mountain air cargo

[shortbus driver]

Wondering about experience requirements

I am coming up on my time and will have 1200 before the end of september with 800 multi engine turbine, I am wondering if without a lot of PIC time i can still get hired into MAC? I only have 370 PIC time and I am in a job where I get well over 120 hours a month, but its all SIC time. Wondering if thats an option for the caravan or even the ATR in the right seat

 

[gringo]

ATR right seat no problem- I had 1100 and 160 multi when I was hired into the F-27. Caravan, I'm not sure, but it wouldn't hurt to try! (You'll be much much MUCH better off starting in the Caravan vs starting in the ATR, simply because the pay is that much better.)

 

[152hvy]

Yo AC

How's PR treating you? You get mugged yet. Get CW to tell you what happened to him in Santa Domingo one dreary afternoon. Later

I went back there again this month. It's all about attitude, walk like you own the place.......

 

[texarkana]

Where in south america does MAC go? Also, which routes fly the shorts? Just curious over here.

 

[pa31capt]

So floaters can pretty much live anywhere they want? What kind of a contract do they make you sign? The standard 1 year?

 

[CrimsonEclipse]

MAC has a Buenos Aires, Argentina to Campinas, Brazil (60 miles north of Sao Paulo. It is an ATR 72. The run used to be alot better, the companie now expects you to move there.

The shorts goes to the bahamas.

Floaters generally can live anywhere FOR NOW. This will likely change in a
month. There are floater bases but they haven't been enforced lately.

If you go to MAC, there are really 2 choices. Go there for a year ONLY or stay
for a career. Don't go to stay for 2 or 3 years. You'd be better off at an
airline commuter. Commuters start at lower pay but quickly increase, MAC
starts higher but barely increases over time.

There is a 1 year cotract when you start and another contract when you
switch seats or airplanes.

DON'T GO TO THE F-27!!!! MIA or BQN are NOT good choices!!

CE

 

[Philerup]

CE,
I am curious about your comments. What about going from FO to Caravan to ATR Capt? Have captains in the past moved on to bigger and better, or do you think it is better to have regional command time? The reason I ask is that the better regionals have had their hiring spree and their upgrade times are going to get long. Maybe it is better to stick around MAC and wait for a captains slot to open up. Who knows, but at least MAC is stable, it is hard to tell which regional to go to because the one expanding and hiring today is shrinking and laying off next week.

 

[Nolife]

Upgrades take a long time since there isn't much turn over amoung the older guys. The last upgrades in the F-27 were five year guys to give you a idea. I don't know of any domestic FO to upgrade in to the ATR yet.

If you want to work there... go Caravan then FO then Capt. You'll be happier going that route. Go FO first and it's like the man said. 1st yr pay is higher than regional but second year the regional's pay is better plus upgrade at most regionals in faster. At MAC you'll only fly 400-500 hrs a year but you'll be away from home just as much as a regional unless you get lucky and live with an airplane. If you're low time go regional... you'll build time faster and have more options.

If you can afford it move to MEM and you'll be home alot. Good luck.

 

[CrimsonEclipse]

that's about right...well put

CE

 

[Philerup]

So why the lifers? Right now you have Airtran, Jetblue, Southwest, Continental, UPS, FedEx, Alegiant, NetJets, FlexJets, CitationShares, Kalitta, Etc, all hiring. There are plenty of places a high time captain could go and make more within a few years. Why does MAC not have the turnover of a normal regional?

 

[CrimsonEclipse]

It is a different group of people. You have to be alot more independent
here. You may not see the CP for years at a time. The Capts are usually
family guys that want (and can) be at home on the weekends. Going
to an airline would be a bit of a sacrifice for them with the paycut (although
only for a few years) and crappy schedule.

Also, there are a few Van runs that will take a body bag to get these guys
out of. 4 hour days and 4 day weeks are hard to beat.

It makes you re-think your goals. F/O in an asian 747 or C208 have the
same pay. The vans have about 1/10th the bull********************.

CE

 

[Nolife]

... and don't forget job security. I know quite a few MAC capts that left for greener pastures only to get furloughed. FedEx feeders are very safe as far as aviation jobs go. Also if you make it to capt and the company is properly staffed capts get every fourth week off. It's called a TCA week.

Now imagine... you live with your airplane in a city where you, your wife and kids are happy... you fly 10 hrs a week... house almost paid off... max pay with the company (high 60's maybe low 70's)... home every day... weekends off... and you get every fourth week off as well plus four weeks of vacation every year.


Would you leave for Air Tran, SWA, etc. to be gone for 4 days then commute home for 2 and a half days off, and risk furlough. Sure you'll see better pay for your last 5-10 years of flying, but a decrease in quality of life and such. It all depends on how you see your half full or half empty cup of urine .

If I wouldn't have dumb lucked into a dang good situation job-wise I'd have been a MAC lifer for the afore mentioned reasons as well.

Good luck.

 

[El Piloto Chido]

About this time last year, I heard 'through the grapevine' that FedEx was arranging the shipment of a whole gaggle of ATRs from Europe (former Eurowings birds) to add to the existing fleet of former AMR and CoEx planes.

They were to be distributed among MAC and Empire, with possibly a few going to Corporate. Does anyone know if that's still in the works? Is FDX delaying until GSO and other hubs are ready to handle em?

Just curious. I know of quite a few guys who would love to upgrade out of the Caravan and into something a little bigger/faster/sexier.

 

[tsky]

I've heard that FedEx plans to send many of the ATR-72s over to Asia after the p-f conversions are finished on them. I guess there have been some complications with the plan though-Empire has several ATR-72s in storage for FedEx-apparently FedEx wants to send them to China. It would be great to have more ATR-72 in the domestic feeder fleet.

 

[CrimsonEclipse]

The ATR's are likely to end up with Empire and MAC.
The Asian situation likely fell through.

CE

 

[Grassstrippilot]

Is MAC who is operating the caravans out of SLC? Or is it another company doing the FedEx feed out west?

 

[pipejockey]

What aircraft flies into EWR? And is that considered a base?

 

[jvrac]

... and don't forget job security. I know quite a few MAC capts that left for greener pastures only to get furloughed. FedEx feeders are very safe as far as aviation jobs go. Also if you make it to capt and the company is properly staffed capts get every fourth week off. It's called a TCA week.

Now imagine... you live with your airplane in a city where you, your wife and kids are happy... you fly 10 hrs a week... house almost paid off... max pay with the company (high 60's maybe low 70's)... home every day... weekends off... and you get every fourth week off as well plus four weeks of vacation every year.


Would you leave for Air Tran, SWA, etc. to be gone for 4 days then commute home for 2 and a half days off, and risk furlough. Sure you'll see better pay for your last 5-10 years of flying, but a decrease in quality of life and such. It all depends on how you see your half full or half empty cup of urine .

If I wouldn't have dumb lucked into a dang good situation job-wise I'd have been a MAC lifer for the afore mentioned reasons as well.

Good luck.

Is it possible to get this kind of situation and be based in IND with MAC? If so, this is EXACTLY what I am looking for. I don't care about pay, I just want to spend time with my family.

 

[gringo]

IND only has a reserve aircraft, and that goes fairly senior. All of the aircraft you see in IND come from outstations (LCK, SBN, a few others)

So the short answer is... unlikely.