xtwapilot said:
B757driver:
Thanks for filling us all in on the contract options. Let me ask this, during your time flying contract, what is the longest time you have been unemployed, i.e. between contracts? Also, on the average, what do you take home including perdiem? Thanks in advance.
P.S. BTW what is the website for airborne? I have tried various combinations, but no luck in finding the airborne website. Also did you register with all of them or one particular one that is giving you all the work. thanks again.
Xtwapilot
I have been in continuous employment ever since I left the US to work overseas! The type of work I do is called ACMI (Aircraft, Crew, Mx & Insurance) and the company I work for is the largest in the business.
Basically, I am employed by a crew leasing agency who contracts me to an ACMI airline. They, then in turn, get various contracts for periods ranging from 4 weeks to 4 years. In the almost 2 years I have been there, I have flown the 757 and the 767ETOPs from various bases worldwide and late last year the company wanted a bunch of new 747 drivers. So....they paid us to go get a 747 type rating. No previous time on type but does that
really matter. Maybe in the US but not elsewhere.
The only long-term unemployment I had was after my last 121 company went belly up. Despite a brand new type rating (courtesy of the WIA) plus time in that type and currency on two types, could not even get an interview stateside - I was not "competitive" enough, ha, ha!! Apparently, I'm holding my own flying international 747s globally.....After 2 UB extensions, I finally ran out of money (and ideas) and it was around this time that I got this job. Was unemployed in the US for around 16 months, never anywhere else. Guess that speaks volumes.
Pay here is OK and is all in USDs with commercial tkts to/from home plus hotel/apartments and breakfast. Apart from that, no bennies. Oh, you can work as much or as little as you want before you take a break. Not may companies do that. I'm taking Nov off then back for 2 months for a special project.
I could have applied to the likes of Kalitta or Southern or Evergreen but I ALREADY earn 2-3 times more a month than what they would pay me and then I would also have deductions on top of that!
Not sure whether Airborne has a website or not. I don't think they will be doing any more hiring (training bottleneck) until the new year anyway. The other agency is
www.directpersonnel.com . I used only one and had friends already working at the airline. That gave me a heads up on what it was like before I even got here. Also, try a search on the British
www.pprune.com for ACMI work and agencies in Europe. You should find plenty of info - good and bad there. Hope that answers yr questions. Good luck!