Ameriflight hiring street captains
08-03-2006, 02:19 PM
#11
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Joined APC: Apr 2006
Position: FO dhc-6
Posts: 523
well i was looking for something to avoid the regional rat race once my contract is up at my current company, i guess theres less and less options besides RJ's nowadays if you want to make it to a "major"
08-03-2006, 11:17 PM
#12
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Joined APC: Oct 2005
Position: 737 Right
Posts: 951
I'm surprised no Ameriflight guys have chimed in here to provide some positive feedback (or maybe they have...)
I've talked to some former AMF pilots who are now with majors, and they said it was a great experience: good pay (better than regionals anyhow), weekends off, and great flying experience.
Downside: single pilot IFR, /A equipment with no autopilot, working the back side of the clock, ten hour layovers in the middle of nowhere.
Personally, I'm planning to apply once I have 135 mins. Guess I'm one of the few who didn't catch Shiny Jet Syndrome.
I've talked to some former AMF pilots who are now with majors, and they said it was a great experience: good pay (better than regionals anyhow), weekends off, and great flying experience.
Downside: single pilot IFR, /A equipment with no autopilot, working the back side of the clock, ten hour layovers in the middle of nowhere.
Personally, I'm planning to apply once I have 135 mins. Guess I'm one of the few who didn't catch Shiny Jet Syndrome.
08-04-2006, 06:16 AM
#13
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Joined APC: Jul 2006
Position: Soon to be Ex Dash-Trash
Posts: 270
Originally Posted by waflyboy
I'm surprised no Ameriflight guys have chimed in here to provide some positive feedback (or maybe they have...)
I've talked to some former AMF pilots who are now with majors, and they said it was a great experience: good pay (better than regionals anyhow), weekends off, and great flying experience.
Downside: single pilot IFR, /A equipment with no autopilot, working the back side of the clock, ten hour layovers in the middle of nowhere.
Personally, I'm planning to apply once I have 135 mins. Guess I'm one of the few who didn't catch Shiny Jet Syndrome.
I've talked to some former AMF pilots who are now with majors, and they said it was a great experience: good pay (better than regionals anyhow), weekends off, and great flying experience.
Downside: single pilot IFR, /A equipment with no autopilot, working the back side of the clock, ten hour layovers in the middle of nowhere.
Personally, I'm planning to apply once I have 135 mins. Guess I'm one of the few who didn't catch Shiny Jet Syndrome.
08-04-2006, 10:50 AM
#14
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Joined APC: Nov 2005
Position: UPS 757/767 Capt ONT
Posts: 4,357
"I'm surprised no Ameriflight guys have chimed in here to provide some positive feedback"
I've got a good friend at Amflight. It's not a bad company. The planes look rough but he says they get fixed. Personally, I think they should pay better at the top end. I think if you can fly single pilot in a Metro, you can fly anything. I think interviewers know that.
I flew for a similar company back in 87. Got out after six months to move up the ladder. The planes were old but they got fixed. Had to delay a takeoff once cause of a cell over the airport. No pressure. Had a starter go out once in KBFF. They didn't ask me to hand prop it.
Some guys would rather work 4 or 5 on, 2 or 3 off. Some guys would rather fly 3 hours a day and two legs. If I was a furloughed airline pilot not looking to build time, I'd rather find an easy, niche, 135 run to a place I wouldn't mind spending a lot of time rather than going to work as a RJ F/O.
I've got a good friend at Amflight. It's not a bad company. The planes look rough but he says they get fixed. Personally, I think they should pay better at the top end. I think if you can fly single pilot in a Metro, you can fly anything. I think interviewers know that.
I flew for a similar company back in 87. Got out after six months to move up the ladder. The planes were old but they got fixed. Had to delay a takeoff once cause of a cell over the airport. No pressure. Had a starter go out once in KBFF. They didn't ask me to hand prop it.
Some guys would rather work 4 or 5 on, 2 or 3 off. Some guys would rather fly 3 hours a day and two legs. If I was a furloughed airline pilot not looking to build time, I'd rather find an easy, niche, 135 run to a place I wouldn't mind spending a lot of time rather than going to work as a RJ F/O.
08-04-2006, 04:05 PM
#15
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Joined APC: Apr 2006
Position: Sofa Stress Tester
Posts: 614
Flying single pilot freight is not for the faint of heart. But is the best experience one can get in a short period of time. Yes the planes are beat up, most with over 20,000 cycles on them and still getting their wings flown off. But they do fix them. Ameriflight actually has a really good Mx record with the FAA. I've never been pressured to fly (much), never been threatened with my job. And when sick, you call in sick. Believe me AMF would much rather have their plane back in one piece then risking it broken and a dead pilot.
Reason for hiring street CPT's for the Metro and 1900 are because their going to San Juan, PR. Not many people want to go there for the 1 year training contract. Also most pilot's who join AMF as Lance, now Chieftan (because the Lances are gone) pilots leave before they have the required time to upgrade. Upgrades are senority based, but you have to meet the flight requirements.
To respond to the violations remarks made by others, no matter what company you work for as captain it's your responsibility to protect your ticket. Nobody else will do it for you. This is where this big time experience comes from is by saying NO, when the customer is trying to push an extra 300 lbs of boxes onto your aircraft. Or when the aircraft has slush covered wings and told to get going "It'll blow off on takeoff!".
