Atlas Air?

[OPECJet]

I currently live in a 747 domicile. I know that newhires are going to the 767, but is it possible to bid the 74 later, or possible future hiring into the 74?

Also curious how much time at home one can expect with living in domicile.

Thanks!

 

[Talon757]

All things are possible with time. Certainly you can bid for airplane change at a later point and, seniority permitting, you will receive it. As to whether future hiring will be into the 747, it's anybody's guess. The history has been that hiring varies depending on the needs of the moment. As with everything in this business, timing is everything.

The company owns you for a maximum of 17 days a month. Some lines are less, but not much. They may be in one chunk (my preference) or they may be split into groups. If you live in base you will have the rest of the days to yourself. If you don't you will often travel on a day off.

 

[OPECJet]

Thanks! I had been told by a local guy (dated info) that he would do either a Mexico City or Guadalajara turn, overnight at home, then do a Europe 3 day, overnight at home again, then rinse and repeat. Said he spent more nights in his own bed than in hotel rooms during his 17 day stretch. If that is anywhere close to the truth it beats my current job by miles.

Thanks!

 

[Talon757]

Thanks! I had been told by a local guy (dated info) that he would do either a Mexico City or Guadalajara turn, overnight at home, then do a Europe 3 day, overnight at home again, then rinse and repeat. Said he spent more nights in his own bed than in hotel rooms during his 17 day stretch. If that is anywhere close to the truth it beats my current job by miles.

Thanks!

The one thing I can tell you with absolute certainty about life here is that whatever is going on at any given time, it will change. See the Atlas thread on APC. In the end, it's best to bid what days off you want and not get too wound up over destinations. Enjoy the adventure while on the job and take advantage of whatever opportunities are available at whatever location you find yourself in. If I wanted to live in a particular city I would do so. I would NOT move from a place I liked to a place I didn't on the chance of getting a better schedule. That schedule would change before you completed the move. I'm an old MAC C-141 guy and I love this life. It's much like MAC without the tents and MREs. If one really likes schedules set in stone and plans that never change then they will be absolutely miserable here. If one kind of digs leaving home without really knowing what sights they'll see before they get home again and enjoys the adventure involved in that then this is the place to be.

 

[Jetdriver69]

Jeez I should of applied at Atlas. My corporate job is boring with a capital friggin B.

But I'm getting a little old to be chucking everything and starting over. Maybe if I get downsized, which is a very real possibility.

I'm sure you know Bill Kelly, he was a good friend in the AF. Yes I do miss the old MAC missions. Who knows where you ended up...

 

[belchfire]

Talon, your response brings up a good point/question. There was at one point a base in Stanstead. I'm guessing but the bases are dictated on the company's needs rather than set contractually like a commute "gateway", correct?

So just because someone lives in a 747 base this month doesn't mean there will be a 747 base there next month?

 

[Talon757]

Talon, your response brings up a good point/question. There was at one point a base in Stanstead. I'm guessing but the bases are dictated on the company's needs rather than set contractually like a commute "gateway", correct?

So just because someone lives in a 747 base this month doesn't mean there will be a 747 base there next month?

Quite true. Stanstead is long gone (good riddance) and the last new bases to appear have been Cincinnati and Houston. Both have opened in the five years I've been here. What changes more often than the actual bases is what type of flying happens in those bases. Houston, Cincinnati and Anchorage seem to be the most constant. The other bases vary in the type of flying from time to time. JFK has always been a grab bag of everything and that's one of the reasons I stay based there. The other is that not much originates there so I'm rarely actually in New York. In reality it matters little since the company gateways you to wherever you need to be. As I said above, I would never move to a base with the expectation that things will forever stay the same. They most definitely won't!

 

[atpcliff]

The new hire class this week is 12 747 and 6 767 slots. They are all starting class on the same day, and bidding for aircraft and base...unusual for Atlas. Don't know if this is the "new norm" or not.

