I would have to say the three most challenging airports we currently fly into, in order are-

1. Guatemala City
2. San Jose, Costa Rica
3. Mexico City

Lima, Peru deserves an honorable mention just cause of the F-ing vultures!

If everything is going well and you've been in there before none of these airports present a particular problem. Throw in some weather, communication issues, deferred items, engine failure, etc. then it gets interesting!

And yeah those former naval Aviators.... ;)

For you guys completing the process. Interview-sim-drug test. They will then validate your data. U guys should get the word early in the week. 5 more positions to fill for May 7th class. You guys will b the first new hire class in 7 years. Congrats!

Be careful with Mexican controllers...not like the US.

>>>>>Home base is huge for me. At least worth an extra 30000 an year<<<

I believe all your home basing airline travel is taxed as well. NO THANKS!!

No, it's not.

It's Atlas' 'Gateway Travel' that can be imputed income if you're traveling between your home and your 'base'.

True Home Basing, such as at ATI, is not taxed.

[QUOTE=motorclutch;2114182]
Referring just to your 600000 in 20 years.
Not exactly. Out of 30000, 10000 goes to Uncle Sam, and if 8000 goes against hotels and crash pads, we have 12000 left. That multiplied by 20 years adds to 240000. Taking in consideration the money value goes to crap year after year, 240000 now will be probably 40000-60000 in 20 years.
However, during this 20 years, you screw up your family, your health, and you end up just being an old fart with a bad attitude.
We have only one life, and our health and happiness is not worth all the money in the world. And if you are unlucky enough to have 2-3 marriages, due to the " wonderful" quality of night flying life style and bad moods created by it ( plenty seen here ), then .......don't even want to go there.


Also calling pilots, who pay their way there, pay for their own hotel and rental, who have a certain experience ( assuming you are not calling for interview 100 hours type ) a bunch of clowns just because you guys at ABX are pilots extraordinarie is not nice.

[QUOTE=ME109G;2115001]Home basing doesn't help that much with QOL. You still have to fly the airplane out to the West coast in the middle of the night. The thing I don't understand is for example the Atlas guys. They get done with work in CVG around 1-2 am and instead of jump seating home on us or Atlas they go to the hotel and commercial home later in the day. So you get home like 12 hours later after some F-d up commercial flight. How does this help family life?

No arguement about the W-2s, but, point of fact, Atlas is NOT home based.

[QUOTE=Kougarok;2115068]Or...
You live in base and get back at 1am, but wait, Atlas uses Z time so it's really 5/6am, so that's a work day, but home in bed by 2am local get a restful sleep and have the rest of your work day with family! Not to mention all the base layovers (per diem included) spent at home.

Guys, I was asked in the interview about junior manning. Basically forced overtime. I have had to do forced overtime with every job I have ever had and in many cases forced overtime without extra pay. With that said, how many of those 14 days off a month will a new guy be working in December? Are we talking a couple of extra days or basically forget being home in December because of the overtime?

Also, can anyone post a typical line for a pilot?

How far along are the pilots in getting a new contract? Any details on a new contract?

Interview stuff part 2.0:
I did ask about ATI in my interview and whether the majority of the Amazon flying will go to them because they appear to have lower labor costs. Probably wasnt the smartest question to ask them because WTH do I know about ATSG's business model but I asked it anyways. It was on my mind because it only makes sense to give the flying to whoever can perform the job the cheapest. I dont want to go to ABX Air and watch ATI get all the growth. Basically, I was told that there is enough business for both companies, holding companies are the norm in aviation, and ATI's labor aren't necessarily lower because they have home basing. The interviewing folks were all super cool about the question but I am not sure I would ask anything about ATI if I had to do it all over again.

Here are the other interview questions I now remember:
1. What do you think about junior manning?
2. Tell me about a time you made a decision based on the facts and you should have used your emotions?
3. Tell me about a time when you ignored an SOP or checklist?
4. Tell me about a time you had a conflict with someone you worked with?
5. Tell me about a time you missed a flight or a deadline.
6. Tell me about a time you put something off?
7. Tell me how you organize upcoming events (or something like that)
8. Tell me about the airplane you are currently flying
9. Tell me about yourself
10. Why ABX Air?
11. Tell me your biggest pet peave?
12. Do I mind sitting right seat for a long time? (or something close to that)

Once again, I answered everything 100% honestly (even if it made me look stupid). I have a good job right now and I didn't see a need to BS anything. If I can get to the sim portion then so can anyone else.

