Air Cargo Carriers, Inc. Milwaukee ?s

[Low & Slow]

Current & future hiring? How long to upgrade? Upgrade time requirements? Time requirement with company before upgrade? Seniority before upgrade? Junior bases? Seniority system? Bases/routes with most flying? Moral? Maintanence? 121 or 135? Short single engine climb performance? Wx radar? Stormscope? HSI? RMI? De or Anti-icing system? Powerplants? CVR? Short info website? Pilot website? Interview & Gouge? Sim profile? Training brutal & cruel or do they want you to succeed? Pay and/or hotel during training? Future bright or questionable? Thanks for your help in advance. I currently have 2250TT. Currently flying multiengine piston complex 135 cargo. Previously 900+ hours turbine SIC BE1900C. Any other comments welcome.


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“Buttons…check. Dials…check. Switches…check. Little colored lights…check.” Calvin-Calvin & Hobbes

 

[Low & Slow]

A couple more ?s

Pay? Training contract? Shorts pressurized, wear oxygen or fly low?

 

[Future SNA]

They fly into Louisville on a UPS contract. One of the pilots told me once that what they don't advertise on their webpage is you have to PFT, this was like 3 months ago, and we didn't get into it much more, maybe just for low-timers, but look into it closely. Auto-pilot, what's that?

 

[turning2]

Can't answer your questions pertaining to ACC but I can on a few of the Shorts questions...

Wx Radar = Yes
Stormscope= haven't scene one equipped with one before...
HSI= Yes
RMI= Yes
De and Anti Ice= Both
Powerplants= PT6's
Pressuriezed= Nope
Oxygen= depends on operations; i've personally used
Fly Low= absolutely... best suited bewteen 80-120' (depends on length of flight)

 

[72Longhorn]

Air Cargo Carriers

Air Cargo Carriers WAS a good company at one time, but now its gone to $hits.

The company went to PFT about 9 months ago, they are charging some guys anywhere between $15,000 to $18,500 for right seat training. The contract will give the PFT'r 250 hrs in the right seat and after that they'll boot you out and another sucker is waiting his turn with his $$$CHECK$$$. The company will keep you if they really need you, otherwise your outa there with your 250hrs of F/O time and thousands of dollars lighter.

Upgrade right now is stagnant. It's taking roughly 18-24 months for upgrade right now. Upgrade time requirements are 1200TT and a lot of chief pilot a$$ kissing. The seniority list is crap, they don't follow it at all. If they upgrade, they upgrade who ever kisses the most a$$ and so on. If they are really hurting for people they follow the seniority list.

Junior base is where ever they need you.

Bases are :
RDU
FSD
BTV
GRR
RNO
OPF
AVP
BKW
CRW
CWA
FAT
MLI
IMT
CHO
MWA
HSV
MKE
AND Fayetteville, AR

Moral is pretty low; management treats the pilots like dirt and they did away with pay raises. Same low pay until things get better they say. They know there's no where to go so it's going to stay the way it is until things start moving once again.

Maintenance is pretty good, at least where I was based, but those Mechanics hate pilots. All they do is complain about, "the Pilots."

The operation is run under FAR part 135.

Single engine climb performance, of course depends on your weight; but if you're full you better pick a spot to park it cause she ain't going up!!

A/C equipment look up at the previous post. They take out all the cool stuff and leave in what's necessary. They have both HSI and RMI.

Web site: www.aircar.com

Interview's are all different. Everyone in my class was interview by different people. Some got the sim and other didn't.

Training is excellent. Edsel Burks the Director of training is awesome. He will get you through even if he has to stay late and work with you on the sim. **Note** he is the only person that will be honest with you. Don't believe anything the rest of management has to say. Edsel is the only honest person in the office.

Future?? don't know the answer to that.

If I could answer any more questions let me know.

It may sound like I'm trashing the company, but I'm just being honest. Overall, it's probably better than most 135 operations, but it's gotten worse and keeps going in that direction. If you want to shell out a bunch of cash go ahead, but I personall don't respect any of those suckers that pay for their training.

72Longhorn

 

[Low & Slow]

Thanks for the input.

I appreciate the info. I've never paid for training and don't plan are starting now. Thanks. God Bless.

 

[Future SNA]

Heard the same....

Well that's all the stuff I heard, just didn't want to be the one bashing a company since I never worked for them. That's a BIG chunk-o-change to PFT.

 

[72Longhorn]

ACC

Oh, I almost forgot!

The company has a place for you to stay while in ground school; they call it the, "Farm House." It's an old house out in the country, but at least you don't have to pay for a hotel.

Talking about hotels, the company pays for a hotel while you are out on the road, but crews have to bunk together, no if, ands, or buts about it.

If crews get stuck out on the road for days, you are on your own dime, cause Per-diem is built into your salary.


72Longhorn

 

[jscflyer]

I just left Acc recently and what Longhorn said is pretty much correct. If you want to work there be prepared to pay between 8000 to 18000 dollars. The Shorts is a great transition to turbine aircraft. It is slow and very stable and will hold its own in bad weather. Some of them even have Gps installed. I will miss flying the shorts but I won't miss the crap management will put you through. I enjoyed my experince there and flew with several excellent pilots but I would never pay for my job.