACMI is an unstable segment of the industry. Historicaly that may have been true.....but I don't know that it's true anymore. Contracts do come and go.....but as long as the book of business is diversified and the sales department is proactive....I think it's at least as safe as the majors. I bounced out for a legacy.....but I think you just work where you want and it works out how it works out. Now......if you're working for a company that is 90% dependant on one contract on leased airplanes.......be afraid.

 

Hi Cleared4Approach,
I'm someone who intends to make a career of my time at Atlas. Reasons behind this is

1 - The flying. I enjoy international long haul. I came to love flying the 747. I'm happy with the flying despite the issues that come with it (jet lag/long flights/figuring yourself out abroad)

2 - The culture. Atlas comes across as a more laid back yet professional outfit. It does seem to care and appreciate your input. It also prioritizes family and right now I'm quite content with the management and union we have (this can change lol)

3 - The money. 1st year i made 6 figures. 2nd year I made 200k. 3 year i made 250k. I dunno what people are talking about when it comes to getting more at majors but anyway....there is plenty of money to be made here if you want. Granted this can change and I'm choosing to be on the road more than most right now in my life. Now with the DC contribution increase and soon we will be in contract negotiations...

4 - The lifestyle. You get two weeks off. You get gateway. You can live abroad and you'll get flown to base. What other US airline does this? The flying is chill and you'll gain amazing experiences. Oh and no more KCM and crashpads for work.

5 - The opportunity. Atlas is well positioned to grow. It is also intending to grow. This makes for exciting times. It does well during good times and amazing during bad times.

6 - The people. I quite enjoy the crewmembers and their diverse backgrounds. I also get along well with scheduling and management for the most part.

Anyway feel free to send a PM for more. Atlas is a quirky place and this suits me perfectly.

 

Perhaps a decade or more ago to include the viral debacle the term "safe" is a good choice. Agree, it actually has become more and more positive in recent times. Several gains were made that significantly increased the value of lifestyle, cheddar, schedules, retirement plans and career longevity - but I am cautiously optimistic like Elevation has mentioned before. I've been here since the turnover of the contract before the last one and have always remained positive as this fits a niche/lifestyle/priorities specifically for me as well as several others who have witnessed significant changes. Definitely some low hanging areas to address, but every outfit has its fleas and hopefully you find the one that best fits your needs and with our new refocusing in the larger aircraft perhaps we will benefit further who knows in this industry. You only have 1Life, it really stinks when you can't stand showing up to "work" and earning your life. Been there and hopefully never to return.

*Now quirky, that's a really good word. I have always said we're the Sky Pirates of the industry.

 

Hey thanks for the reply lionhaart, and thanks to everyone else who replied! Yes the 747 in my opinion is the greatest aircraft that was ever built. Ever since I was a kid I’ve had dreams to fly one. I got really sad when the major airlines started to retire them pre Covid thinking I will never have a chance to fly one unless I go cargo.

There really is no way to know for sure if the major airlines (big 3) will exist in 20-30 years. You just never know, you never know if any of these companies will exist or if they’ll fall by the wayside, whether passenger or cargo. I think the prevailing theme on APC that many people say is, you’ll never know if you’ve ‘done it right’ until you hit 65. Today, delta looks really good with their big profits. In 10-15 years that may not be the case, they may go the opposite direction and be on the verge of bankruptcy again due to several compounding problems. Same thing with the other 2 majors. Cargo has been a growing sector in aviation over the last several decades. So we have yet to see if many of these companies like atlas will continue to grow and thrive well into this century. Sure, the legacies have been around for even longer, so there’s the aspect of having a strong foothold in the industry over newer companies. But look at companies like Pan Am. Was a great airline until they went under, and I think many people thought that would never happen. Lately on APC and even with some captains I’ve flown with, there’s seems to be a mindset floating around about how the legacies are ‘too big to fail.’ This is utter nonsense and they absolutely can fail. They seem to have forgotten that 3-4 years ago, an ugly black swan reared it’s ugly head and all the passengers airlines came to a screeching halt. I think it was like 95% drop in capacity? Unreal. And quite scary as nobody knew the fate of the passenger airlines. Meanwhile all the freight operators were flying their butts off and couldn’t keep up many times.

The biggest draw for a guy like me to a place like Atlas is the gateway travel and having hotels paid for. And no crash pads. I realize I won’t make legacy wages, and I’m honestly completely fine with that. I don’t need the fattest paycheck to be happy as a pilot. My family and I are likely never going to move anywhere, not even to a major airline domicile if I were offered a job. So that leaves me with being a career commuter, and I don’t think I would ever find happiness with that doing that back and forth 7-8 times a month at a major airline for pretty much the majority of my career until retirement.

I’ve also learned as a regional pilot that I hate doing anything more than 3 legs. I like doing 1-2 legs. I’ve also learned that I prefer 1-2 long legs versus short legs. I think on that experience, I would like a job where I would fly one really long leg and be done for the day and have on average a significantly longer layover than just min rest or close to it each night.

I’m also a bit of a night owl, and don’t mind being up and flying on the backside of the clock as I’m sure there’s a lot of that at atlas. Some people tell me they would hate that. I honestly would love it lol. We’re all built and wired differently, and I think there’s something for everyone in this industry.

 

You're welcome man. And hey - if it works out then great! If after a year or two you realize it doesn't work out - you'll have amazing flying experience under your belt as well as a 747 type rating. We have had many guys who've done Atlas for a decade decide to go to the majors. They had already flown heavies at Atlas so going into a narrowbody at a major for the remainder of their career was no big deal.

Yes - who know what'll happen in twenty years but in my opinion you're more likely to survive with an outfit that adapts than one that is all mighty. Right now yes the vibes are cautiously optimistic but the culture of the place (only picking up new airplanes with customers, always looking at new ways to generate business, etc...) gives it more potential to survive. Heck Apollo sure thinks so - and they're in the business of finding valuable companies. I think that during COVID the Atlas culture has proven itself and that's what made it worth billions to Apollo.

 

I have morphed into this mentality/lifestyle long ago and have never looked back. Granted, there will be some ground hog days every so often but nothing like anywhere else due to the diversity/variety of business. I seek out new opportunities thrown our way and capitalize on them - Especially interesting locations/legs requiring three or four crew members hopscotching relentlessly forward avoiding out & backs. If you truly know yourself as you mentioned above, come on in the water is fine.