Sliceback

The majors aren't hiring many pilots from small cargo operators. The quickest path is probably to crank out as many hours as you can and do what the majority ahead of you have done, go to a regional ASAP, upgrade, and hope you get hired. Or you can go to a AA WO'd regional and wait for the flow while applying to AA/DL/UA/FX/UP etc in the meantime.

The typical civilian guy had 5000-7500 hrs. Since you're not at a regional now I'll assume you have 1000 hrs TT. At 800 hrs/year in 6 years you'll have 5800 hrs with roughly 2500 hrs 121 TPIC. Flying 500 hrs/year at the cargo job will get you to 4,000 hrs TT with zero 121 TPIC in six years.

It's not about what's the cool job tomorrow, and the better pay check, or better place to live, it's about what gives you the most competitive resume, the quickest, for your final goal. IMO busting your butt as a CFI, then flying as much as you can as a regional FO, then CA, and hopefully a CKA, is the best path out there.

If you don't go to a wholly owned regional and with 1,000 hrs 121 TPIC in your logbook and no hope of CKA in the near term (1-2 yrs), at that point I'd consider going to an ACMI heavy cargo job and gaining another type rating and experience in a larger jet doing international operations.

PT6 Flyer

I just spoke with my friend at Ameriflight. After about three years you can enter the 'mentor' program which will get you an interview with UPS. It is not a 'flow' but rather a 'preferred hire'. One way is to get on as a Brazilia FO (which seems to have a lot people applying nowadays). The other is get on as a Navajo Chieftain captain, but the AMF Chieftains will be going away at the end of the year.

brocklee9000

So, three years just to get into their "mentorship" program, plus however long beyond that. You can definitely go through a regional in that same three year span and go to a major.

PT6 Flyer

I believe AMF has lower minimum requirements than a regional.

Swakid8

You aren't skipping the regionals from Part 135 unless you go to Ameriflight for the UPS gateway program.

brocklee9000

Barely. IFR 135 minimums, unless you're one of the very few who make the accelerated captain program. Even then, it's still upward of 900 hours IIRC.

Cheese7

Is it possible to take the 135 cargo job and flight instruct on your days off, or are there regulations against that?

Varsity

Do you know how many resumes are CFI -> 1500hrs, Regional FO -> applying at majors? An obscene amount.

Looking further down the road, you will be able to have the 135 and 121 boxes checked on an app with a major. 135 flying is more difficult than cookie cutter 121 regional flying, you'll have a good stories/experience to reference and a diversified resume.

PT6 Flyer

Ameriflight hires pilots with 750TT.

brocklee9000

Just because they might, doesn't mean they are. Every time I poke into the AMF forum, their recruiter always responds to people and they're wanting more like 800+. And that's for a handful of positions. Most of it is single pilot IFR.