Custom Air Transport

[Godvek]

Well, they used to pay for it when the 3 pilot planes were still being widley used like they were back in the day. When the Legacy Airlines all had the 707's, 727's, DC-10's, L10-11's, alot of newhires started in the FE seat, even though they also had PFE's. My father had to start as a 727 and DC10 engineer with AA, and AA paid for his ticket. When I got my first 727 freight job, I had zero large jet time, and that company paid for my FE ticket.

Those days are over!

 

[Thedude]

What the heck is so wrong with paying for your FE ticket? Can anyone generate a list of companies that will hire you as an FE and take care of your ticket? Seems like you have to have the rating to get a job nowadays.

I think it would be easier to create a list of companies that would ask you to pay for your F/E ticket. If this were were the early 90's you might have an argument. But then again that was back when most of the Majors still had three man cockpits and most of the freight compaines had 727s.

 

[Thedude]

Yeah, I'm an idiot "thedude", I'm now in the right seat making the big bucks, what r u doing, flyin a barbie jet collecting food stamps?

I don't consider making $47.50 hr big bucks. Just so you will know I was offered a job a CAT as an off the street Captain. Might have somthing to do with the fact that I have more than 3500 hrs in the 727, have a type in it and I am currently flying it. I almost took the job, but about three days later I found out that UPS had bought the Dayton contract so I deceided to hold off. Kinda glad I did too. I understand that by the end of '05 UPS will have taken of the majoity of the Dayton contract. That will prorbaly mean a good number of CAT's a/c will be dropped and you won't be there long enough to upgrade.

And yes, I still consider you an idoit for paying for your F/E ticket. Mainly because F/E tickets are pretty much worthless these days and I am anti-PFT.

 

[SevenDos]

I don't consider making $47.50 hr big bucks. Just so you will know I was offered a job a CAT as an off the street Captain. Might have somthing to do with the fact that I have more than 3500 hrs in the 727, have a type in it and I am currently flying it. I almost took the job, but about three days later I found out that UPS had bought the Dayton contract so I deceided to hold off. Kinda glad I did too. I understand that by the end of '05 UPS will have taken of the majoity of the Dayton contract. That will prorbaly mean a good number of CAT's a/c will be dropped and you won't be there long enough to upgrade.

And yes, I still consider you an idoit for paying for your F/E ticket. Mainly because F/E tickets are pretty much worthless these days and I am anti-PFT.

Ya, I was offered a job on the space shuttle, but I turned it down because I heard NASA was going to lose their MIR contract. After the Columbia disaster,
I'm glad I did. I guess my FE ticket is worthless, it only got me into the right seat of the 727 at age 24. I guess I should have been a real airline pilot and got a job for a commuter making 18k a year. **CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED**, I regret those choices. I think your just mad it took you your whole career to make it to the left seat of the 727 when I will be there in a fraction of the time. What you don't understand is CAT has much more flying out there right now that is just contracted out, we can have it back at any time. I think you should change your screen name to "the idiot".

 

[SevenDos]

There you go again with this bad attitude thing............
It's not my fault....... but if you cant stand the heat or you dont like your employer then QUIT!!!! if you think that there is a greener pasture out there where you can make this kind of money to start then by all means MOVE ON!!! But don't wish everyone bad (or unemployment) because your'e having a bad day.... It's time all you new guys to wise up and understand the big picture instead of this dismissive and put down attitude that seems to permiate the waves these days.

Thank you, It's completely clear now. I have a total understanding of the big picture.

 

[Godvek]

I don't consider making $47.50 hr big bucks. Just so you will know I was offered a job a CAT as an off the street Captain. Might have somthing to do with the fact that I have more than 3500 hrs in the 727, have a type in it and I am currently flying it. I almost took the job, but about three days later I found out that UPS had bought the Dayton contract so I deceided to hold off. Kinda glad I did too. I understand that by the end of '05 UPS will have taken of the majoity of the Dayton contract. That will prorbaly mean a good number of CAT's a/c will be dropped and you won't be there long enough to upgrade.

And yes, I still consider you an idoit for paying for your F/E ticket. Mainly because F/E tickets are pretty much worthless these days and I am anti-PFT.

Thedude, who do you work for that still operates the Jurassic Jet?

 

[SevenDos]

Thedude, who do you work for that still operates the Jurassic Jet?

He sounds like Planet Airways material.

 

[Godvek]

He sounds like Planet Airways material.

I thought Planet was shut down by the FAA.

 

[boomlrd]

Good one SEVENDOS!! I love listening to these burnouts and losers that will work for bottom feeders till retirement, then move to the panel, the whole time they are swearing that they are "God's Gift to Aviation"!! CAT has plenty, they are just pissed that we younger guys are alot smarter and will spend min time in each seat, passing them right by! They live paycheck to paycheck and blame there woes on everyone else but themselves. I figure if it takes me that long to get into the left seat, I need another career choice! Have fun, these assclowns will still be crying and whining while some of us are at Fedex, UPS, SWA, Airtran, or whatever. Just gotta watch them so they don't get you violated too, while they show you how great of aviators they are! Some of us got into this career because we realized the competition was easy, boy were we right. PEACE!!!

 

[pipejockey]

It's amazing what a narrow view most have about how ones career progression should take place in this profession. Anything short of flight instructing for a number of years to get to 2000 or so hours is just unacceptable to them. And we have to listen to these self-righteous guys telling us how they made it to where they are and how they "paid their dues", about all their type ratings and thousands and thousands of hours they have. But they bounce around from Capitol, to ExpressNet, to Amerijet, to Champion, to Planet, to Cat, etc etc etc, never making it to a career airline like Air Tran, JB, FedEx, UPS, SWA, all which have been hiring even after 9-11. I sympathize with these guys not experiencing what they had hoped for in a career, but don't take it out on those that have taken a non-traditional path to progress their careers. Apparently the "traditional" path doesn't always work.

For those complaining about the PFT at Cat, and how it brings down the profession, let me ask you this. How is working for a regional at $17 to $22 an hour topping out at a whopping $40 or so after many years on the job as an FO, which is where you will be at most regionals for quite some time (Eagles junior Capt. is a 98' hire) and flying routes that mainline pilots used to do at decent wages and at a career airline considered ok? The PFT at Cat has the potential to increase ones earnings significantly over the course of a lifetime by positioning themselves for a career airline much sooner. They will have the quality of flight time at 3000-3500 hours that a "traditional" minded pilot will need 5000-5500 to achieve. Think about it?

Most people I know, pilots included, look out for numero uno first. These holier than thou pilots who dictate to us what career path is acceptable and not acceptable, didn't work the trenches flight instructing or dropping skydivers because they had a heartfelt concern for the other pilots out there they are competing against in their pursuit of the most coveted jobs, but because perhaps, there was not any other way at the time, or perhaps they were too cheap to spend the money, or maybe they just couldn't afford it because they were too busy partying in their youth instead of earning money for their future. I was actually up at 3:50 AM every morning to put in what would often be a 12 hour day for 5 years to drive a truck, or work in a trench with a rake or shovel in my hand. I did this because I knew the money I was earning would be put towards my degree and for flight school when the time came.

Look, I don't care how anybody gets their job, as long as it's not because they know this person or that person. Ironically, thats the only way to get the best jobs in the industry right now at FedEx, UPS, and Continental. FedEx doesn't care about anything except how many squadron buddies you have. Does everyone have their sponsor lined up?? What a joke!