Best way to get to Atlas / Polar

[Steve]

I've just met part 135 IFR mins. I would eventually like to end up at Atlas or Polar. What is the best way to get on with them? I was thinking of either getting on with a good regional (air wisky, Expressjet, etc) or get on at Airnet and hope to upgrade to the Lear. I know Atlas has picked up regional pilots, not sure if they would pick someone up from a Lear/135 background. Anyone working at Atlas have any advise?

 

[psysix]

The question should be why are you so hell bent on Altas and Polar at such an early stage in your career? There are so many more quality operators to strive for than those. If it's the 747 thing, it's way overrated. They may fly a big aircraft but their paychecks are very small and they are not career airlines that you can reasonably expect to comfortably retire from.

 

[Z_Pilot]

I personally like the randomness of their flying.
I am sure the novelty of 747 around-the-word fying would wear off, but I think that it would be fun for a while.

Do they recruit at job fairs? (which ones?)
Is it possible to get in without an internal rec?

Thanks

Z

 

[B747FR8DAWG]

Atlas / Polar Pay

They may fly a big aircraft but their paychecks are very small and they are not career airlines that you can reasonably expect to comfortably retire from.

Not to get into a pissing contest about paychecks, but who are you comparing us (Atlas/Polar) against? FedEx or UPS? I'll tell you that we make good money, and now many of the Legacy carriers, with their pay cuts make what we make. I don't have to whore myself out to make a comfortable living, I know guys who work for some of these other freight outfits and national carriers who brag about making six figures in annual pay, but when asked how hard they had to work for it, it's a whole different story. I've been with Atlas for 7 years and easily made over 100k, while not compromising my quality of life at home.

But hey, that's just me


Happy New Year!

 

[Z_Pilot]

Do they recruit at job fairs? (which ones?)
Is it possible to get in without an internal rec?

Thanks

Z

B747FR8DAWG:

Any Comments?

 

[B747FR8DAWG]

Hey Z,

Thanks for the PM, as to the comments about recruitment, we don't traditionally go to job fairs, but an internal rec can help. I'm told that there might be some hiring next year, but we're not sure when, things usually slow down in the first qtr. and we are pretty fat on crews now. If there is any announcement of hirings, I'll gladly post it.

 

[Steve]

The question should be why are you so hell bent on Altas and Polar at such an early stage in your career? There are so many more quality operators to strive for than those. If it's the 747 thing, it's way overrated. They may fly a big aircraft but their paychecks are very small and they are not career airlines that you can reasonably expect to comfortably retire from.

I like the nomad life. I'm young, single and want to see the world. Dont really have a problem moving to the UK for a few years if thats the junior base. Can any Atlas pilots comment on how many hours you fly a month/year and how many days off you get? I like the idea of going to work for a few weeks and then have a good amount of time off in a row to do as I please.

 

[L'il J.Seinfeld]

Atlas and World and a few other former "lower tier" are better jobs than any pAX carrier. I did a ton of research before getting hired at UPS and here is my top 10 list of places to work. ANyone who goes to CAL or accepts a recall to UNited/AA is making a mistake in my opinion. Cargo is where it's at!

1. UPS
2. FedEx
3. Atlas
4. World
5. Cathay
6. Gemini
7. SWA
8. Jetblue
9. NJA
10 Airtran

 

[YGBSM]

The question should be why are you so hell bent on Altas and Polar at such an early stage in your career? There are so many more quality operators to strive for than those. If it's the 747 thing, it's way overrated. They may fly a big aircraft but their paychecks are very small and they are not career airlines that you can reasonably expect to comfortably retire from.

There's a credible opinion.

 

[needapayraise]

What's the QOL at altas/polar?

 

[PHXFLYR]

Atlas and World and a few other former "lower tier" are better jobs than any pAX carrier. I did a ton of research before getting hired at UPS and here is my top 10 list of places to work. ANyone who goes to CAL or accepts a recall to UNited/AA is making a mistake in my opinion. Cargo is where it's at!

