Opinions are like....

[Mooseflyer]

.....but I still want to hear yours (opinion, that is ).
If you had the following job interests, where would you apply and why?

1. Longer trips - week on/week off is good, the whole month's duty in one shot is better (or best of all, the choice to bid either). Think "minimize number of commutes".

2. Cargo a big bonus, but not a requirement if #1 above can be met.

3. Int'l widebody trips.

4. Home basing a plus, or if not, a somewhat bearable commute from SEA.

5. Number of days off per month at least equal to or greater than number of days on duty. This is a requrement. (and a day "off" while away from home doesn't count)

6. A realistic payscale for an adult .

Obviously the top recommendations are going to be FedEx and UPS, but so far after a few years no interview call. Was interested in Cargo360, but seems a little shaky now (goodbye #5 above?). Opinions on World? Kalitta?

FYI, my experience is about 4500 C17 time with about 80% of that PIC/IP, plus about 300 some-odd hours of part 121 SNB FO time.

Thanks for your input ladies and gents....

 

[Junkflyer]

Obviously heavy cargo is what you're looking for, but I don't think anyone gives more days off than days on. Kalita is okay-17 days on per month, Southern is 20 on, not sure about World. Most of the these non-sked outfits typically work around 18 days a month usually in one shot.

 

[coffeedog]

I think World can have you out 16 and some fraction of a day. Second year pay ~$80/hr, A-fund retirement.

Looks worthwhile, but you'll have to see if it fits your criteria.

Good luck!

 

[sgu]

How about Cathay Pacific? You could be based at LAX or ANC.

 

[b707guy]

Hey Moose
Except for the widebody part of #3 and all of #5 (seriously, good luck with that one anywhere, but especially if you want #6 to hold up...), ATI sounds like your target. I just wish we had some indicator of our future here better than some winged herbivore running around yelling "the sky is falling". Other than that, I think I'd target Kalitta over Southern, but if you're interested in Cathay, go to their website. The site has a pretty good section on flight crew hiring, processes, everything you'd need to know. I seriously considered going for it last time I thought for sure we were going down, but somehow despite ourselves, we keep chugging. We're really shopping for some contracts, and if we get them we're going to have a busy training department once again. Really hope we don't pull what happened here last year and early this year with all the furloughs and downgrades. I can't afford to leave this place voluntarily unless it's for UPS or FedEx, and I've already had my shot.

You also might consider some of the fractionals. Good pay and benefits, generally newer equipment, and a biz-jet type rating might be a lifesaver in the future.

How was RUSH?

 

[Draginass]

You're going to have a really tough time getting that list satisfied. You'll be pretty unhappy with any of the scumbag freight outfits . . . the Kalittas, Tradewinds, Southern, Focus, etc. Those are 20+ day on type places with juvenile pay, bad personal treatment, junk equipment and more than their share of pretty marginal crewmembers. And that's just a start. Been there, done that. Don't advise it.

Cathay is a quality company with good pay.

 

[rhinodriver]

If UPS or FEDEX haven't called then Cathay probably is the best fit for that list. Pay is petty good and with the exception of some monthly duty pay that averages about $300 extra a month it is salary based. This means we really have no incentive to go to work. The only exception is if you are into overtime. The company makes lots of money and is expanding like never before so lay offs are unlikely (and have never happened before). Benefits are good. I'm starting my second year and have averaged about 12-15 days of work per month. Some of us are making the reserve thing work despite it being a foreign company. The commute to LAX may be tricky and you may have to spring for some tickets or hotel rooms now and then but most of the guys are commuters so it obviously is doable. All in all its not a bad place to work...

 

[Mooseflyer]

Thanks for all the insight gents, good info all around.

Rhino - I hadn't really given much consideration to Cathay as I somehow had it in my head that you would HAVE to live overseas, which doesn't really interest me (us). After a little more research, it appears that's not the case, at least for the FO position. Also, I've never known anyone who works there so it's never really come up. I've looked at the website, as well as done an extensive search here on FI (Bjammin posted all kinds of stuff). Sounds pretty appealing at first look. How do commuters make it work without CASS? Buy tickets every time? Apparantly Bjammin is also a reservist and makes it work as well. How many days per month does your unit expect you to participate?

B707guy - Rush was awesome. Outdoor theater with a little bit of rain (we had lawn seats), but we had a great time. Amazing how the sound is so close to the actual albums - very clean. BTW, thanks for the Diego picture too, very cool.

 

[rhinodriver]

Moose,

No need to ever take a base in HK if you don't want to (don't say that in the interview though). But one of the cool things is that it is available and a good way for guys to make some good coin if you ever become interested in doing it. Another neat thing is you can take a temp base anywhere in the world for 3 or so months and get the chance to live there for an extended holiday, then return to your normal base after the time is up. Personally I'll probably stay at LAX for my whole career. The only time you have to be in HK is for IOC (about 4 months) and your upgrade training.

The commuters do it with ID90 tickets. You are elegible on one world carriers in 6 months and the rest of the gamit in one year. There is the occasional full fair you may have to buy duing peak season but I'm guessing there are quite a few options from SEA to LAX.

Bjammin is a wealth of info. He is a T-45 IP in the training command. My unit flex drills so I have some flexability there. Right now I can think of 5 guys in the Navy Reserve including an XO of a squadon and 1 Marine Hornet guy. I can't think of any AF guys off the top of my head that are still drilling although we have recently had a U-2 and a B-1 guy show up. Basically we are all drilling around our Cathay schedule. Because we are based in the US they are supposed to honor USERRA but right now most of us just do our drilling around our work schedule. Nobody has been activated yet so we haven't really crossed that bridge although the company has said thay would just put you on unpaid leave.

The company needs folks right now and for right or wrong they seem to like mil types as the company was modeled after the old Brit AF mentality. I've heard of guys who waited for months to a year to get a call but mine came in 2 weeks and I was hired as a DEFO on the 744 with only 2300 hours (almost all jet PIC though).

Personally I really like it. As with all companies there are things that could improve but at the end of the day there are only 2 jobs out there that I would consider leaving for.... and they haven't called me just yet either!

Good luck!

 

[Mooseflyer]

Thanks Rhino. My unit is very flexible about drills as well, as long as you get them done and stay current. I just recently did my 2nd UTA "weekend" on an actual weekend in almost 3 years! I'd like to devote about 4 days/month to the unit though.

A few other ?'s if you don't mind:

1. How do you go about getting the ICAO ATP? I tried to start an app, but the computer wouldn't let me without checking this box.

2. Bjammin says he does a 5-7 day trip, twice a month - is this true for you as well? How many hours do you fly in a given month (not that it matters on salary I guess). What's your typical trip pairing look like?

3. Does everyone start on the frieghter later move to pax? If you have the quals, you come in as an FO, not an SO, correct?

4. Have any of the reservists tried requesting a segment of leave without pay for military duty? I'd like to be able to go on a couple of C-17 trips per year if possible.

5. What's the current outlook for time to captain upgrade?

6. Sounds like the interview is pretty challenging - what did you think? Had you previously interviewed anywhere else for comparison purposes?

Thanks again,
Moose