Atlas Air Hiring
Line Holder
Joined APC: Oct 2014
Posts: 29
I'm extremely grateful for all the positive posts on here. Every time I talk to another pilot and tell them I want to work at Atlas they say they have a friend there and they love it. I'm In a crashpad now and there a bunch of guys in their 50's working for one of the big three who are still commuting and sleeping on a bunk bed in a roach infested house. My goal several years ago was to be at one of those airlines. If one of them would've called, I would've went for sure. The money is great, no doubt. Sure the work rules are great too in some instances. I jumpseated on AA with a senior 737 captain not too long ago. He said in 1997 he made $211K. Last year he made $169K and was doing nothing but complaining about pay, union stuff, work rules, and the company. Everyone has complaints about their job. I've worked construction, mowed lawns, served tables, did the cubicle thing, dug post holes, fueled aircraft, cleaned out animal cages, and even worked as a back up cook for red lobster. (That's the worst one) My point is being a pilot is a pretty cush job most of the time. As we all know, it can also be extremely difficult as well. The rewards make it worth it though. For some of us it's not all about the money. Personally, I'm in it for adventure and world travel. There are obviously problems here and hopefully all the pilots will ban together and make it better. I've done my research on Atlas and for me the positives outweigh the negatives. Congrats to those who just got on, I know you're just as excited as I am.
I'm extremely grateful for all the positive posts on here. Every time I talk to another pilot and tell them I want to work at Atlas they say they have a friend there and they love it. I'm In a crashpad now and there a bunch of guys in their 50's working for one of the big three who are still commuting and sleeping on a bunk bed in a roach infested house. My goal several years ago was to be at one of those airlines. If one of them would've called, I would've went for sure. The money is great, no doubt. Sure the work rules are great too in some instances. I jumpseated on AA with a senior 737 captain not too long ago. He said in 1997 he made $211K. Last year he made $169K and was doing nothing but complaining about pay, union stuff, work rules, and the company. Everyone has complaints about their job. I've worked construction, mowed lawns, served tables, did the cubicle thing, dug post holes, fueled aircraft, cleaned out animal cages, and even worked as a back up cook for red lobster. (That's the worst one) My point is being a pilot is a pretty cush job most of the time. As we all know, it can also be extremely difficult as well. The rewards make it worth it though. For some of us it's not all about the money. Personally, I'm in it for adventure and world travel. There are obviously problems here and hopefully all the pilots will ban together and make it better. I've done my research on Atlas and for me the positives outweigh the negatives. Congrats to those who just got on, I know you're just as excited as I am.
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Nov 2013
Posts: 555
I also have a military background, but I am now retired from USAF. I have been with Atlas for exactly 1 year. I have enjoyed flying here and the folks I've flown with have been great.
My 1 Year Synopsis
Training days in Miami- 63 days
Total Flight time 747- 604 hours
Legs flown- 35
Destinations-50+
Countries- 30+
Longest leg- 15:48 (CVG to PVG)
Shortest leg-1:00 (NRT to NGO)
Favorite Location- don't really have one... I like LUX and Pisa was cool
Least Favorite Location - Niamey, Niger (not a normal overnight, but we got stuck there for a night... Not a place I want to stay again)
Days off- idk, don't track it
Work Days- idk don't track it, but I wasn't sent home early so it was 17min per month since I hit the line in May, after OE in April.
Days away from home - don't know, haven't tracked it, but it's probably close to 200 with training. I have volunteered to work a little overtime, but not much. Have had to commute a day early a few times due to early departure on the Zulu day and my PT conflicted with days off as well.
Most consecutive days off - 14
Most credited hours in one month- 120hours (some OT and haz flying)
Most Block Hours 1 month - 92
First year pay- $70,000 (that's what my w-2 had)
I did volunteer some days off and also flew a few flights into hazardous areas.
Destinations:
Miami, Niamey (Niger), Sydney, Honolulu, Shanghai, Anchorage, JFK, Luxembourg, Liege, Narita, Nagoya, Hong Kong, Incheon, Malabo, Hahn, Delhi, Houston, Nairobi, Los Angeles, Camp Bastion, Lagos, Liberville, Cincinnati, Kuwait, Amsterdam, Bangkok, Leipzig, Al Udeid (Doha), Munich, Brize Norton, Baku, Dover, Seattle, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Kuwait City, Travis AFB, Baltimore, Veri Copas, Buenos Aires, Santiago, Lima, Quito, Ramstein, Stansted, Minga Guazu (Paraguay), Seattle, Graz, and I may be missing a couple more...
Countries:
Australia, China, Japan, Korea, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Germany, Kuwait, Thailand, Niger, Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, United Kingdom, Luxembourg, Belgium, Netherlands, Austria, Italy, Kenya, Qatar, UAE, India, Brazil, Ecuador, Peru, Paraguay, Argentina, Chile and I know I'm missing another 1-2.