As far as QOL this depends on what your likes or dislikes are. AMF has day, night, morning, and evening runs to choose from. Most of AMF flights are for UPS so this is early morning flights out, late evening returning flights. Most pilots who come here either wind up at the regionals (chieftan) to SWA, Netjets, Frontier, Alaska, or corporate gigs (BE99 or better). Most want their 1000 turbine PIC, that career companies are looking for.
Reason for hiring street CPT's for the Metro and 1900 are because their going to San Juan, PR. Not many people want to go there for the 1 year training contract. Also most pilot's who join AMF as Lance, now Chieftan (because the Lances are gone) pilots leave before they have the required time to upgrade. Upgrades are senority based, but you have to meet the flight requirements.
To respond to the violations remarks made by others, no matter what company you work for as captain it's your responsibility to protect your ticket. Nobody else will do it for you. This is where this big time experience comes from is by saying NO, when the customer is trying to push an extra 300 lbs of boxes onto your aircraft. Or when the aircraft has slush covered wings and told to get going "It'll blow off on takeoff!".
As far as QOL this depends on what your likes or dislikes are. AMF has day, night, morning, and evening runs to choose from. Most of AMF flights are for UPS so this is early morning flights out, late evening returning flights. Most pilots who come here either wind up at the regionals (chieftan) to SWA, Netjets, Frontier, Alaska, or corporate gigs (BE99 or better). Most want their 1000 turbine PIC, that career companies are looking for.
08-04-2006, 08:28 PM
#17
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Joined APC: Apr 2006
Position: FO dhc-6
Posts: 523
ya personally i dont have a prob saying NO
but my flying is not good enough to jump into a fast new plane and being flying it single pilot, if i already was in the right seat of a beech or metro, that mite be a diff story, then i would know wether or not i think im confident enough to handle it alone.
but my flying is not good enough to jump into a fast new plane and being flying it single pilot, if i already was in the right seat of a beech or metro, that mite be a diff story, then i would know wether or not i think im confident enough to handle it alone.
08-04-2006, 08:34 PM
#18
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Thread Starter
Joined APC: Apr 2006
Position: FO dhc-6
Posts: 523
also, about how many destinations might an ameriflight captain have. cause if its only a handful you eventually have the charts memorized, but if your goin to a diff place every other day, well then thats a diff story too, as to your IFR skills as well
08-04-2006, 09:04 PM
#19
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Joined APC: Jun 2006
Position: BE-99 Captain
Posts: 37
Originally Posted by loudgarrettdriver
Straight 135 work is poison. $hitty sched. Mostly $hitty equipment. Can't have a life. Flying is terrible WX. Dangerous. Just about every opp is opperating in the grey- its either legal or elegal- there isn't any grey.
Not to mention the wide range of violations that can follow you for years.
Not to mention the wide range of violations that can follow you for years.
08-05-2006, 02:51 AM
#20
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Joined APC: Jul 2006
Position: Captain 767
Posts: 91
Hey All.. Just wanted to chime in a add my thoughts, as I former AmFlt guy. Granted things may have changed since I was there over 8 years ago, but I can imagine many aspects remain the same..
First of all, the only First Officers they have are pay-per-view guys building time, except for the EMB-120 and Lear Jets which require 2 pilots. When I made the decision to go to Ameriflight, I had about 1400 hours, and it was a choice between there as a BE-99 Capt or the right seat at a middle of the road regional. I went because I knew the PIC time would be more benefical to me as a pilot and to my resume for the future, and I was right. I stayed for about a year and found that I really had my choice of regionals to interview with since I had the cherished turbine PIC time and the other guys didn't. I was hired by, at the time, the best regional there was.. (has changed now) Ultimatly on to bigger and better, and now the 777 in the sand box.
It is one of those jobs that can suck at the time, (had to load my own UPS stuff) but you look back on it very favorably. I found the planes to be in good maintance although not too pretty to look at, and the people in Mgt. generally fine. My fellow pilots were awesome. Lots of fun to be had when you are the only one up there, and fun on the ground because the pilots had cool attitudes. Even today, my hand-flying skills remain good because of that job.. It's not a career, but I wouldn't trade my experience for anything..
Cheers,
EKBC
First of all, the only First Officers they have are pay-per-view guys building time, except for the EMB-120 and Lear Jets which require 2 pilots. When I made the decision to go to Ameriflight, I had about 1400 hours, and it was a choice between there as a BE-99 Capt or the right seat at a middle of the road regional. I went because I knew the PIC time would be more benefical to me as a pilot and to my resume for the future, and I was right. I stayed for about a year and found that I really had my choice of regionals to interview with since I had the cherished turbine PIC time and the other guys didn't. I was hired by, at the time, the best regional there was.. (has changed now) Ultimatly on to bigger and better, and now the 777 in the sand box.
It is one of those jobs that can suck at the time, (had to load my own UPS stuff) but you look back on it very favorably. I found the planes to be in good maintance although not too pretty to look at, and the people in Mgt. generally fine. My fellow pilots were awesome. Lots of fun to be had when you are the only one up there, and fun on the ground because the pilots had cool attitudes. Even today, my hand-flying skills remain good because of that job.. It's not a career, but I wouldn't trade my experience for anything..
Cheers,
EKBC
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