Question for a wide body pilot
12-04-2018, 09:53 AM
#1
New Hire
Thread Starter
Joined APC: Dec 2018
Posts: 2
Question for a wide body pilot
Hey guys. I’m flying 135 out in the Sierra mountains. Love my company and the people I work with. Maybe this is the end of the line for me and I’ll just do this till I age or med out...... But like everyone, I look around and see what the UPS pilots are making, not to mention expat pilots flying big metal and I think, “man if I could go bigger I’d be doing pretty well for myself”
How could I go about getting into the big metal? I don’t have an ATP or anything and would prefer to not do the airline thing. Unfortunately my work doesn’t have any flow through agreements to bigger companies. Help me get a game plan here guys.
How could I go about getting into the big metal? I don’t have an ATP or anything and would prefer to not do the airline thing. Unfortunately my work doesn’t have any flow through agreements to bigger companies. Help me get a game plan here guys.
12-04-2018, 01:28 PM
#5
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jul 2017
Posts: 1,347
The traditional career track works best in my opinion.
I spent my first 8000 hours trying to avoid airlines. Mostly this was due to me wanting some strange life experience (living in Africa, flying in combat environments and other stuff that's essentially meaningless). I rationalized this to myself and my wife by latching on to complaints from pilots who were at regional carriers. Corporate, charter and defense contracting treated me very well, but I found no company with decent pay and QOL would look at me. Then as now I had a clean record, degrees, recommendations, etc.
As soon as I was at a regional I suddenly got calls from my current carrier and a number of LCCs.
My two take-aways from that experience:
1.)
In the minds of HR, they think they know what they're getting with airline employees. Not the best. Not the worst. But they are getting a predictable asset in comparison to people they may pull from 135, corporate and other backgrounds. (FWIW, I think all pilots are roughly equal, but I'm not in HR.).
2.)
Flying at the regionals was awesome! The complaints I listened to for years were seriously overblown. I think that's because we hear complaints more acutely. Also the pilots you interact with in FBOs, etc. are people who have left the airlines for a reason. So your sample sets consist almost entirely of people who have decided to leave airline life.
Contrary to being a cesspit. I found that the base level of frustration and hassle in airlines was about the same as any other flying job. Some aspects of airline flying, even at the regionals, were vast improvements.
My career has been very good to me financially and personally. If there's one piece of advice I could offer it's this:
Do your own research and try not to listen too much to the commentary of others.
I spent my first 8000 hours trying to avoid airlines. Mostly this was due to me wanting some strange life experience (living in Africa, flying in combat environments and other stuff that's essentially meaningless). I rationalized this to myself and my wife by latching on to complaints from pilots who were at regional carriers. Corporate, charter and defense contracting treated me very well, but I found no company with decent pay and QOL would look at me. Then as now I had a clean record, degrees, recommendations, etc.
As soon as I was at a regional I suddenly got calls from my current carrier and a number of LCCs.
My two take-aways from that experience:
1.)
In the minds of HR, they think they know what they're getting with airline employees. Not the best. Not the worst. But they are getting a predictable asset in comparison to people they may pull from 135, corporate and other backgrounds. (FWIW, I think all pilots are roughly equal, but I'm not in HR.).
2.)
Flying at the regionals was awesome! The complaints I listened to for years were seriously overblown. I think that's because we hear complaints more acutely. Also the pilots you interact with in FBOs, etc. are people who have left the airlines for a reason. So your sample sets consist almost entirely of people who have decided to leave airline life.
Contrary to being a cesspit. I found that the base level of frustration and hassle in airlines was about the same as any other flying job. Some aspects of airline flying, even at the regionals, were vast improvements.
My career has been very good to me financially and personally. If there's one piece of advice I could offer it's this:
Do your own research and try not to listen too much to the commentary of others.
12-04-2018, 07:19 PM
#6
Banned
Joined APC: Feb 2017
Posts: 2,275
Originally Posted by Elevation
The traditional career track works best in my opinion.
I spent my first 8000 hours trying to avoid airlines. Mostly this was due to me wanting some strange life experience (living in Africa, flying in combat environments and other stuff that's essentially meaningless). I rationalized this to myself and my wife by latching on to complaints from pilots who were at regional carriers. Corporate, charter and defense contracting treated me very well, but I found no company with decent pay and QOL would look at me. Then as now I had a clean record, degrees, recommendations, etc.
As soon as I was at a regional I suddenly got calls from my current carrier and a number of LCCs.
My two take-aways from that experience:
1.)
In the minds of HR, they think they know what they're getting with airline employees. Not the best. Not the worst. But they are getting a predictable asset in comparison to people they may pull from 135, corporate and other backgrounds. (FWIW, I think all pilots are roughly equal, but I'm not in HR.).
2.)
Flying at the regionals was awesome! The complaints I listened to for years were seriously overblown. I think that's because we hear complaints more acutely. Also the pilots you interact with in FBOs, etc. are people who have left the airlines for a reason. So your sample sets consist almost entirely of people who have decided to leave airline life.
