Time is of the essence

[Just Jay]

Due to family circumstances, I have had to relocate to california and leave a CFI job on the east coast. However, I was sending out resumes daily in search of bigger planes as I have nearly 135 cargo pic mins. with 230 multi.

My question is this: Should I wait for something I really want or take a job as CFI to keep flying in the mean time, knowing that I would leave in a heartbeat if something better came up?

 

[FracCapt]

Apply to Ameriflight...they're big out in California. From what I've heard lately they're hiring with bare bones 135 mins.

 

[Just Jay]

Thanks for the tip. I actually have applied with them recently but I have also heard mixed reviews about them. I heard they really pressure the pilots to fly when it may not be the best call and that as a new hire you could get stuck in a lance for quite a while.

 

[kingaira90]

I heard they really pressure the pilots to fly when it may not be the best call and that as a new hire you could get stuck in a lance for quite a while.

Welcome to freight. Ameriflight is a good company. Saying that, every company wants you to go. There is a big difference between the dispatchers/flight followers wanting you to go (common) and the company management wanting you to go at all costs and punish you if you don't. The former is generally something you have to put up with, the dispatchers/flight followers get harassed by the customer if you don't go, so they harass you. The latter is something to stay far away from. If you have a legit reason management should back you to the end.

That being said, keep flying until something comes through. You don't want to be in a position where 6 months later you havn't been in an aircraft b/c the job didn't line up like you thought it would. Just my 2 cents - kingaira90

 

[SDCFI]

1) Good info from kingaira90 2) If you don't feel it's safe to go, don't go. Dispatch may not be happy but those are the brakes, they'll get over it. 3) Right now in BUR and OAK people are flying the Lance for a few months at the most before upgrading to the Navajo/Chieftain. In OAK people are going to the 99 in six months, not sure about BUR but it's usually pretty similar.

 

[DashTrash400]

Having flown for Ameriflight out of BUR (and currently PTOC @ PDX) I can tell you it's a good company to work for, as 135 ops go. I flew for a smaller, struggling operation before AMF and it was like night & day.

I'll second what kingair90 said: Any company is going to want you to GO. The question is: If you say no, does mgmt respect that or threaten you? Is dispatch willing to work with you on alternative possibilities? At AMF, I was on a route that could only be flown VFR for part of the way, and I found that they always respected my decisions as PIC. Often, that meant repositioning the plane due to deteriorating wx before the couriers arrived, and having them drive it further. Typically, I'd call up dispatch and say here's what's going on, and here's what I'm doing about it. They'd say fine, we'll let the couriers know. Lots more PIC discretion allowed than at certain other companies.

 

[JetBlast2000]

My question is this: Should I wait for something I really want or take a job as CFI to keep flying in the mean time, knowing that I would leave in a heartbeat if something better came up?

Jay,

Since you have ‘nearly’ 135 mins, I would suggest staying for as long as practical. Hopefully you can get the mins by the time you ‘have to relocate.’ It’s harder getting a job while doing nothing as opposed to already working a job. Even if you do have the mins, I would stay put till you get something cooking. Unless you have inside contacts at a company it can take a while for them to give you the green light. If you have the means, you can also make a visit to your proposed relocation area and pound on a few doors. Right place, right time, you never know. So take what you can in SoCal, CFI or otherwise. Its common to move on when a door opens. It’s no secret what your intentions are when the next offer comes along.

Good luck.

JB2k

 

[Just Jay]

I guess CFI it is for now, I just hate to tell someone I want the job and then leave (hopefully) in a month. I've watched friends of mine do the same thing and I'd like to think I could be a little more loyal than that. Bottom line is WE GOTTA FLY right?

 

[JetBlast2000]

Realistically, you might be there for 6 months… I was sending out resumes, about 60/month for about 7 months before I got my first CARGO job. I was well past the 135 mins. So you never know. Loyalty is great, but your family should come first, then your students, then the company. When I left my CFI job I had 5 students in various phases. I tried to finish up the ones I could and hand off those I couldn’t to good CFI’s. Look at it this way. There are lots of CFI’s who want and need jobs. When you move on, you’ll just be making room for those folks. The boss can find anther CFI and pay him the starting wage, which will save him some cash. Like I said before, they know you’re not looking to stay long term.

 

[FracCapt]

Thanks for the tip. I actually have applied with them recently but I have also heard mixed reviews about them. I heard they really pressure the pilots to fly when it may not be the best call and that as a new hire you could get stuck in a lance for quite a while.

Well...I can't speak for now(but others have already addressed current upgrade times)...but when I was working there about 8 years ago I was never pressured by anybody but dispatch to fly. This was also only by the dispatch in BUR. When I didn't feel it was safe to fly(only happened a couple times), I didn't fly...and NEVER caught any sh!t from management. The dispatchers will b!tch at you because the customer is complaining to them...but just disregard that.

There were many times I delayed the flight because of a line of nasty weather(when I was based in the midwest), but I only cancelled flights(due to weather) twice. Once was due to reports of severe icing....the other was a stationary line of thunderbumpers with tops to FL600 between me and my destination. I would have had to go 400-500 miles out of the way to get around it...and the customer decided to cancel the flight rather than have me take all the extra time to go around it. As I said...I NEVER got hassled by any management over those.

AMF is one of the better freight operators out there. If you can get in there, go for it until something better comes along.

 

[Just Jay]

Thanks JB2k and FracCapt, that's good to hear about AMF. I'll be takin' the ATP knowledge tomorrow and then hitting the pavement locally (L.A.) for something to get me in a plane ASAP (ie CFI).