Airnet or Airlines?

[starchkr]

I am having a blast flying freight right now. I couldn't imagine being anywhere else for the time being. There is nothing like being asked to do an immediate turn out after t/o and just as you suck the gear up rolling right into a tight turn and completing that 180 turn while still over airport property...now it is even more fun when you do it in the lear. Oh yeah, you will also never hear "that was cool" from the tower controllers while working for the airlines either...something that happens pretty often around here...just ask Purv about CYOW today. (some of you know who Purv is)

Now i am sure airlines will get make you happy, but from what i have gathered from most people is that they are "boring." Most pilots say they never get to have fun...and the ones who flew freight will usually say how much they liked the flying at their freight carrier much better than their current carrier. But to each his own, and there will always be positives and negatives about both...but if you choose the airline path, just stay the he!! out of my way. I cannot stand those darn REF and 10 approaches, especially when it is my last leg of the day and i am ready to see the family!!! Never go slower than 200 to the marker, and if one of our props can beat you down from the marker, you know you are going too slow and probably will not be having any fun.

Good luck with your choice, and feel priveleged right now, since there are lots of people out there who would be happy just to have one company interested in them.

 

[labbats]

If you are going to try your hand at night cargo, you can't do much better than Airnet.
Flying freight is the best job and the worst job all in one. But be wary that you do have to sign a one year contract at Airnet. So if you don't like it, too bad. But just think of all the money you'll be saving not buying sunscreen!

 

[Superpilot92]

I havent flown cargo but i am at XJET and i love it. The flying is great. I dont usually go to the same place more than 2 or 3 times a month. Other than the hubs. Good variety. The ERJ is a good airplane and the schedule isnt bad at all. I am on reserve and its 4 on 3 off most of the time and based at home. When i was commuting i had no problems doing so. Made it home everytime. I would say Regionals. It may be 3 or 4 year upgrade but QOL is important. Plus if you are coming out of instructing it wont hurt you to sit right seat for a while and gain experiance as opposed to quick upgrade right out of instructing. Just my 2 cents

 

[milehigh6080]

...but if you choose the airline path, just stay the he!! out of my way. I cannot stand those darn REF and 10 approaches, especially when it is my last leg of the day and i am ready to see the family!!! Never go slower than 200 to the marker, and if one of our props can beat you down from the marker, you know you are going too slow and probably will not be having any fun.

I hear that! I'm glad my run does not take me into airports that have airline service on a regular basis because I'm just not sure I'd have the patience for it. It's pathetic when you're flying a prop and they're telling you to slow down on final becasue you have a 50 knot overtake on the jet that is ahead of you on the approach. If that's what I'm in for if and when I ever head off to a boring job of punching autopilot buttons and reading the newspaper in the airlines, I think I'll hold off for a while.

Flying freight is a ton of fun and you'll never be sharper. Ask any pilot who has flown freight and gone onto other things in their career and they'll most likely tell you that they've never been a sharper pilot than when they were flying freight, and that freight was more fun to boot. What is the rush to get into a do-everything-for-you jet? Flying freight while making more money than the regionals and building a really solid foundation of skills won't hurt you, it'll only help you later on. If you want to build a skyscraper you start with a really strong foundation- in your career why not build the strongest foundation you can get before going vertical? You might even have some fun, if you're into that kinda thing . . .

 

[PAPA FOX!]

Airnet to majors is not happening during my time there i did not see a single lear captain get hired by the majors and jetblue ,southwest fedex etc had been hiring

That is surprising. Seems SWA is interviewing pilots with 2000 or more T-PIC at the moment. Two years of flying PIC in the Lear at Airnet ought to be enough to get an interview with SWA, JB and with the internal rec, UPS and Fedex. Maybe all your lear buddies are going the corporate route instead.


BTW freemind270 I absolutly love your avatar. Could stop laughing when I read it! Don't change it.