If you live in MIA, and are based there, you could easily be home a lot of nights. If you are based in JFK, you usually would never see JFK, so you would never be home extra nights. ANC right now has some additional nights at home, but not as many as MIA.

Things change way more than they are stable, but our bases haven't changed very much lately. In the next contract, we may not have bases any more...I HOPE NOT!!!

It is really stupid....we are the only one with Bases AND Gateways/Home Basing!!!

 

[Jetdriver69]

I see your 747 parked at IAH next to the FedEx boys.

How many guys are domiciled in Houston? It would be a whole 12 miles commute for me....

But the IAH bird flys to Angola, right? Luanda is a real garden spot.

 

[Talon757]

I see your 747 parked at IAH next to the FedEx boys.

How many guys are domiciled in Houston? It would be a whole 12 miles commute for me....

But the IAH bird flys to Angola, right? Luanda is a real garden spot.

As of the last vacancy bid there are 17 captains and 28 F/Os listed in IAH. It's by far our smallest base.

You're right, Luanda isn't on my list of places to vacation! Plus, it's passenger flying. I much prefer the boxes.

 

[hammer2]

Is the schedule still a max of 17 days?

 

[atpcliff]

Mostly...unless u r extended, or your training falls on days off....u can lose days off due to training or vacation, which I think is crap!

 

[hammer2]

Mostly...unless u r extended, or your training falls on days off....u can lose days off due to training or vacation, which I think is crap!

Is it basically an on-demand schedule when you're one the road or do you know your schedule sometime before with the understanding that it's "subject to change"? I'm assuming it probably varies.

I'll do a search too.

 

[Talon757]

You have a bidline awarded but must understand that it's only really a footprint of workdays. It may stay the same (probably not) or it may change (probably will).

 

[freightdogfred]

whats the pay? just curious

 

[Talon757]

whats the pay? just curious

http://www.airlinepilotcentral.com/airlines/charter/atlas_air

 

[atpcliff]

Here's an example 747 schedule:

Bidder was 50ish %tile of bidders in the base (JFK).
Was awarded their #1 choice of line.

60 Day Award (about half of the lines were 30 days, and half were 60 days):

Off: 2 Mar.
Notes:
1. Coming off of an 8 day trip.
1. Home on afternoon of 1Mar, so home 2 nights, 2 days until leave for Trip One.
2. Minimum days off block is 5 days, but this requirement was waived to give more flexibility for getting awarded more lines.

Trip One: 3Mar - 17Mar.
Notes:
1. Sched to airline out 3Mar, airline home 17Mar.
2. Trip starts at McGuire AFB and ends in MIA, except won't happen.
3. Training sched 10Mar, so the above Trip (travel schedule, destinations, etc.) will all change. It will probably show R1 (reserve at home) for the whole thing except the training, then scheduling will build up a trip using the work days around the training event on 10Mar. The training will not be pushed back one month, as that happened last month and this is the grace month, so it has to be done now.

Off: 18Mar - 29Mar.
Notes:
1. 13 days off in a row. Normal.
2. Kid has vacation and the travel schedule is 20Mar - 29Mar, so this vacation will work great without using any vacation days.

Trip Two: 30Mar - 6Apr.
Notes:
1. Sched to airline out 30Mar and probably airline home 6Apr.
2. Trip starts in Charleston and ends in JFK.
3. This trip probably won't change...going to very small European town with nothing to do there.

Off: 7Apr - 15Apr.
Notes:.
1. 10 days off (probably...may get home on 7th and 9 days off).

Trip Three: 16Apr - 26Apr.
Notes:
1. Sched to airline out 16Apr and airline home 26Apr.
2. Trip starts at Mcguire AFB and ends in ANC or JFK.
3. US-Europe-ME-Asia-US.

