..........

It's called back side of the clock flying!

Unless your senior (i.e can hold very short night flights IND-STL or day turns, or choice international schedules) or very Young and Healthy, the night schedules tend to Suck and are hard on the body, especially on us 50+ year olds!

I have done both and personally prefered the PAX airline schedules. I flew more legs per month with the PAX carriers, but the duty days weren't any longer and with the exception of a few red-eyes from the left coast, I was on the same sleep cycle. That being said, in the current state of the Airline industry...................The Big freight carriers currently offer more stability and growth (for which I am thankful)..................but that could change in a New York second.

Why not do both? One of the great things about flying is that as you get some seniority (which you won't have for years) you can work at other things, too. Some people will disagree with me, but I know plenty of professional pilots who have second jobs and careers. If money is no object go to law school and fly at a local airport at the same time. (The advice from SWAjet about networking is great). Plus, airline pilot employment is very cyclical, especially for the passenger carriers. Cargo has so far been immune, but who knows about the future? Always best to have something in your back pocket.

You make it sound so Easy............................

Reminds me of the joke................

.."How to make a million dollars and not pay taxes!..................

It's easy........first, get a million dollars, then................................

After only a few months of flying night and international cargo flights I'm wondering how long I can keep this up. It's not just the night flying and crossing time zones, it's all the schedule changes and the delays. I might be rescheduled for a flight 6 or 12 hours earlier. Then the flight might be delayed 4, 7, or 11 hours. It's unpredictable. During 35 straight days of work it is normal not to fly a single originally scheduled flight, and many of the flights are delayed by many hours.

I thought maybe this experience would help me get in the door at FedEx or UPS but it's making me think maybe the passenger airline schedules are for me.

How do FedEx and UPS operate? Do you guys fly what you're scheduled and do you usually depart on time?
Thanks

Nuthins' easy in this game ... that's why it's a good idea to have options, if you can afford them! (I couldn't)

FedEx flies pretty much on time and for the most part, our crew rest hotels are pretty decent. Here and there are problems, but the company's motto is "The World On Time" so they try to actually do that. The company loses some serious $$$ if they don't have your package on your doorstep at the promised time.

The night stuff definitly SUX (to me), but they have enough day flying that it's a pretty decent place to work with a little seniority. Many of my friends like the night hubturns, although I can't figure out why...

Plus we have a Scheduling Improvement Group (volunteers from our union) that oversee and dispute pairings with onerous turn times or other miserable schedules. The lousy flying is out there, but where they can, they try hard to make it a little better for us.

The best part of cargo flying I love the most was ot passengers or flight attendants. The hotels were pretty decent too. Oh the best part we never flew on weekends, holidays, and were mailed home if we did not want to say in lets say San Diego, or Salt Lake City and enjoy the skiing.

Who's to say that you would be happy taking the pilot route? Short term it seems adventurous and fun but it doesn't take long to wipe away any similes. Imagine being dirt poor for the next ten years on the hope that you will get an interview when your time comes. The truth is that there are not enough of the good jobs to go around and changes in the industry suggest that even the good ones could be gone by the time you are ready. I would avoid the pilot route unless you are prepared to be poor and single for possible your entire career. If flying isn't already in your blood bad enough for that then I would keep fishing. Happiness has a long time horizon keep your eye on the big picture.

SkyHigh