Most guys have some kind of status. As a San Antonio guy, AA has been my primary. It all shakes out on what works best for you. It ebbs and flows. I just sent my wife and daughter on vacation to New York exclusively on American miles. Once you get a status, it makes gateway even easier with the upgrades and other perks. It is imputed however for gateway so a lot of guys will do the math and jump in or out if it makes more sense.

This is a great forum topic. I am getting a bunch of info out of it. Thanks for posting.

Did I miss a memo?

No....just another pilot that read what they wanted to read and doesn't understand how Atlas works, where the bases are, or how they will get to work and home again.

I bet you can't wait to fly with him!!!! Typical donkey...... 744Driver that is..... His name should be enough get a feel for what kind of guy he is coupled with the answer he gave you..... Little did he know you already read that thread.......

767 bases are now only CVG and JFK. Bases and equipment will change due to Southern Air acquisition.

JHC....what would we do without Cliff explaining the deep dark secrets of the universe to us?

Can I please have that crystal ball when you're done with it?

Actually, his post was from three years ago, when a LAX 767 base was featured on the standing bid form. DHL reorganized some flights and put them in CVG instead, so it never came to pass.

Now, prove to me you know more about "how Atlas works" than 744driver and the drinks are on me! :rolleyes:

+1

In fact, the LAX 767 position is STILL on our standing bid forms (and it's still not a base). Oh well, at least they removed the 747-200's ...

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Actually, the LAX 767 base never opened because DHL removed most of the B747 non-stop LAX to Asia flights that the 76 crews would DH on to then operate the NRT and TPE flights on the B767300F's.

Just curious about Atlas and looking info. Im well aware that the flying varies a ton, and you are usually gone 17 days or so straight. But could someone explain to me how Atlas works as far as bases/domiciles are concerned? Is it different than lets say a regional or major would operate? How does this "gateway city" work? some sort of variant of "home based"?
Also, how senior is ORD, and what airframes are there? Thanks!!!

Often gone 17 days straight, but not always, and 60-day lines usually have three (shorter) patterns.

We have lots of 747 bases, 2 767 bases. CVG is junior for 767, ANC for 747.

Pretty much everything we do is different from how a regional/major would operate.

Pretty much no matter where you live in the US, there will be an airport nearby that is a Gateway airport. Atlas buys you a ticket to/from this Gateway airport to get to your base, but you have to get to your Gateway airport and figure out parking. They only provide parking at your actual crew base.

ORD is 747. Junior FO there was hired 2/2015.

The Atlas Air Hiring thread under Hiring News is the main thread. Use the search function or, even better, read the whole thing. Every question you could think to ask has been answered at some point.

Good info. Thanks for the reply! I appreciate it.

Just say thank you and take your licks and then say thank you again and after a couple years you can hope for better. I havn't gotten what I bid yet, but I'm getting paid and putting in work. So, yeah... Your wish list? File it away for now. Enjoy!

The junior base for the 747 400 is ANC. All 450 new hires on this aircraft were based there last year. They are able to bid out in about 3 to 9 months based on attrition and growth in lower 48 bases. Expect to hire at least that or more in 747 400 this year. Not sure how many 767 pilots will be hired this year. Acquiring 3 and possibly many more 767s this year.

What is current time to Capt, both fleets? Thank you.

2/11 747
5/11 767

Do the 767s have the updated cockpits/mix or all old?

5/9/11 = 747
5/9/11 = 767

The 767's are a mix of old beat up 200's, fairly new 300ERF's, and I think a some others in between.

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Not updated with a full glass cockpit, if that's what you mean. No ACARS in the -200s.

Which base does the flying out of Travis AFB that Evergreen used to do? (HIK, GUM, etc)

I have done it. I don't think it's any one base....could be based anywhere and do that flying...like most of Atlas' flying...

Why don't Atlas pilots fly what they are awarded on their bid line? Do they get a premium payment for their layover changing, schedule revised or added legs?

It's called Charter Radio! That is just the way it works in that world. My dad did it, I did it. Pack your bag for a month and hang on for dear life!

A normal airline knows its schedule months in advance.

Atlas is not a normal airline. It does a lot of charter. It does military. It does ACMI, where if the customer says "crap" Atlas either does it or gets hemorrhoids trying.

There are parts that are firm, such as DHL, but even then if you are in ICN on a DHL trip and they need a body for a pop up charter, guess what... Or more realistically, they needed a body so they stole George in HKG, which they are covering by airmailing Steve from NGO, and now you are in the ICN hotel looking at how YOUR schedule just blew up with a commercial to NGO. Meanwhile George (remember George?) is figuring out where XYZcrapstann is, and wondering if a 74 has ever been in there (very possibly not).

Pay and contract issues aside, this is the nature of the business. Some guys enjoy it, some guys deal with it and some guys hate it.

My wife has long since given up trying to keep track of where I am. Some of my neighbors actually think that I am with the CIA.

Nope. No premium anything for the changes. That's just the way that Atlas rolls.