Off: 27Apr - 30Apr.
Notes:
1. 3-5 days off, depending on the trip ending ANC/JFK or elsewhere, and if travel day for the next trip is 30Apr or 1 Mar. If you want you can ask for the min 5 days off, and you will get it.

Bid Award Notes:
1. Awarded credit is 75 hours each month, but that will change. We don't have line guarantee (not guaranteed the min 75 hours of credit awarded...could be min of 62 hours). Rumour is Mgmt knows they have to give us Line Guarantee in the next contract (along with retirement increase).

2. Could end up more or less than 75 hours each month.

3.. Could have gotten a 30 day line. That was line choice #2.

4.. Could have gotten "Outbase" for Apr (not in Mar, I think, because of the scheduled training event), which means you work the whole month. I think the min guarantee for that is 140 credit hours.

4. Next bid is end of Apr, when can bid for either May (30 day line) or May/Jun (60 day line).

If you want to post questions, or PM questions, fire away. I try to help.

 

[hammer2]

Here's an example 747 schedule:

Bidder was 50ish %tile of bidders in the base (JFK).
Was awarded their #1 choice of line.

60 Day Award (about half of the lines were 30 days, and half were 60 days):

Off: 2 Mar.
Notes:
1. Coming off of an 8 day trip.
1. Home on afternoon of 1Mar, so home 2 nights, 2 days until leave for Trip One.
2. Minimum days off block is 5 days, but this requirement was waived to give more flexibility for getting awarded more lines.

Trip One: 3Mar - 17Mar.
Notes:
1. Sched to airline out 3Mar, airline home 17Mar.
2. Trip starts at McGuire AFB and ends in MIA, except won't happen.
3. Training sched 10Mar, so the above Trip (travel schedule, destinations, etc.) will all change. It will probably show R1 (reserve at home) for the whole thing except the training, then scheduling will build up a trip using the work days around the training event on 10Mar. The training will not be pushed back one month, as that happened last month and this is the grace month, so it has to be done now.

Off: 18Mar - 29Mar.
Notes:
1. 13 days off in a row. Normal.
2. Kid has vacation and the travel schedule is 20Mar - 29Mar, so this vacation will work great without using any vacation days.

Trip Two: 30Mar - 6Apr.
Notes:
1. Sched to airline out 30Mar and probably airline home 6Apr.
2. Trip starts in Charleston and ends in JFK.
3. This trip probably won't change...going to very small European town with nothing to do there.

Off: 7Apr - 15Apr.
Notes:.
1. 10 days off (probably...may get home on 7th and 9 days off).

Trip Three: 16Apr - 26Apr.
Notes:
1. Sched to airline out 16Apr and airline home 26Apr.
2. Trip starts at Mcguire AFB and ends in ANC or JFK.
3. US-Europe-ME-Asia-US.

Off: 27Apr - 30Apr.
Notes:
1. 3-5 days off, depending on the trip ending ANC/JFK or elsewhere, and if travel day for the next trip is 30Apr or 1 Mar. If you want you can ask for the min 5 days off, and you will get it.

Bid Award Notes:
1. Awarded credit is 75 hours each month, but that will change. We don't have line guarantee (not guaranteed the min 75 hours of credit awarded...could be min of 62 hours). Rumour is Mgmt knows they have to give us Line Guarantee in the next contract (along with retirement increase).

2. Could end up more or less than 75 hours each month.

3.. Could have gotten a 30 day line. That was line choice #2.

4.. Could have gotten "Outbase" for Apr (not in Mar, I think, because of the scheduled training event), which means you work the whole month. I think the min guarantee for that is 140 credit hours.

4. Next bid is end of Apr, when can bid for either May (30 day line) or May/Jun (60 day line).

If you want to post questions, or PM questions, fire away. I try to help.

Thanks cliff, this is very informative and helped a lot.

 

[OPECJet]

Any idea what a typical month out of HSV looks like?

 

[The Gimp]

What does a 767 schedule look like on the DHL stuff?