Southern Air cargo 777
02-21-2010, 07:40 AM
#11
Line Holder
Joined APC: Jan 2008
Posts: 42
Well, to be honest, if you are a big QOL kinda person, you should avoid International ACMI flying altogether.
What you have to understand is that if the Southern has a lot of work, you will be busy... Really busy. But if things happen to be quiet, you will sit in a hotel or at home a fair bit. There is no way to predict what your month will be like, until you are deep into it.
I have said it in the past, Southern is not for everyone. I'm not trying to scare people off, I just want to make it clear that it is better suited for pilots/PFE's that are able to adapt well to changing schedules...
In the not so distant future, when the B777's are on established runs, working for a specific customer, on a stable schedule... You might see a far better QOL, but that is our future ---> not the present day.
The best litmus test I can think of, to determine if Southern is for you is simple...
If after listening to a story about flying ol' Southern Air Transport Herc's around the wilds of Africa makes you say "Cool", then Southern might be your thing...
But if those same stories make you say "What the **** - Over", then I'd recommend you look elsewhere.
Just saying.
What you have to understand is that if the Southern has a lot of work, you will be busy... Really busy. But if things happen to be quiet, you will sit in a hotel or at home a fair bit. There is no way to predict what your month will be like, until you are deep into it.
I have said it in the past, Southern is not for everyone. I'm not trying to scare people off, I just want to make it clear that it is better suited for pilots/PFE's that are able to adapt well to changing schedules...
In the not so distant future, when the B777's are on established runs, working for a specific customer, on a stable schedule... You might see a far better QOL, but that is our future ---> not the present day.
The best litmus test I can think of, to determine if Southern is for you is simple...
If after listening to a story about flying ol' Southern Air Transport Herc's around the wilds of Africa makes you say "Cool", then Southern might be your thing...
But if those same stories make you say "What the **** - Over", then I'd recommend you look elsewhere.
Just saying.
02-21-2010, 08:57 AM
#12
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Aug 2007
Posts: 124
Originally Posted by Spongebob
Not CASS though DOD carriers are supposed to be. They have some work-around on the requirement. Schedules are pretty fluid on a daily basis so reliability is on par with AMC to get where you're going and back.
That said, union hasn't pushed it due to an implicit threat to end home basing if CASS was implemented.
Speaking 2 years time-late (I left in 2008 and there's a new CEO) you are "available" for 20 days a month. Normally was one trip since it's cheaper to stick you in a hotel for a week than to fly you home and back if you have a big break in your schedule.
Actual TAFB varied widely for me. Sat at home for a month + on reserve and never got called. I was sked for a couple trips the but the flight time hogs bounced me from them....wasn't going to break guarantee anyway so I didn't care. In the other extreme, I left for a planned 2 weeks one month and got home 43 days later. I got held on the road and then rolled into next months schedule. Unless you're flying a lot there's really no penalty to the company for holding you out (no overtime unless you break guarantee). Just plan being an indentured servant and expect the company to do whatever is cheaper (1st) an easiest for them (2nd).
Great, great 95% percentile of folks there. The other 5% have skeds on their speed dial and fly anytime/anywhere regardless of the contract to support the company.
Spongebob
That said, union hasn't pushed it due to an implicit threat to end home basing if CASS was implemented.
Speaking 2 years time-late (I left in 2008 and there's a new CEO) you are "available" for 20 days a month. Normally was one trip since it's cheaper to stick you in a hotel for a week than to fly you home and back if you have a big break in your schedule.
Actual TAFB varied widely for me. Sat at home for a month + on reserve and never got called. I was sked for a couple trips the but the flight time hogs bounced me from them....wasn't going to break guarantee anyway so I didn't care. In the other extreme, I left for a planned 2 weeks one month and got home 43 days later. I got held on the road and then rolled into next months schedule. Unless you're flying a lot there's really no penalty to the company for holding you out (no overtime unless you break guarantee). Just plan being an indentured servant and expect the company to do whatever is cheaper (1st) an easiest for them (2nd).
Great, great 95% percentile of folks there. The other 5% have skeds on their speed dial and fly anytime/anywhere regardless of the contract to support the company.
Spongebob
07-31-2010, 11:16 AM
#15
Line Holder
Joined APC: Sep 2009
Posts: 57
Does anyone know of the best way to get noticed by Southern Air? I have been recomended, faxed my resume along with said recommendation letter, and drove out to Norwalk and personally handed in my quaifications. I am currently a downgraded RJ captain (9000 hrs. TT) based out of JFK. After 9 years at a regional, flying long haul cargo wordwide is exactly what I want to do. I keep hearing that they have been calling people with less experience who have no connections whatsoever. Any info on how to shine would be great.
