Atlas Air
 

Hello, I was wondering what a typical work schedule is like at an ACMI carrier such as Atlas Air? How long could you expect to be away from home? Would you guys recommend flying for an ACMI carrier or a scheduled passenger carrier?

Best Regards,
Robert

I worked for a smaller ACMI before Atlas, we were two weeks on, two weeks off. Just domestic stuff. Atlas owns you for 17 days a month. They've closed their Stansted crew base but even with CONUS crew bases, you may have to travel on day "zero" and not get home till day 18. Plus the company can extend you. Like most pilot jobs, if you live in base it's not bad, the commutes can hurt. I just planned to be gone 2/3 of the month.

Hi!

Also, with a company like Atlas, you never know where you're going. At a sched carrier, you know, and if you're senior, u can control where U go.

Some guys like non-schd a lot, and other guys want theirs set in stone.

cliff
NBO

Hiring at Atlas Air
 

Hey,

Does anyone have a good email contact to send a resume to Atlas Air...

Check your PMs.

Atlas still has about 30 on furlough, best guess no hirring till the last part of this year at the earliest.

The schedule I flew was about 70-80 what I got at the beginning of the month. Mainly stuff dropped out, either the customer CX or the plane was running so late it would screw up your next trip. You don't quite run a Seven Four out of DXB like a DA-20 out of YIP.

Hi!

74/DXB vs. DA-20/YIP:
I would need differences training...

cliff
NBO

Well so much for my crystal ball. Looks like Atlas will recall everyone with a bid this month and start hiring off the street.

TW,

That's great news. I just checked their website and shows as still not accepting resumes for review. Can you offer any advice on how to be in the first 5,000 applying for the job? :)

Seriously, what did you see as the "typical" f/o profile? Military, 135, cargo, 121 transfers, CFIs, diverse hiring, etc. Any typical hour cutoffs you noticed that were competitive?

Thanks in advance,
Cubdrick

I think they look more for the person than the background. They were very upfront that you'll be on the road a lot and I think they want people you can be with in a plane for 15 hours. That being said, the group I interviewed with was either military or 121. And my stratum of the seniority list was mainly 121 retreads.

I bet I could call the Chief Pilot today and not get a real answer to your questions. Last time we hired off the streets, there was going to be a pilot shortage....again. I believe 3500 hrs was min total time with 1000 PIC turbine, God only knows now.

The other issue is, we had a hiring pool with a bunch of swimmers, and have no idea how many are still treading and if they'll even use it.

Best advice is visit the Atlas Air website daily and call any friends you have there to recommend you.

I have been trying to send mail to Denise, but it keeps coming back. What is the good address? Thanks

just announced, 50 744 capt upgrades, "Lots" of new hires, for new airframes in 2011

i believe Denise reads the stuff sent to the address on the website....post some more and u can pm me.

Wow, this thread's been dead for almost 4 years now. Thought I'd kick it and see what happens.

Been dead because we try and direct hiring questions to the Hiring thread. There is an Atlas thread that has all the Atlas questions anyone could ever ask for and more. Need BBQ tips, yes, we have those too ;)

QOL decent at Atlas, career kind of company?

No...and Yes.

It depends on what you want...ACMI vs. scheduled carrier.

See the world right away, with a relatively quick upgrade to captain (Atlas), or make more money and have more security (probably) (DAL/AA/UAL).

Want to be home every third or fourth day (Big 3), or be home in large blocks of days (Atlas). Atlas you can be gone 30 days, if you want, and I know two guys who had, basically, 60 days off in a row.

Have a schedule set in (almost) stone (Big 3), be willing to have your schedule change massively, on sometimes on an hourly basis (Atlas).

Go to a lot of domestic locations, and, when your seniority allows, a few overseas destinations (Big 3), go to places like Kyrgyz Republic, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Romania, Cape Verde, Republic of the Congo (French Congo), Russia, Iceland, Malta, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, India, Paraguay, Brasil, Chile, Ecuador, UAE, Saudi, Bahrain, Angola, Singapore, Spain, Zhengzho, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Sydney, Melbourne, Narita, Nagoya, Incheon (Atlas). I have been to all of these in the last 4 years...some of them, like HKG and SYD (Coogee Beach) a LOT of times.

I think for an "normal" pilot, DAL is best (unless you live in AK/West Coast or HI..then Alaska or HI is best). I think for an adventurous sort, Atlas is best.

Sorry...forgot SWA...they are really good, also.

And, it REALLY varies between individual. Talked to a guy who wants to go to JetBlue...it's his ONLY choice. He lives near Boston and wants a Boston base...he will not be applying anywhere else, unless they open a BOS base.

You forgot about the two other great cargo gigs : FDX/UPS.

