Seeking advice for the 747...
 

Hello everyone, rather new to this APC deal, but have spent several hours reading many threads and would like to pose a question.
Have always had a dream of flying a 747.. always. Even as a young kid flying a cub out of a pasture, couldn't wait.
Today, I'm in my late 30's and have found myself recently single, no kids, no ties. Able to go anywhere and willing to do so as well.
Pretty much gave up the idea of achieving said dream and staying with a nice corp job flying jets across the continent (well, ok, a young lady caused me to give up the dream).
However that has now changed.
I'm still in a nice cushy corp job today, but I want to get out there and accomplish my dream before I end up taxiing behind one of you guys at LAX or PANC, wishing I had taken advantage when I could.
With over 7,000TT, almost 2500 turb. PIC (no military experience sorry to say), I'm here to ask you guys for some advice in what to do or where to go.
I'm in Anchorage often and see you all running in and out of there like firefly's.
Love Anchorage.... would move there in a second.
Any thoughts here??? Have my sights/prayers set on UPS for sure.
Hope to hear from someone and thank you in advance.

Well you sound like a good fit for UPS if you'd like to fly a 747 and live in ANC. Just that right now our online application window is closed, here's a great place to look for the latest pilot hiring info.

http://airlinepilotcentral.com/airlines/cargo/ups.html

Once the window reopens, definitely submit your app! Good luck.

And in the meantime ...
 

If you really want to fly the Whale that badly ... look into some lesser known carriers.

There are lots of B747 operators that you could be flying your dream aircraft while logging heavy international time !!

GOOD LUCK !!!

:D

I'm fortunate to know, and have flown with, 4 close friends of mine flying with UPS now. I met with the reps at an Air Inc. seminar in Dallas as well. Great folks, very informative! Also occasionally try to strike up a conversation with one of your crews at the hotel while in PANC, all the while being repectful that your pretty tired.
I'm keeping my ear close to the UPS pilot hotline and check the website daily. I would be glad to fly any tail thats brown, and then hopefully work my way to the 744.
Thank you for your time, I appreciate it.

Good gouge
 

CactusCrew,
Thanks for the quick response.
I've looked into a few of these carriers, and thanks for the advice. Polar, Atlas, Evergreen are either not hiring, or have pilots furloughed. I'll keep checking though, glass is always half full!!
Any other recommendations? What about Intl? Cathay, Singapore, Emirates, JAL?? Thoughts on this??
I have a dream of going to UPS, so keeping my sights set there mostly. However, like you said, getting some heavy Intl. time elsewhere would make me more marketable.
Appreciate your time and any future posts. :)

Your Call ..
 

The way I see it, you can only improve 2 things for UPS ...

1) heavy INTL time ... the reason for my 1st post, and you can possibly change that.

2) Military time ... not going to change that.

And FWIW ... you CAN get hired at UPS without either of them !!! :D

BUT ... you really sounded like you wanted to sail on the Whale ! And you gave a few reasons why now was a great time for you to do it.

If your corporate job is that cushy, and keeps you happy, then stay put. You are qualified for UPS right now.

It really is a matter of what you want to do tomorrow ...

;)

IMHO, Don't take a downward move, or perhaps even a lateral one, just to fly a different aircraft. To live a different lifestyle, perhaps, but don't work for dirt just to fly a cooler airplane. I think you'll regret it in the long term.

Continuing education.
 

Yes, agree with the advice about lat moves and will be cautious in any move.
The position I have now is the perfect Prt 91 job avail. As a Capt., I do very well here and have almost 10yrs seniority. Attentive to what I would be giving up and will weigh all scales before making any move.
So (and I pose this to everyone looking in) what are the thoughts as far as Cathay, Emirates, JAL, etc.? Are the opportunities avail and accepted for American pilots?
Its been recommended to me that I look into this avenue. The pay being well and X%, tax free, etc. There are many pros and con's, but what is available in today's market?
I cover the cont. daily here, only Intl. experience I acquire is Canada and Mexico.
No complaints, just tired of looking at all the whales and wishing I was there.
Holding out for UPS, yet willing to seek all options avail.
Rather nieve when it comes to all of this, as I've been a prt. 91 driver my entire career, so please excuse my lack of intl. carrier knowledge.
Acquired a 73 type a few years ago, was nice to have my hands on a Boeing yoke, even if it was a sim.! :)

I let Cathay Pacific buy me 747-400 type rating right before I went to UPS. You can do the same!

Going to UPS is not a lateral move, and like cactus crew suggested, it may help you to make a lateral move to improve your chances. I don't think that the foreign airlines that you mentioned pay as well as you think, plus I am thinking that they want people with larger airplane experience.

Interesting.
Are you not under any contracts to fly for them for a certain amount of time after typed? Otherwise facing reimbursement issues. I realize that may be a dumb question, however its that way here. Again I realize we are talking about 2 diff. worlds in prt. 91 v cargo.
Better sign off here and get in the rack gents, back to eating time zones for breakfast in the am. Will check back and respond more soon. I appreciate everyones time and reply's.
Cheers!!
Hopeful 744 driver someday!

I get the impression that UPS wants Heavy International experience very badly. Of everyone that I interviewed with I was the only one to get the offer and I was also the only one with heavy time. Most of my class has heavy international time.
So given those circumstances, I would focus on Large ACMI carriers like Gemini, Atlas, Focus, World and even EVA and Cathay.
Personally, I wouldn't take a job that I wouldn't enjoy, so don't take a terrible job just because it may lead to UPS-ANC.