Thanks a million.

Actually you asked some great questions. Don't be concerned. Couple of comments.
Junior manning has been prevalent because of lack of hiring but no decreases in flight load. The union put numbers together that showed we were (minus) 25 full time crewmembers based on the overtime money paid last year.
Second, ABX was a former express company not ATI. On time departures and arrivals within 3 minutes was part of our gig. (One reason for our strict standardization). You are concerned about Amazon flying? Let's put it like this: ATI has NEVER recovered an ABX flight. Hete knows what team brought him to the dance, I wouldn't worry.

[QUOTE=WTFover;2115077]Or...
You're a commuter and bid a 4 day weekend at or near your home airport. Atlas can change your schedule at a whim, ABX can't. I hear Atlas crew scheduling changes their pilots schedules just to look busy.

The difference is he gets to sleep that night instead of getting home in the morning after having been up all night. He also gets the miles.

Not true at all.

ATI has recovered ABX flights, TPA and MIA personally come to mind.

ATI's problem has been lack of spare AC. From Oct 27, 2015 to mid Feb'16, we had NO SPARE AIRCRAFT at all. That time period covered the Amazon start up, Xmas Peak and Flower Power season. From mid Feb to the end of March or so, we had ONE spare AC. The second spare we just got back the end of March is now off line again getting paint.

What Larry said is true.

The Gateway Travel scheme such as what Atlas employs has some taxable aspects to it that are the employees responsibility.

ATI employs a True Home Base system where Company pays entirely for travel and lodging getting to, while on and from assignments. That includes taxes.

Who was the amazing Amazon crew doing the Stockton trip on Friday, April 22 who diverted to KDEN for an ADP failure? Apparently, he wanted to ensure he had lots of runway in order to stop the jet. We recovered that one.

Note: for you non-Boeing types, normal braking is supplied off the right hydraulic system, not the center. You guys need to get AR to tune you guys up a bit. No wonder one of your ex-chief pilot wannabes wasn't recommended for a checkride with the Feds.

Are you referring to the one who came from the ABX CP office?

That's the one. Gotta admit we had our winners!

It diverted to DEN due to a fuel balance issue. It was there for a few hours while the problem was corrected and then pressed on the SCK. At least get your facts straight before you go spouting off.

Can somebody give a brief of a normal 16/17 days schedule looks like? Thanks

May sched is:1-7 work
8-22 off, 22-31 work. There are numerous variable combinations.

May sched is:1-7 work
8-22 off, 22-31 work. There are numerous variable combinations.

I'm a 5000+hr pilot with 4000-ish of that being multiturbine PIC in 135 turboprops. I'm current and qualified in 767. 4yr degree and nothing crazy in my background. Applied to ABX and not a peep so far. Any advice?

When did you compete the app? Do you know anyone at ABX-these are direct referrals they in officially go to front of the line.
I would send a follow up letter...basically a schmooze letter. Getting their attention seems to work.

Completed the app the day they opened the window. No, I don't know anyone there. I'll try the letter. Thanks

During the past few months I've meet a lot of recruiters and I learned one thing that was interesting. They really look at your background and try to find those that aren't gonna go anywhere after hired.

For instance, with your total time, why and where did you get 76 current? Is there someplace else your looking to use that time? What city do you live in? Does it have a crew base for a major airline? That kind of stuff they really look at.

I applied, like you, the day the window opened. 11,000 total time some 121 regional from 10 plus years ago and the rest is corp PIC, international, plenty of crossings, yada yada.... Got called a couple of days after applying. Who knows why, but I can tell you there is no major airline in my future. No degree, bounced between 121 and corp. Chased money my whole career and looking to settle down now. Not exactly the perfect path I've chosen as Yoda would say.

There really is so much in our pasts that people in HR look at and its almost impossible to narrow it down. I would keep trying though. The next call may be to you. Good luck!