Biggest issue with Atlas is that you will make more money at any legacy as an FO then a capt. here at Atlas.
If you want to go visit all those great destinations that Cliff mentioned, buy a ticket and in reality most places he mentioned you probably don't want to even go to.
Although we have a contract, I think (and most Atlas pilots will agree) that a roll of one ply toilet paper has more substance then this contract. Too much ambiguous language. We hope that we can make things better next contract, but I would not hold my breath either. Top commuters plus LCC's have better contracts which will allow you to make more money and work less or if you decide to work more you will make more then working overtime here.
If you are coming from a commuter with a bad contract or low pay, this would be a nice stepping stone before you go to major.
The big items here are the fact that you don't have to worry about commuting or losing weight (lots of food on planes).
Good luck

But if you are interested in ACMI, Atlas is head and shoulders above the rest.

Easyflying,,, I seriously doubt FO's at the legacy make more than the Capt's at Atlas.

with all the work rules they do.

How much does a Capt at Atlas make per year on average?

[QUOTE=easyflying;1691044]with all the work rules they do.[/QU

I like to see those numbers. I'm no Einstein nor do I do math in public but you might have a decimal in the wrong spot.

If you are senior wide body F/O at Delta and pick up "green slips" you can easily make more than an Atlas Capt. and work less days. Their work rules are significantly better. If one got hired at Delta today, just based on retirements, you could easily be a senior wide body F/O within 10 years.

Guess it depends on what your looking for. Save yourself to be a senior Delta FO one day or push a jumbo around the globe with atlas.

If its Delta your after I hope you get hired. BTW when did you get hired at Atlas

As with any airline, there are a lot of variables that will determine what an Atlas pilot makes. Equipment, base, hazard flying, picking up open time, etc...

As far as making more as an fo at a legacy then a captain at Atlas. Not true for the average pilot. There are fo's at Atlas that make more then Atlas captains. Lots of them.

I have been at Atlas for 7+ years as an fo on the 74. I have friends at all the legacy carriers. Some with similar longevity that are on smaller equipment (73, 320, & 88). Most are not making more then me. Most that commute are not home more then me either. They are getting better retirement.

In the airline industry, the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence. There is always going to be fo at brand x that makes 200k + and he/she is always used as an example of what pilots make over there. We have some areas that need major work in the upcoming contract at Atlas but don't believe everything you hear.

Excellent points!

Captains at Atlas make about 190k on the 747 and 160k on the 767. Those are ballpark averages. Obviously it will be more for guys that pick up flying in days off and less for people that get a lot of minimum guarantee credit. I've flown with a few 747 captains that complain they can't break 200k despite being at the top of the payscale. FO averages are about 100k on the 747 and 80k on the 767.

This is all very unscientific and just from talking to people I encounter. So yeah, line holding FO's at most legacies (and needless to say fedex & UPS) can beat that, especially if you account for Atlas's almost non existent retirement plan.

I know of 2 FOs that broke $200k for 2014. One said he is not going to 767 capt as would make less...waiting for 747 capt...

"You forgot about the two other great cargo gigs : FDX/UPS."

I don't like all the domestic hub turns at FedEx.

I would never recommend UPS to anyone..poisonous work environment.

Those are some real big statements for somebody that haven't worked at either one. Sure that must be hearsay because I HEAR the quality life and contract SUK at Atlas but to give someone RECOMMENDATION to work there or not when I wasn't employed there????

Any FO's here making $200K must be senior and working lots of overtime and/or taking the outbases. I like being home with my family too much for that.

Yeah, you could make 200k a year at Burger King probably if you work 365 days like these guys and never go home. Just multiple our rates times our crappy 62 hour guarantee to see what people with a life make.

"Those are some real big statements for somebody that haven't worked at either one. Sure that must be hearsay because I HEAR the quality life and contract SUK at Atlas but to give someone RECOMMENDATION to work there or not when I wasn't employed there????"

I don't like domestic hub turns. I have flown into ILM and SDF and done them for abx and ups. I have flown into MEM for FedEx flying. I don't want atlas 767 as I don't want to do domestic hub turns. Other guys like them, and would love to do them for FedEx our UPS.

I don't personally know the work environment at UPS. The UPS guy I knew the best said he hated every second of every day he worked at UPS. I have read a lot of UPS pilot's opinions online of their pilot/management relationship. I don't want to work somewhere like that. Another Atlas guy I know wants UPS.he said he didn't care about the work environment, he just wants to make a lot of money. He is excited about UPS. I understand that completely. I hope he gets UPS...it will be perfect for him.

"Any FO's here making $200K must be senior and working lots of overtime and/or taking the outbases. I like being home with my family too much for that."

Both ARE very senior. The guy who made the most about $230k, normally works about 9 days/month. He doesn't outbase or work any overtime. The other guy never outbases, just picks up high value open time.

Max FO pay is $146. Say he somehow flies 100 hours in 9 days?!? That would be $14,600. 175k for the year. Since he's not working much say he gets 6k in per diem a year. Yeah.....he doesn't pick up open time. You believe these guys??? C'mon.