07-31-2010, 11:23 PM
#16
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Oct 2006
Position: 777, sofa
Posts: 1,183
@Barrell
Get the CP's phone number from your recommender and make a call. Actually, keep calling until you get through - don't leave a message. I kept calling until he answered, and the next day I had a job offer. Be ready to jump. Half my class seems to have been called on Thursday or Friday to be in Miami on Sunday.
Oh and email your resume, if you only faxed it before.
@Tomcat
I'm not on the line yet, so my info is secondhand via HR and various instructors. There are several kinds of additive pay credits above guarantee, and trip rig in the contract. They say you often will not break basic guarantee in your 20 day block, however the guy in HR estimated the average paycheck is around 80-90 credits.
There is a trip rig of 3.5 hours/credit for every day away from base.
If you are out for more than 20 days you get extended duty pay, which is trip rig at 5.0 credit/day.
If you work a guaranteed day off you get block plus 4.0 on top of guarantee.
The posted payscale looks current.
1st year CA 88.49 FO/SO 59.42
2nd year CA 105.84 FO/SO 67.91
Get the CP's phone number from your recommender and make a call. Actually, keep calling until you get through - don't leave a message. I kept calling until he answered, and the next day I had a job offer. Be ready to jump. Half my class seems to have been called on Thursday or Friday to be in Miami on Sunday.
Oh and email your resume, if you only faxed it before.
@Tomcat
I'm not on the line yet, so my info is secondhand via HR and various instructors. There are several kinds of additive pay credits above guarantee, and trip rig in the contract. They say you often will not break basic guarantee in your 20 day block, however the guy in HR estimated the average paycheck is around 80-90 credits.
There is a trip rig of 3.5 hours/credit for every day away from base.
If you are out for more than 20 days you get extended duty pay, which is trip rig at 5.0 credit/day.
If you work a guaranteed day off you get block plus 4.0 on top of guarantee.
The posted payscale looks current.
1st year CA 88.49 FO/SO 59.42
2nd year CA 105.84 FO/SO 67.91
08-01-2010, 10:13 AM
#17
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: May 2005
Position: FDX MD11 Capt in MEM
Posts: 885
Originally Posted by savannahceltic
If after listening to a story about flying ol' Southern Air Transport Herc's around the wilds of Africa makes you say "Cool", then Southern might be your thing....
Sounds pretty scary to me.
08-01-2010, 02:25 PM
#18
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Mar 2008
Position: Assistant Greens Keeper
Posts: 1,011
Originally Posted by BARRELL RIDER
Does anyone know of the best way to get noticed by Southern Air? I have been recomended, faxed my resume along with said recommendation letter, and drove out to Norwalk and personally handed in my quaifications. I am currently a downgraded RJ captain (9000 hrs. TT) based out of JFK. After 9 years at a regional, flying long haul cargo wordwide is exactly what I want to do. I keep hearing that they have been calling people with less experience who have no connections whatsoever. Any info on how to shine would be great.
ha ha ha.. Things must be pretty nuts over there with the 777 and the growth I guess. Im gonna keep trying.
08-01-2010, 07:24 PM
#19
Bored
Joined APC: Nov 2006
Position: Grumman Torture Device (weekends only)
Posts: 445
After 9 years at a regional, flying long haul cargo wordwide is exactly what I want to do.
Not sure how it is now, but when I was there there were very, very few guys with nothing but a straight-121 pax airline background. Between the steam guages, no FMS/GPS in some of the jets and the style of ops/(lack of) home office support when on the road, I think their success rate with that background was low. Nothing against those folks...just quite different (how many times have your RJ ground handlers been packing AK's??). It's really much closer to 135/corporate 91 ops with a 747 than a 121 airline...and remember you'll go to places like Quito, Kano and the DRC...intermixed with trips that are more "normal" (ICN-ANC-JFK, etc.).
However, it's also a lot of fun for some of us.
Back in 2007, I was called on a Thursday (out of the blue) to start class on the following Monday...they let me defer for a month. Don't forget the home operation is SMALL. CP handles all the hiring, only a couple HR folks....
Good luck!
Spongebob
08-02-2010, 01:42 AM
#20
On Reserve
Joined APC: Apr 2009
Posts: 22
I got a call three weeks ago on a Tuesday, so did two of my former co workers. All of us were asked if we could start monday. None of us were called by the Chief Pilot. This was the 1st time I've heard of someone other than the C.P. giving folks a call.
I had no internal recs from anyone at Southern. Wish I could tell you more, but I don't know how I got picked. Best of luck to you
I had no internal recs from anyone at Southern. Wish I could tell you more, but I don't know how I got picked. Best of luck to you
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