Watching some of the back and forth between the ABX and ATI guys, if I were you, I'd stop it now. Get together and get on the same page. I don't have a dog in this fight, as I haven't been hired, YET! But I plan on accepting the position if offered and there's one thing I've seen in my career that I hope not to see again, is the whipsaw.

If you guys start fighting over who's the best and who's gonna get more flying, then it's over for you. Get on the same page and maybe, just maybe you'll stand a chance at being merged to cut costs instead of being pitted against each other to cut costs for more flying. I've lived through this story at a wholly owned years ago and they are still fighting to this day.

Work together and the world is yours....

Wonderful thought; but just one issue sticks I'm my craw: the HR director at ATI was trashing ABX in front of one of our new to be new hires. Joe Hete has knowledge of this fact as well. She was caught lying by our HR director. Once you are offered the job this week, you will see how it is at ABX. How's Lunken field btw?

Reading and fishing here if it will be a good move in trusting my future in ABX chances to make it I gotta admit there is nothing attracting about this company.

A pilot group with a bad attitude, which hasn't learnt anything from the aviation's turmoil in the last 15 years.

Company ( employees ) with a 1990s mentality.

One company, two pilot groups, one overpaid and one underpaid. That's weird and probably will not end up well.

If Amazon goes away, the company is doomed and every new hired plus the recalled ones will be out of his/her job. Everything else is just empty words.

The company doesn't give a crap about new employees. Crappy pay, until second year pay, and very willing to get rid off anybody considered cheap labor. I bet there will be a lot of training wash outs.

New people are not welcomed by the existent pilot group.

ABX looks like a company ready to die but somehow, by some kind of a miracle, is still kicking.

Regarding Amazon?!..... Same as Blockbuster. A lot of investment ( because some Amazon hire up has an " extraordinary " idea which if it doesn't work out everything will go to crap ) but when someting or someone with a another popular idea will come along, no more Amazon.

Bottom line, ATSG ain't Fedex, UPS or Atlas ( companies which have a business plan )

Intriguing. Do we know each other? I don't live there but "worked" under a company there. Or was this for someone else?

Sending u a pm

After meeting some that work here at ABX, all I really saw was a sense of pride. A once very large company, broken down and has survived. Now with a second chance to be great again.

We all pick what ever company best suites us and sometimes don't even have the choice. Sometimes you just go with the first class date wherever. Sometimes we just go with the flow.

I've seen a lot thru the years and you don't have to look too far from this website to see crappy personalities at every carrier. Hint, your not going to get away from that. Pilots are our own worst enemies and management loves it.

Some items I noticed that draw me to ABX. Most of the top half of the list here is getting on in years. They are not going to be at ABX too much longer. If the Amazon thing doesn't work out, DHL flying is not going away and I don't see the new hires at ABX not being employed should the Amazon plan fail in 5 years.

On a side note, I've meet and flown the owner of Amazon. He's no dummy. If he sees something here, it may very well work. And that's really why I'm seriously pursuing this. To be at the beginning of a movement would be fantastic.

In the end, you have to choose what's best for you and your family. Some of us have many options on the table and some don't. Take what you can, do your best and live your life.

Nice words Jason. I strongly think ABX needs a lot of people like you. That company needs a lot of fresh blood.

Quick question- how easy is it to move around days? Is this a typical junior or senior schedule? Thanks

ME109G- awesome advice, one of the best posts I've ever read.

Not too hard. I've never had a problem. Schedules works well now that they tubed the last scheduling manager.

Nah.. They just need what they have coming. A light at the end of the tunnel.

I have been more than welcoming to new pilots! Sending them the CBA and answering PM's. Guy I was flying with last week has been taking re-hires in class out to dinner.

I would love it if ABX hired a couple of hundred pilots!

.....to replace the 170 pilots that were just purged from the seniority list....

Thanks for sharing. I would love to see an actual schedule. When you're bidding, do you bid on days off only, or do you get to bid on already built lines? Also, dumb question: If you work 17 days in a row, do you still get a couple of days off in between? (I'm thinking about the 6x1 FAA rule....)