Amazing. Pilot prison? Sounds like a horrible job.

 

The job itself isn't that bad. It's the management that runs this outfit that makes it horrible.

 

Kalitta is an ACMI operation and not any different than any other ACMI operation, Atlas, Southern, Polar, you name it. Bid a line? Yeah, you can bid a line and even have it awarded. But that does not mean you will fly anything resembling the line. Scheduling is always a constant shuffle sort of like putting fingers in a dyke to stop the leakage. Need a plane? Oh yeah we will get you one. Oops. no crew? No problem, we'll just grab the nearest crew off their line and back fill. The cost of buying an extra ticket for the back fill. Hey, that won't cost much when buying bucket list economy seats. Pilots don't need all that rest anyway. Oh those days off you are guaranteed? Dream on! We'll just take a few, you are making extra pay aren't you? And that jet lag? Eh, you will get over it.
That is the philosophy of ACMI. You are a slave to marketing who have no concept of crew rests or contracts.
I flew like that for 6 years and when I finally reached 60 I had to leave, my blood pressure dropped 20 points. It does get to you sooner or later.

 

I would caution anyone about going to Kalitta. Like most of the other posts in this thread, the reasons are legion for avoiding Kalitta like the clap. (at least you can cure the clap w/some good antibiotics) But in all seriousness, the stalled contract negotiations, the animosity between management and the pilot group, rogue check airmen who pride themselves on taking people down for minimal items, the low morale among the pilots on the line, and just the over all toxic environment it is to work in are just the beginning in a long list of reasons to stay away from Kalitta. You are essentially playing 'resume roulette' with your record and career if you go there. To be clear, there are a lot of great guys there, and with a few tweaks, it could actually be a decent place to be. Unfortunately, there are deep, systemic flaws with that company that really emanate from the top all the way down. Of course you could tell this to them until you're blue in the face, but they couldn't care less. As long as there are suckers out there willing to be slave labor for the old man, he will continue to make his billions off the backs of the underpaid and under appreciated.

 

This sounds just like CX now.

 

Do NOT go to Kalitta, until management does the right thing and improves the CBA for all newhires AND all on property.

Those guys work very hard, are gone from home for very long stretches, deadheaded around the world in coach, while they produce TONS of revenue for the company.

Do not go there as a newhire just because they unilaterally increased first year pay, outside of Section 6 negotiations. That's a scumbag move, and you can expect nothing more if you sign up for that type of incentive.

 

Not really interested in applying, just curious, do they really want 5,000tt min?

I easily have it just seems high for a minimum requirement

 

Have looked at less than 5000TT due to lack of applicants.

Military experience will take less.

Flight engineer, 1500 in a C152 and be able to spell aeroplane.

 

I consider myself to be pretty moderate when it comes to complaining about my employer. God knows I have had enough of them! In this case, I am hard pressed to either disagree with the above statements or come up with positives that can counteract the negative effects of the above statements. Prospective applicants, heed the advice above. Atlas is even more desperate for pilots than we are. Apply there and wait for them to call you. Their shortage is due strictly to growth and attrition. My advice is to stay away. Great airplanes, great destinations and great pilot group. Problem is that it is becoming more and more difficult to isolate those 3 things from the overwhelming **** storm that is every day life here. Keep in mind that this advice is coming from probably the most optimistic pilot here!

 

When the South American ground crew punches holes in the aircraft with a misaligned forklift and the Chief Pilot says fly or fired - no ticket home.

What will YOU do ?