You will make 80K easily your first year at Cathay. You can also take an ANC base (they would give it to you in an instant). Pay doesn't improve too much on the freight side, but it does when your 3 years is up and you can move to the PAX operation (LAX or SFO base). There is the option of a quick upgrade on the Freighter, but you will probably be DQ'ed for being American (seriously). The problems with CX (Cathay), is the amount of hoops that must be jumped through for the interview, getting a class, class, LFUS (or IOE in the states), pre-command, command, failure, back to the right seat, wash, rinse, repeat! It is a tough interview, and it takes quite a bit of time from the interview to a class date (almost a year). Feel free to PM me if you have more questions. Lots of Cathay guys are going to UPS... food for thought!

And furthermore ...
 

A simple analogy to add to this debate ...

If you depart your home base (corp job) for your ultimate destination (UPS) ... if the weather goes down at your destination and you divert to your alternate ( Cathay, Polar/Atlas, etc) ... would you be happier at your alternate, or would you regret leaving your departure point ?

Hmmmmmmmm ??????

That's really what it boils down to. Because the only certain thing about an airline career, is that there are NO guarantees about where you will end up.

Later, CC

;)

One more thing, there is no such thing as a training contract at Cathay. I honestly feel bad for leaving so quickly, but I can't control the timing of these things. UPS is just one of those airlines you wouldn't think twice about before jumping ship to.

I heard UPS is suing Cathay Pacific because they are not training UPS's future 744 pilots fast enough.

Cathay only wants pilots who don't care about pensions, medical benefits, and who only want to fly shiny new 777's!

Nick Rhodes will be very upset with you. :D

If you are a Seinfeld fan you will remember an episode where he wondered if his girlfriends boobs were real or fake. At the end, Sidra (Terry Hatcher) tells him, "They are real, and they are magnificent". I spent a lot of time on the UPS 747 and let me tell you about your dream plane. It is real, and it is magnificent!!!!

Hope you make out better than Jerry did!

You should see the bill I just received from Cathay... I forgot to pay my tab at Dakota's before I went AWOL!!!

One more...
 

Wanted to chime in one last time prior to turning in....
I would agree with you on this, for the 11 and 744. However, as previously stated, I would fly any tail thats brown.
Your impression that UPS is looking for heavy Intl experience. Does this include all types of aircraft (-8, 727, 75/76), or is your comment directed towards the ANC base guys?
FIT59 : Appreciate your post, agreed.
I'm new to this forum. PM?

More soon, and enjoying reading the posts. Good gouge!
So long everyone.

OK, Nick Rhodes MUST be very upset with you.

I hope you didn't tell them where you are going, They are ruthless with ex-employees.

A buddy of mine got canned around the time the 49ers did, after a year of unemployment, he interviewed and was offered a job at EK (Emirates), until Cathay (supposedly) got the employment checks and said enough bad things that his employment offer was rescinded. (he got fired after the review board decided that his "passed" line check was a "no pass".

Them are true bastards!

Sorry that this thread has taken a short detour but a few things must be known about these folks over in Asia's World City.

They don't know where I'm going, but I did send my resignation letter via UPS next day air!!!

Was that the MD-11 that brought your resignation letter to Hong Kong? (the avatar).

Actually, they're real and they're SPECTACULAR! ;)

EDPM

I'm waiting on a class date at Cathay and you guys are scaring the hell outta me! Still gotta be better than where I am now. Guess I'll find out soon enough...

You are correct, And they are, I mean it is!

Focus Air Cargo might be hiring later in the Spring due to attrition. Airplane #5 was a slim possibility for 2007, because most of the year is going to be spent controlling costs.

The hiring mins are at: http://focusaircargo.com/flightcrewres.html

Good Luck, I enjoyed flying the Classic: Big and fast.

Focus Air Cargo
 

Appreciate the link to this, spent some time looking through it this evening.
Anyone have any gouge about this company.. one way or the other???

They advertise for F/O's with 747 Classic or Intl. Heavy experience.
I've been flying corp. jets across the continent the last several years, so I have neither.

Thoughts???

a little bird in my family told me that gemini might be getting the 747 to replace the dc-10s when they're parked this year. you can try there

FMI,

I don't know of any of our pilots that were straight corporate. However, with that said, Focus Air (and others I presume) are looking for pilots with a background in heavy jets and with experience flying one week to South America, the next week to the Ukraine, and the following week all over Asia and Africa.

If I may add my opinion, if you can highlight in your resume and in conversation any of the above qualities, than by all means send something to the Chief Pilot of any of these Cargo carriers. I was hired at Focus with no 747 time at all. However, I had other resume items that made up for it, and knew a network of pilots already employed there. Both of which, I think are equally important.

Bottomline, if you can network and market yourself as to having what they can prosper from, by all means start the process.

UPS (and other flavors of the year, like Fed Ex) have USPS contracts. I believe one of the stipulations to flying the USPS contracts is residence in the US over the last 5 years.

If you go to CX, make sure you are a DEFO on the cargo side. If you go in as a SO you'll go straight to Hong Kong and will possibly de-qual yourself for UPS.

Perhaps someone more familiar (or willing to go read their employment contract) with UPS hireing mins knows more, but I wouldn't set my sights on 'brown' w/o knowing this if I was looking at international carriers.

I've come over from the maintenance side of the airlines, after 15 years of working, training and teaching the 747 classic and -400. With just at 3K hrs, most of it multi PIC and some 121, I'm having no luck at even a "thanks, but no thanks" response to my resume's.

Anyone know of a place that could use a low timer ATP, ex-tech 747 guy? I'm as unencumbered as a pilot can be, and would love to use that freedom to work from the right seat of the whale.

Ronin

Try Connie, there will be more hiring this year. The downside is at 3000 hours they'll probably only hire you into the fe seat, not right seat and the pay scale is really low.