I'm Huntsville based and was able to bid out of ANC after about 6 months. Anchorage wasn't bad, it was just the commute that was painful for me, ymmv. I would venture to say that my first year experience was maybe a little different than most, as I had such a wide variety of schedules. During my last 2 months based in anchorage, none of my patterns started there (due to a bunch of changes, I didn't even come close to flying the schedule I was awarded) and I somehow wound up on a couple of Miami type schedules which explains all the South America stuff. As I mentioned, I did volunteer to work some overtime, but I'm not sure I'll be doing much of that this year.
I also have enjoyed my time working for Atlas this first year. I agree that there's a lot of areas that can be improved upon with a better contract. I didn't have any major issues with scheduling or dealing with the company. I also enjoy the long periods of days off and working all my days on up front or in one chunk.
My 1 Year Synopsis
Training days in Miami- 63 days
Total Flight time 747- 604 hours
Legs flown- 35
Destinations-50+
Countries- 30+
Longest leg- 15:48 (CVG to PVG)
Shortest leg-1:00 (NRT to NGO)
Favorite Location- don't really have one... I like LUX and Pisa was cool
Least Favorite Location - Niamey, Niger (not a normal overnight, but we got stuck there for a night... Not a place I want to stay again)
Days off- idk, don't track it
Work Days- idk don't track it, but I wasn't sent home early so it was 17min per month since I hit the line in May, after OE in April.
Days away from home - don't know, haven't tracked it, but it's probably close to 200 with training. I have volunteered to work a little overtime, but not much. Have had to commute a day early a few times due to early departure on the Zulu day and my PT conflicted with days off as well.
Most consecutive days off - 14
Most credited hours in one month- 120hours (some OT and haz flying)
Most Block Hours 1 month - 92
First year pay- $70,000 (that's what my w-2 had)
I did volunteer some days off and also flew a few flights into hazardous areas.
Destinations:
Miami, Niamey (Niger), Sydney, Honolulu, Shanghai, Anchorage, JFK, Luxembourg, Liege, Narita, Nagoya, Hong Kong, Incheon, Malabo, Hahn, Delhi, Houston, Nairobi, Los Angeles, Camp Bastion, Lagos, Liberville, Cincinnati, Kuwait, Amsterdam, Bangkok, Leipzig, Al Udeid (Doha), Munich, Brize Norton, Baku, Dover, Seattle, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Kuwait City, Travis AFB, Baltimore, Veri Copas, Buenos Aires, Santiago, Lima, Quito, Ramstein, Stansted, Minga Guazu (Paraguay), Seattle, Graz, and I may be missing a couple more...
Countries:
Australia, China, Japan, Korea, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Germany, Kuwait, Thailand, Niger, Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, United Kingdom, Luxembourg, Belgium, Netherlands, Austria, Italy, Kenya, Qatar, UAE, India, Brazil, Ecuador, Peru, Paraguay, Argentina, Chile and I know I'm missing another 1-2.
I'm Huntsville based and was able to bid out of ANC after about 6 months. Anchorage wasn't bad, it was just the commute that was painful for me, ymmv. I would venture to say that my first year experience was maybe a little different than most, as I had such a wide variety of schedules. During my last 2 months based in anchorage, none of my patterns started there (due to a bunch of changes, I didn't even come close to flying the schedule I was awarded) and I somehow wound up on a couple of Miami type schedules which explains all the South America stuff. As I mentioned, I did volunteer to work some overtime, but I'm not sure I'll be doing much of that this year.
I also have enjoyed my time working for Atlas this first year. I agree that there's a lot of areas that can be improved upon with a better contract. I didn't have any major issues with scheduling or dealing with the company. I also enjoy the long periods of days off and working all my days on up front or in one chunk.
Awesome post. Stuck at a regional and hoping for Atlas someday. It's motivating to read stuff like this.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
On Reserve
Joined APC: Dec 2013
Posts: 14
The company is in full attack mode with the pilots, just apply to Delta and American and avoid all this drama. You will never fly a 747 but you will retire with at least $1 million more in your 401K. I wish I had some friends ( at all ) in aviation who may have steered me in some other direction.
I,m just sayin
BayBum
I,m just sayin
BayBum
I am sorry you feel like you landed at the wrong place. Just try to make the most of it, it is actually a good place, and we can just agree to disagree on that. Yes I agree, the company is in full attack mode. They are just prepping for the negotiations, as we are as well. Stay on top of that catering, cargo loading rules, and your contract.