Contrary to being a cesspit. I found that the base level of frustration and hassle in airlines was about the same as any other flying job. Some aspects of airline flying, even at the regionals, were vast improvements.
My career has been very good to me financially and personally. If there's one piece of advice I could offer it's this:
Do your own research and try not to listen too much to the commentary of others.
I spent my first 8000 hours trying to avoid airlines. Mostly this was due to me wanting some strange life experience (living in Africa, flying in combat environments and other stuff that's essentially meaningless). I rationalized this to myself and my wife by latching on to complaints from pilots who were at regional carriers. Corporate, charter and defense contracting treated me very well, but I found no company with decent pay and QOL would look at me. Then as now I had a clean record, degrees, recommendations, etc.
As soon as I was at a regional I suddenly got calls from my current carrier and a number of LCCs.
My two take-aways from that experience:
1.)
In the minds of HR, they think they know what they're getting with airline employees. Not the best. Not the worst. But they are getting a predictable asset in comparison to people they may pull from 135, corporate and other backgrounds. (FWIW, I think all pilots are roughly equal, but I'm not in HR.).
2.)
Flying at the regionals was awesome! The complaints I listened to for years were seriously overblown. I think that's because we hear complaints more acutely. Also the pilots you interact with in FBOs, etc. are people who have left the airlines for a reason. So your sample sets consist almost entirely of people who have decided to leave airline life.
Contrary to being a cesspit. I found that the base level of frustration and hassle in airlines was about the same as any other flying job. Some aspects of airline flying, even at the regionals, were vast improvements.
My career has been very good to me financially and personally. If there's one piece of advice I could offer it's this:
Do your own research and try not to listen too much to the commentary of others.
12-04-2018, 08:46 PM
#7
Disinterested Third Party
Joined APC: Jun 2012
Posts: 6,006
There's no reason to fly at a regional if one doesn't wish to.
This question was posted in the cargo section, so you've got the choice of doing ACMI, or flying for the two big Gorillas in the room, or a mishmash of smaller operators, a few of which fly "big" equipment. If it's widebody, then it's going to be 121, and if it's cargo widebody you're either ACMI (ABX, ATI, Atlas, Kalitta, Southern, Western Global, etc), or you're FedEx or UPS.
The ATP is pretty much a given for someone seeking work in...almost everything.
A four year degree won't be required for ACMI operators. Applicants come from everywhere, and get hired from everywhere. The original poster provided no information about himself or herself, so it's impossible to address where they might stand with relation to seeking a job. I doubt any of the operators will take someone without an ATP, but it's possible.
This question was posted in the cargo section, so you've got the choice of doing ACMI, or flying for the two big Gorillas in the room, or a mishmash of smaller operators, a few of which fly "big" equipment. If it's widebody, then it's going to be 121, and if it's cargo widebody you're either ACMI (ABX, ATI, Atlas, Kalitta, Southern, Western Global, etc), or you're FedEx or UPS.
The ATP is pretty much a given for someone seeking work in...almost everything.
A four year degree won't be required for ACMI operators. Applicants come from everywhere, and get hired from everywhere. The original poster provided no information about himself or herself, so it's impossible to address where they might stand with relation to seeking a job. I doubt any of the operators will take someone without an ATP, but it's possible.
12-04-2018, 11:55 PM
#8
All is fine at .79
Joined APC: Sep 2016
Position: Paahlot
Posts: 4,082
Find a company that will get you a 737 type and bury yourself and as soon as you hit 500hrs on type which should be in about 9 months start applying at ACMI carriers.
The big players fly 76/77/74.
Take those 9 months to figure out which one is the best option for you.
The big players fly 76/77/74.
Take those 9 months to figure out which one is the best option for you.
12-05-2018, 05:10 AM
#9
On Reserve Forever
Joined APC: Sep 2009
Position: Would you like fries with that gear, sir?
Posts: 270
With this you’ll have 16 cents! 
So...get to a company that will give you an ATP day one. (Given you have the multi) That would most likely be a regional. That should give what others are saying about the HR thing. I think the regional thing will be good for you and allow you to learn another skill set.
I should have done the regional thing years ago, bc it only delayed me. But I applaud you for working 135. It doesn’t get the credit its due. 135 guys work harder than 121 guys.
Good Luck
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
So...get to a company that will give you an ATP day one. (Given you have the multi) That would most likely be a regional. That should give what others are saying about the HR thing. I think the regional thing will be good for you and allow you to learn another skill set. I should have done the regional thing years ago, bc it only delayed me. But I applaud you for working 135. It doesn’t get the credit its due. 135 guys work harder than 121 guys.
Good Luck
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
12-06-2018, 05:45 AM
#10
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Dec 2017
Position: B767 Capt.
Posts: 171
Originally Posted by TiredSoul
Find a company that will get you a 737 type and bury yourself and as soon as you hit 500hrs on type which should be in about 9 months start applying at ACMI carriers.
The big players fly 76/77/74.
Take those 9 months to figure out which one is the best option for you.
The big players fly 76/77/74.
Take those 9 months to figure out which one is the best option for you.
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