Ameriflight (PDX): Please describe career progression

[EngineOut]

First of all, please allow me to preface this thread with the disclaimer that I’ve performed a search and reviewed the “thousands” of Ameriflight threads prior to posting.

I anticipate relocation to Portland within a year. I am hoping to hang my hat with Ameriflight for 8+ years in Portland. From reviewing the AMF posts, I haven’t been able to get my hands around career progression at Ameriflight. I understand the duty days are long, the equipment operated, and the starting pay.

My priorities (in order) are locale, MX, QOL, pay, stability, and equipment (advancement and upgrade). By all accounts, it appears Ameriflight fits the bill to a tee.

It’s time to return the favor of moving around for my career to my old lady. Oregon is her call – time to come back home and buy a house, start a family, and be in a position to compete for a major/national opportunity in ten years or so. She has a great job, so household income isn’t a factor, but I won’t work for free just because I can.

If any long-term AMF’ers would care to reply, I have some questions:

1) Are there annual raises at AMF or do you increase your salary by upgrading equipment only?

2) Do duty days get shorter with seniority?

3) After five years, assuming a logical progression and ceteris paribus, how much could I expect to be making? How long would my duty days be? What would I be flying?

4) Am I nuts?

Thank you in advance for your replies.

 

[de727ups]

PM trybysky. He's been there six months in SEA and in on the 99 already. Six months makes him a long timer at Amflight.

 

[AirMugsy]

I'm planning on applying to AMF as a PDX pilot this month when I get mins. I was just up in Portland this past weekend to check out the city,, great place. I can't wait to get my application in.

 

[Lucky13]

EngineOut,


Yes you are nuts!

 

[TheDogsBollocks]

First of all, please allow me to preface this thread with the disclaimer that I’ve performed a search and reviewed the “thousands” of Ameriflight threads prior to posting.

I anticipate relocation to Portland within a year. I am hoping to hang my hat with Ameriflight for 8+ years in Portland. From reviewing the AMF posts, I haven’t been able to get my hands around career progression at Ameriflight. I understand the duty days are long, the equipment operated, and the starting pay.

My priorities (in order) are locale, MX, QOL, pay, stability, and equipment (advancement and upgrade). By all accounts, it appears Ameriflight fits the bill to a tee.

It’s time to return the favor of moving around for my career to my old lady. Oregon is her call – time to come back home and buy a house, start a family, and be in a position to compete for a major/national opportunity in ten years or so. She has a great job, so household income isn’t a factor, but I won’t work for free just because I can.

If any long-term AMF’ers would care to reply, I have some questions:

1) Are there annual raises at AMF or do you increase your salary by upgrading equipment only?

2) Do duty days get shorter with seniority?

3) After five years, assuming a logical progression and ceteris paribus, how much could I expect to be making? How long would my duty days be? What would I be flying?

4) Am I nuts?

Thank you in advance for your replies.

PDX is a good place for piston pilots to biuld up multi-time, for a turbine you may be in for a long wait.

Pay and increases are determined by equipment flown and years of service.

Most of the runs are PDX based, a lot of the turbine runs are outstationed.

PA-31, C402, BE99, 1900, Metro's are the equipment.

MX is pretty good.

AMF is one of the better 135 companies to work for.

 

[nfinity8]

Ameriflight is a good place to build great time. Low timers can go from a piston to a turboprop in a relative short time depending on company need. You will fly mostly nights and will sleep all day, so you won't really have a life throughout the week but you will be building that time, which is a good thing. Most of the people I have met have been great but there are a few exceptions...Be very leary of the San Juan Base. The base MGR (I use the term loosely) is the biggest A$$ in PR. He suffers from a "short man" complex and treats the pilots like SH@^!! Ask anyone that works in PR or anyone that's been here or knows of J.M. (the flight attendant). The opinion is always the same (so don't take my work for it). All in all, Ameriflight is a really good place to build time...

 

[RichardRambone]

Anyone flight instructed for them? I was maybe interested in building up time that way until I got my 135 mins. But then again night flying sounds tough for my lazy arse.

 

[trybysky]

Pdx

PDX is a awesome base if you don't mind flying a cheiftain for a year or so. I would recommend it. You're home every night, even if it's from 7 pm to 6am. You may have somewhat long layovers but the flight time is generally 2 to 4 hours a day. Just being home everynight would be worth it to me. Dispatch is great, maintenance is great, pay is ok for what we're doing (better than most), and PDX is killing for pilots!!! They need you. We have one of our cheiftain pilots on temp. in PDX right now.

 

[ReverseSensing]

ceteris paribus

I think you must have meant to post at Lawyerinfo.com.

 

[EngineOut]

Where are the layovers? Roseburg, Kfalls, North Bend, Ontario, LaGrande, Redmond, Crescent City? As long as it's somewhere with an Abby's Pizza, I can live with it

Thanks for all the PMs and info, too. I'm pretty sure this is the right thing to do for us!

 

[fokkers&beer]

If your thinking of long term employment, and are dying to fly small airplanes out of PDX, Amflight may not be the right place. Guys seem to stick around at Empire though. If you don't mind flying a Caravan, the lifestyle is mucho better, the aircraft are impecable, and the pay is quite a bit more.
There always is the option of the 121 program at Empire (although nothing 121 is run in PDX at this time.) Not a bad place to work. I think back at my time at Empire with the fondest memories. The PDX caravan pilots were loads of fun, it has been one of the more entertaining jobs I have had in aviation.

 

[Juan Trippe]

Mmmmmm...................................Maker's Mark!

 

[coolyokeluke]

Ameriflight is a decent place to work, better than it's competitors, with the exception of Empire, in terms of the niche. Portland is a great town. What I meant to say was: it rains all the time, it's depressing, go back to California! Turbine equipment in PDX was quite senior, people are homesteading there with no intention of moving on. Don't screw up. Notice that Ameriflight only records negative comments in your training records. They use the PRIA system as a liability mitigation system. The thinking is that if someone screws up, they will make you look as bad as possible at all costs, that way a future employer can't come back to them and say you didn't tell us about so and so. I personally know of three individuals this has happened to. They were able to get jobs, but it set their careers back 1-2 years.

 

[TransMach]

QUOTE

They use the PRIA system as a liability mitigation system. The thinking is that if someone screws up, they will make you look as bad as possible at all costs, that way a future employer can't come back to them and say you didn't tell us about so and so. I personally know of three individuals this has happened to. They were able to get jobs, but it set their careers back 1-2 years.

UNQUOTE


Hey, Coolyoke,

Have you looked at the rule itself and determined what the employer is required to report, or are you speaking from your current educated position.

You can find the rule at Public Law 104-264, codified to Title 49 USC. Commonly known as PRIA, the Pilot Records Information Act.

Take a look and let me, or us, know what you think.

TransMach

 

[nfinity8]

From what I understand...and it's only from the university of "Rum and Coke" but...They can not legally state any negative SH#^ in your PRIA records. If you passed the training you have nothing to worry about. Even if you get written up...(and I did) it won't show up in your PRIA record. They will threaten you with whatever they have but in the history of all freight airlines...only Ameristar (or CherryAir...I can't remember) has succesfully sued a pilot because of a training contract...No other airline has a leg to stand on. An airline CANNOT sue you for a training contract...I left AMF before my contract was due and they sent a letter but nothing else. They haven't got a legal leg to stand on... Do Not Worry and do what you gotta do and go where you gotta go... They will never show loyalty to you...don't show loyalty to any airline untill you're where you want to be. ( words of wisdom passed on to me...) and be weary of JM in San Juan...He's the Devil!!!!