Accomodations - Atlas/Polar/Gemini/World

[PCL Flt-ops]

Can anyone fill me in on what the sleeping accomodations are for jumpseaters on the various aircraft of Atlas, Polar, Gemini, and World? Bunk beds or just jumpseats? Or maybe at least a place to put down a sleeping bag. What about food catering, etc?

 

[Icebergclub]

Jumpseat on Atlas

Your more than welcome on the Atlas Jumpseat, there are at least four first class seats on the upper deck. The bunk depends on how large the crew is. Most flights will only have three crewmembers and then your more than welcome to take a bunk. A crew of four will leave you without a bunk, but the first class seats are very roomy and there is room to throw out a sleeping bag on the floor.

As long as your request your jumpseat with a little advance you will have one full meal with an 8 hour or less flight and more than eight you get two meals. And there is always the fruit and sandwhich trays.........you can come hungry there is always plenty to eat!

Grab a bag and your passport!!

Icebergclub

 

[General Lee]

Iceberg,

What are some of your trips like lately? I've always been interested in your schedules. Can you give me an example of one of your monthly schedules and layover times? Are there certain trips that are more senior than others? Also, do you have certain bases, like Miami, that have mainly 747-200 trips? Do they all go down South? Sorry about the large amount of questions....

Bye Bye--General Lee

 

[Icebergclub]

Atlas Schedule

Hey General Lee,

I'll try to give you an idea of our schedules.

My month for Sept. is:
1st thru the third I had carry in from a trip that started in Aug, it was a SanFranciso-Taipei-Anchorage. I had 32 hours in TPE. The 4th thru the 16th are days off. (I bid to get my days off all in a row due to some family stuff)
Now I pay the price for all my days off in a row......but the flying is really cool. On the 17th I start in SFO go to TPE for 18 hours rest. DH, TPE-Bangkok-Utapo. UTP is just 50 miles or so south of BKK. I have a 41 hour layover in UTP!! UTP is great, tons of stuff to do. Croc farms, tiger zoo's, great beaches, ect. Then it's UTP-Diego Garcia-UTP. Another 25 hours in UTP. DH, UTP-BKK-HKG. 76 hour layover in HKG, then operate HKG-ANC. That puts me home on Sept 25th for 4 more days off. Then on the 30th I do a SFO-TPE-ANC that carries into October.

It's actually a great month if you like getting out and seeing the sights. If you just want to fly hard and make money then it's not the line you want. I did not care what flying I did just so long as I got 12 or so days off in a row.

Usually my month of flying is not so exotic. I live in Washington state so I usually bid so I do three trips a month. SFO-TPE-ANC. Those trips are my bread n' butter. We are flying for China Airlines on those trips and they are consistent and never change. Which is a very big deal here at Atlas. My layover in TPE is either 36 hours or 72 hours.

Yes, the MIA base does the bulk of the SA flying. Seniority in bidding is a little odd around here. You just never know what you are going to get. It really depends on what time of the year it is and if senior guys want to fly allot or just go some place and sight-see.
I would love to get our China trips out of SEA, but we have several senior guys that live there that get all the trips, I end up getting all the trips out of SFO which works out pretty good, although I would rather commute the 30min flight to SEA than the hour and a half flight to SFO.

Hope this helps a little. Bottom line is things change alot here. We are always having contracts expire and getting new ones and then with the military charters.........you have to be very flexible. But it sure beats the unemployment line!!

Icebergclub

 

[General Lee]

Iceberg,

Thanks for the info. It sounds like you get a lot of variety if you want it. Flying to Thailand does sound a bit more interesting than flying to Dayton, but the long hours might get old if you had a large family. Thanks again.

Bye Bye--General Lee

 

[Heavy Set]

Iceburgclub,

Sounds like great flying. How do you like the 400 vs. the 200? Do you ever hit Europe or the Middle East with your schedules?


Cheers

 

[Icebergclub]

Heavy Set,
I flew the 200 for one year and loved it. At Atlas you fly more places in the 200. You also fly more hours and seem to hand fly alot more. I still felt like a "pilot" flying it, alot more head work and planning. Not to mention trying to figure out which 7 waypoints to put into the ol' Delco INS for the approach.

The 400 you feel more like a manager than a pilot. Guys tend to get lazy and not shut off the autopilot until fully established on the ILS. It actually takes effort to shut off the autopilot and autothrottles below ten, and actually do some flying!
But, other than that, I love it. I dont want to go back to the 200. The glass is very nice. You get more rest, and the aircraft are in alot better shape.

I mostly fly China, but three times this year I have gone over to Dubai. I touch Europe once or twice a year. Mostly the Miami and New York guys get all the Europe flying.

Iceberg

 

[PHXFLYR]

Icebergclub;


Thanks for taking the time to post what your schedule is like. Looks like you get to do some real flying to some interesting
places . Sounds like you enjoy it, too !


PHXFLYR

 

[JerkyHerky]

It use to be (i.e. end of 2000 beginning 2001) that the MIA based crews had only 2 lines they could bid, whether they were Sr. or Jr... ... 19 straight days of reserve at the beginning of the mo. or 19 at the end. They would sit around waiting to get the call and would fly infrequently. Is this still the case or are there more scheduled trips with a greater variety of flying? Inquiring minds want to know!