On Reserve
Joined APC: Dec 2013
Posts: 14
I'm extremely grateful for all the positive posts on here. Every time I talk to another pilot and tell them I want to work at Atlas they say they have a friend there and they love it. I'm In a crashpad now and there a bunch of guys in their 50's working for one of the big three who are still commuting and sleeping on a bunk bed in a roach infested house. My goal several years ago was to be at one of those airlines. If one of them would've called, I would've went for sure. The money is great, no doubt. Sure the work rules are great too in some instances. I jumpseated on AA with a senior 737 captain not too long ago. He said in 1997 he made $211K. Last year he made $169K and was doing nothing but complaining about pay, union stuff, work rules, and the company. Everyone has complaints about their job. I've worked construction, mowed lawns, served tables, did the cubicle thing, dug post holes, fueled aircraft, cleaned out animal cages, and even worked as a back up cook for red lobster. (That's the worst one) My point is being a pilot is a pretty cush job most of the time. As we all know, it can also be extremely difficult as well. The rewards make it worth it though. For some of us it's not all about the money. Personally, I'm in it for adventure and world travel. There are obviously problems here and hopefully all the pilots will ban together and make it better. I've done my research on Atlas and for me the positives outweigh the negatives. Congrats to those who just got on, I know you're just as excited as I am.
I see things just as you do. Great thinking brother, just remind yourself of this every now and then. Still, come with the mind set that there is a lot to improve.
Line Holder
Joined APC: Oct 2014
Posts: 29
New Hire
Joined APC: May 2008
Position: Front seat
Posts: 6
My turn…
74 JFK FO
Hired spring 2011.
2013 - W2 $119k, 204 days at home.
2014 - W2 $102k, 214 days at home. 590hr. ( $ pr hr? )
I do not work on my days off.
No crash pads or McDonalds for me.
No BS.
FLY SAFE
74 JFK FO
Hired spring 2011.
2013 - W2 $119k, 204 days at home.
2014 - W2 $102k, 214 days at home. 590hr. ( $ pr hr? )
I do not work on my days off.
No crash pads or McDonalds for me.
No BS.
FLY SAFE
I'm extremely grateful for all the positive posts on here. Every time I talk to another pilot and tell them I want to work at Atlas they say they have a friend there and they love it. I'm In a crashpad now and there a bunch of guys in their 50's working for one of the big three who are still commuting and sleeping on a bunk bed in a roach infested house. My goal several years ago was to be at one of those airlines. If one of them would've called, I would've went for sure. The money is great, no doubt. Sure the work rules are great too in some instances. I jumpseated on AA with a senior 737 captain not too long ago. He said in 1997 he made $211K. Last year he made $169K and was doing nothing but complaining about pay, union stuff, work rules, and the company. Everyone has complaints about their job. I've worked construction, mowed lawns, served tables, did the cubicle thing, dug post holes, fueled aircraft, cleaned out animal cages, and even worked as a back up cook for red lobster. (That's the worst one) My point is being a pilot is a pretty cush job most of the time. As we all know, it can also be extremely difficult as well. The rewards make it worth it though. For some of us it's not all about the money. Personally, I'm in it for adventure and world travel. There are obviously problems here and hopefully all the pilots will ban together and make it better. I've done my research on Atlas and for me the positives outweigh the negatives. Congrats to those who just got on, I know you're just as excited as I am.
But, you're right: This is actually a pretty dang good job. I still get annoyed at those who call this a bottomfeeder airline (yes, they're out there), simply because I can tell immediately that they lack perspective. I made more my second year at Atlas as a 767 FO than I would have if I were a 5th year 767 CA at my previous ACMI carrier. Yes, we lag behind the legacies, but we're still on a 2011 contract; give us time. As far as other ACMI carriers are concerned, we are lightyears better, and I would know; I used to work for an actual scumbag, bottomfeeder ACMI outfit. I used to want to quit after every single trip, but it's not like that at Atlas at all.
The company is indeed lobbing grenades at us over certain areas of our CBA. The December vacancy award was a big one, but it was remedied quickly. Our loss of the breakfast grievance is another example of how the company is "pressing to test" certain sections of our CBA, and we can expect that type of thing to happen more as negotiations begin. But, if anyone thinks this sort of thing doesn't happen at Delta, I have a bridge in Brooklyn to sell you.
My real rambling, totally jetlagged point of this post is to point out that if someone is a complete miserable bastard at Atlas, there's a good chance he'll be a complete miserable bastard at Delta, too. People expecting happiness to come from a job will always be disappointed.
Me? I feel I make decent money here. $91k my second year on the 767, actually ($101k if you count per diem). It's not Delta 767 money, but patience is key; we'll get 'em in 2016. I spend my big chunks of days off surfing, growing a beard, and forgetting how to fly. I go to work and don't hate it. The annoyances on the road are generally minor. We're not getting suspended for 30 days for missing an R1 callout, either (yes, that happened at my previous ACMI). I live where I want. Life is generally not bad. As with anything else, it is what you make it.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post