Whats it like flying for connie?

[dojetdriver]

We work 17 days a month usually straight, but not all the lines are this way. You are gone the whole time. Ewr/Jfk go East bound to Belgium and Amsterdam continuing through to Dubai, Bahrain, Kuwait then backwards or to Hong Kong. Also Pacific runs Lax-Hnl, some Incheon and of course Hong Kong, and returning through ANC. Some Mac trips and Afghanistan, Turkey pop up sometimes.
Quality of life is subjective, scheduling is terrible-half or more of the crews don't fly as published. Management pilot relations are bad-stalled contract talks for 3 years. Pay is bad first year a little better after, still substandard.

Interesting, 6,7,8 years ago guys were saying the same thing about Polar and Atlas. It will be interesting to see where Kalitta ends up if they get a new CBA.

 

[iaflyer]

Where in Afghanistan are you going? I presume OAKB (Kabul), but I hadn't seen a Connie bird there.

We had just a couple of charters into Kabul last year, bringing in stuff for the elections. It's not a regular place we go. We also don't go to Kuwait anymore.

Ten years from now? Who knows. How did Express One (the 727 operator) look 10 years ago. How did Atlas look 10 years ago? Two very different outcomes...

 

[jwadtw]

This was my itinerary last month.

Company ticket from home to LGA, limo to EWR (ron), fly Liege, Belgium (ron), fly Incirlik, Turkey, Hong Kong (ron, ron), fly Khabarovsk, Russia, Anchorage (ron), fly Incheon, S. Korea (ron), fly Anchorage (ron), fly LAX (ron, ron), fly HNL (ron), fly Pago Pago (ron), fly Guam, Hong Kong (ron, ron, ron), fly Khabarovsk, Anchorage, deadhead ORD, airline ticket home. Sixteen days on the road, 65 hours pay.

I'm very happy with day to day job. All flights are well catered, and international hotels are very nice. I don't mind flying and I don't mind sitting. I'm OK with 60 or so hours guarantee, though every other month I've had more than 80. Some guys don't like to sit as you only get one hour plus per diem if you sit on the road a day and don't go over guarantee. They want more money. I understand how they feel but I don't feel that way. I'm happy being well-rested and enjoy our layover locations.

This is my fourth airline job and overall the one I enjoy most. Where will it be in 10 years? Who the hell knows? The only thing certain in aviation these days is that nothing is certain. My advice is enjoy each day, prepare for the worst, and take it as it comes.

Cheers,

 

[NJA bound]

That sounds like a blast, hope to get to see some of those countries someday. Do you all let frac pilots jumpseat?

Thanks

 

[iaflyer]

That sounds like a blast, hope to get to see some of those countries someday. Do you all let frac pilots jumpseat?

Because we don't have a cockpit door, the requirements for jumpseat are higher than for normal airlines. There aren't any fractional companies on the list. There are 22 airlines that can jumpseat on us but there is a much longer list of airlines that we can jumpseat on. The disparity is because of the additional requirements that jumpseaters have to go through to jumpseat on us.

 

[OrionFE]

We (Kalitta) are CASS approved and should be on-line soon.

 

[cargopod]

whens the next class?

 

[Junkflyer]

April is supposed to have 12 FO's and 6 F/E's.

 

[Whiskerbizkit]

17 days on. must be hard on family life.

 

[cargoflyr69]

Are they need to interview for the April class or are there poolies swimming and waiting? Thanks in advance!