 

[Princedietrich]

dude that is the most retarted quote i have heard all day, QOL sucks big donkey d&*** you have to be on the night schedule that screws your body in the long run,

and you can not have a regular life and have meaningful and fulfilling relationships with girls or family , especially if you commute

but if you dont have a life , no girls no friends , no family and if your hand is your best friend then night freight is the place for you

do your one year get the experience and go to a good regional that is what i did

As per higher pay now that does not make any sense , it does not matter what you earn now what matters is how fast you can get into the job that you will retire at you will make a lot of money there in the last few years compared to what you make now remember we all 121 guys have to retire at 60


Airnet to majors is not happening during my time there i did not see a single lear captain get hired by the majors and jetblue ,southwest fedex etc had been hiring

Ok, well if YOU want to get furloughed after 2 months on the job and never get called back, and if YOU want to live on foodstamps, and if YOU want to pull 16 hour duty days with 9 legs and no lunch break, and if YOU don't want to be at home every night in your own bed, then by all means consider me a retard. I guarantee that any freight dog on this forum could fly circles around your pansy RJ-flying ass.

Here's a dollar, go buy yourself a clue.

 

[idratherfly4283]

BAM someone just got schooled

 

[SkyRat]

OK...no one says freight flying is easy...but as a freight mutt for over 6 years, I say no one in the industry has more fun. You could try another company if you don't like the year contract. It might have changed since I was there, but Flight Express used to be only a six month deal.
I now fly on-demand freight, and yes QOL could be better in some ways, but I still managed to meet a woman, get married, and have a baby with only 8 days a month at home. I'm planning on sticking with freight for my career.

Now if only UPS would call...

 

[Art Vandalay]

Ok, well if YOU want to get furloughed after 2 months on the job and never get called back, and if YOU want to live on foodstamps, and if YOU want to pull 16 hour duty days with 9 legs and no lunch break, and if YOU don't want to be at home every night in your own bed, then by all means consider me a retard. I guarantee that any freight dog on this forum could fly circles around your pansy RJ-flying ass.

Here's a dollar, go buy yourself a clue.

Dude, quit sipping the kool-aid down at LCK. I am sure Airnet is a great place, but THERE ARE better jobs out there. Personally, I don't see the QOL in working a 10 hr duty day with 6-8 hours flying from 10pm-8am.

And to the job security thing.......I'll let others chime in on that.




Art V.

 

[Art Vandalay]

Oh, I forgot to answer the original question. GO FLY FREIGHT, but only at a good company. Airnet, Ram Air, Flight Express, etc. come to mind.

Just take a look at the regionals board and see the amount of complaints compared to this board. Almost every post there is a rant, and the freight dogs here still actually talk about loving their jobs.
Good luck with your choice.


Art V.

 

[Goose Egg]

and you can not have a regular life and have meaningful and fulfilling relationships with girls or family , especially if you commute

but if you dont have a life , no girls no friends , no family and if your hand is your best friend then night freight is the place for you

If you are still calling them "girls," I'd say chances for success are pretty slim as it is.

-Goose

 

[starcheck1]

I did my time at Airnet..... I wouldnt give up my experience at Airnet for anything...but now after being gone from ANS for a year and a half...i work half as much and half as hard and get to overnight almost anywhere in the US, Canada, and Mexico that I want. Plus I make more money I would have if i was still at Airnet. I now hold 14 days off with day trips so I can be home in my bed every NIGHT (yes I said NIGHT...when us normal people sleep...haha jk to my buddies who still fly frieght). Flying at Airnet was a great experience, but everyone I have talked to that has left for other jobs have had no regrets. But there are some lifers out there and if your ideal quality of life is rolling out of bed in your sweats at 9pm and working till the sun comes up than maybe thats where you belong. As far as the airlines being boring....I pretty much fly where I want, whatever days I want and with different pilots....how about Airnet........see the same airports every night and same pilots....wow that 60 degree bank was cool.....how lets shoot that appch into UCA like we have done every night for the last 3 years.

 

[idratherfly4283]

extreme

 

[vossdr1]

go fly freight

Airnet

Make you strong like bull

 

[freemind270]

absolutely right ------------flying for airnet will make you a better pilot in the long run when i was there , saw all kinds of weather made a lot of decisions.

but still QOL = 0

i would not give up my time as a starchecker for anything i still have the freight dog sticker on my flight bag . and sometimes i hear a starcheck check in with approach i smile. ( i dont know why??????)