1. UPS
2. FedEx
3. Atlas
4. World
5. Cathay
6. Gemini
7. SWA
8. Jetblue
9. NJA
10 Airtran

What criteria did you use when you put your list together? I gotta agree with you cargo is where it's at. This pax thing is way over-rated .....


PHXFLYR

 

[L'il J.Seinfeld]

With all the growth in China and soon to follow in India, Korea etc. cargo is where it's at. SWA and Jetblue cannot benefit from that. The rest of the business world is trying to find anyway to tie into the growth in Asia. Gemini, Atlas, etc. may not have been the best places before, but they are going to cash in and that translates well for their employees.

The legacies will probably merge and the newhires at CAL will get screwed. Meanwhile Brown, Purple, ABX and the other lesser known cargo carriers will be making more money than they can handle. My opinion only but I have done a ton of research the last 18 months and gotten an MBA.

 

[bombinha]

I think psichix is living in another world. Beacuse no legacy has retirement palns anymore they all got out of retirements due chapter 11 and negotiaitons with the judges to void the contracts.
Anyway Li'l you'r right about cargo you just put Gemini on your list and didn't put Kalitta there so I think your list didn't have that much research you saying as Gemini right now has a pay freeze for new hores not going over the second year, plus kalitta even w/o the pay freeze pays more than gemini and fly better planes. Not because is 747 compared to DC10's just because our 747's are equiped if top of line eletronics updates FMS EFIS etc and Eletronic flight bags so no jepesen books to carry.
But like you also said it's just my opinion. the rest of list is kind of right but I wouldn't swap places with SWA neither Cathay as we have SWA and CATHY guys here that told me how it is there. My list would run a little diferent from yours.

 

[sgu]

Bomb,

where would you put Kalitta on the list?

 

[furloughfodder]

My list:

1. FedEx
2. UPS
3. Polar
4. World
5. NCA
6. Atlas
7. Cathay
8. JAL
9. Evergreen
10. Kalitta

I wouldn't work at another pax airline unless I had no choice at all.

 

[psysix]

My list:

1. UPS
2. FedEx
3. Polar
4. World
5. NCA
6. Atlas
7. Cathay
8. JAL
9. Evergreen
10. Kalitta

I wouldn't work at another pax airline unless I had no choice at all.

Why did you put UPS ahead of FedEx? From the posters on this board, UPS seems to have much less QOL than FedEx does, plus higher pay at FedEx.

 

[furloughfodder]

Right after I posted that, I changed it. I do put FedEx ahead of UPS.

Why do you think Atlas / Polar is such a miserable career choice? Looking at Airlinepilotpay.com a 7 year FO at UPS makes $107 and a 7 year FO at Atlas makes $104. Doesn't seem too bad to me. But what do I know?

 

[Whale Rider]

My list:

1. FedEx
2. UPS
3. Polar
4. World
5. NCA
6. Atlas
7. Cathay
8. JAL
9. Evergreen
10. Kalitta

I wouldn't work at another pax airline unless I had no choice at all.

I'm with you.......:beer:

 

[wheelsup]

Looking at Airlinepilotpay.com a 7 year FO at UPS makes $107 and a 7 year FO at Atlas makes $104. Doesn't seem too bad to me. But what do I know?

How did you get those numbers? Pulling directly off of the matrix, a UPS 7 year FO makes $107/hr like you stated, with a MONTHLY guarantee of 81 hours.

An Atlas 7 year FO makes $110/hr based on a 62 hour MONTHLY guarantee. Converting that figure to a 81 hour guarantee you get $84.19/hr.

A difference of over $22,000/yr just in base salary alone. Add to that UPS's 1% A fund and 11% B fund, and it's not just chump change, IMO. And that doesn't even touch QOL issues (which honestly I know nothing about between the two companies).

~wheelsup

 

[Jurassic Jet]

And then there is always ABEX who didn't make anybodys list (yet).

7 Yr. 767 F/O is at $143 per hour with a 65 hour guarantee. Backing into it converting that number to a 75 hour guarantee still brings it to $123.93 per hour.

Granted, ABEX does not have the rock solid security as a UPS or FEDEX, but the pay is nothing to just blow off.