Schedule changes are a plague that infects this airline. The Atlas scheduling department is so addicted to this absurd method of crewing aircraft that they know of absolutely no other way to operate their department.

Historically, as an ACMI carrier, Atlas needed the flexibility of transferrable pilots due to the uncertain and ever-changing nature of on-demand charter services for our fickle customers. Now, even though half of our flights are flown for DHL and their set-in-stone, gotta-be-on-time, planned-months-ahead schedules, Atlas cannot for their life leave a CVG based pilot on their awarded schedule. There is this perpetual domino effect of schedule changes going on at Atlas that has been happening for over twenty years, and it won't stop.

Rather than put a reserve pilot in your place when your flight is delayed or a pilot calls in sick, Atlas will simply pull another pilot from the nearest plane and stick him in your open seat. The process repeats itself with the now short-crewed, next-door plane until every 747 (or 76) has had a turn at this insane game of musical chairs. Frequently, the shuffle involves crews deadheading internationally (in business class no less) occasionally passing another crewmember flying the opposite direction (in business class no less) to another empty Atlas cockpit seat.

Despite the misguided belief that operating Atlas without a normal sized reserve pilot group saves our company lots of money, there is obviously an absurd cost to this mindless knee-jerk way of operating, and there is nothing our schedulers can do to get this monkey off of their backs.

So yeah, lots of schedule changes. No premium pay. You are basically bidding a footprint for work days. Where you'll end up is unknown until after you are there. Come to Atlas prepared to accept this as a way of life.

8

Because Atlas reacts, they don't plan. QANTAS is notorious for changing the US start/end point of the trip between JFK and ORD with just a couple days notice. Or if a plane is delayed two or three stations up line the whole schedule can crater. And no, no and no.

They are still dealing with the ripple effects of an FO that called in sick 15 years ago.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^
+1

How long looking to hold MIA?
Bennies, medical, dental etc... and costs?
Uniforms, luggage, ipads?
Full CASS?
I am 744/8 type rated but think Atlas would sit me a full course.
To be honest I'd like to go 767 alothough I do know MIA is not a 76 base.

The Southern purchase should make things interesting.

Thanks for any info. You can pm me in strictest confidence.

with the 767 you will be in CVG for a while.

If you are 744/8 typed you are one of a kind. Yes Atlas will make you sit through the entire course and get a plain old 744 type.

Yes yes yes, I already have the plain old 744 type. It does cover both and I have flown both.

767 JFK?

767 JFK is very senior.

Thank you atpcliff and Dutch and Long hauler. Much appreciated.

I guess being a new hire FO the schedule would be hell for at least a year then again if you choose the fastest upgrade say, 767 CVG.

So what would normal schedule look like if say you live in Orlando and start you trips in/out of CVG? I would think, either JS or Co. ticket on the Big D, then you are on your own. Crash pad, transport etc...Lots of R1/R2 then days off PX home, Rinse repeat.

Now say they need you in NRT. I assume PX to JFK then ANA bizzo/first to NRT?

Junior 767 CVG could be domestic DHL night freight, sitting reserve in Asia, or sitting reserve in CVG. Once you start a 747 trip, seems like you can be sent almost anywhere.

THIS!

As I understand it, the phones provided have calling disabled for FOs(but enabled for Captains), but all have full (mostly) worldwide data, correct?

Do the iPad's have data, or a way to hotspot from the phone?

Does Atlas(specifically the 747, since I'll be on that fleet) use Boeing OPT on the iPads for performance calculations, LMCs, and/or re-calcs(such as for last minute runway changes), or dispatch created releases with all data?

Thanks!

- Being a new hire only affects what footprints you can bid and whether it's reserve or a line. If you stay in the junior base on either aircraft and the hiring continues, you'd be able to bid away from reserve quickly.

- The fastest upgrade is currently 767. Right now, junior 747 CA is two numbers senior to the bottom 767 CA. That's a recent trend - no one knows what upgrade will look like when it's your turn. You might have other airframes to consider by then.

- The highlighted paragraph shows there are a lot of basic concepts to Atlas you haven't picked up on yet. Read the main thread if you want to understand fully.If you live in MCO and are 767 CVG, the company will buy you a ticket. You can jumpseat if you wish, but you have no protection if you miss a trip (I wouldn't advise it for the first year) No crash pads here - the company will buy you a hotel room and handle transport during the length of your trip. The air fare to your base and first/last night in the hotel in your base may be subject to imputed income tax. Lots of R-2 perhaps, but R-1 is pretty rare lately.

- All trips begin/end in your base. If you're 767 CVG and they need you in NRT, they'll fly you to CVG and you'll DH on a 747 to NRT. If they buy you a commercial ticket to get to wherever it has to be Biz or better if any segment is international.

CAs have phone service, FOs don't. Worldwide data, yes, but restricted to just company web sites and airline web sites unless on wifi.

No data on iPads.

All aircraft get runway performance data via ACARS, except the 767-200s.