Where do Ameriflight pilots end up?

[Boris Badenov]

edit: I forgot about Flight Express, but tell me where 210 and baron time gets you. It gets you to a place like AMF or one of the regionals.

Shrug. Like I said, it got me a job flying an MU-2 four days a week for $41K. YMMV. No question I'd have been burning kerosene a lot faster if I'd gone to AMF, but for me the extra time was worth what I perceive to be a better QOL. A lot of that had to do with my desire to stay in the midsouth/midwest, though. I certainly wouldn't try to talk anyone out of going to AMF, but neither would I say that FLX is time spent spinning your wheels. As usual, it all comes down to priorities, etc.

Now, thread hijack over!

 

[DirtyBeech]

Boris,
that wasn't a dig at flight express though I don't understand the point of taking a stepping stone job in order to get another stepping stone job. The point of the post was to show that there aren't well paying jobs for low time entry level pilots unless you just get very lucky.

It's not like you can't make decent money at AMF either. My best year as a Metro captain earned me 48k and I know some of the Bro captains were making WELL over that.

Having said that the flying skills and decision making you learn as a freight dog pays off in spades when you take the next step. Trust me on that.

 

[woog315]

Boris,
that wasn't a dig at flight express though I don't understand the point of taking a stepping stone job in order to get another stepping stone job.

I think that's where the two camps in this thread don't see eye to eye. Maybe the guys who chased a decent paycheck instead of big planes just thought of it as a "decent paying job where I get to fly a plane" and aren't too worried about getting to a major or fractional ASAP.

The route Boris took might take him a couple of years longer to get to a top tier job, but he will have worked several interesting "low-level" jobs along the way and will always have made a decent paycheck that allows him to enjoy his life away from work. These regional guys will get to a major a little quicker (maybe) but they'll have to spend several years of their lives making near poverty-level wages. Ameriflight seems somewhere in between the two, which is why I'm interested in it. I guess its a matter of priorites.

 

[Linetech]

Not true, she said that when he called, she wasn't at a computer but CRP was VFR at last check. Our dispatchers don't just sit in an office, they have other duties and she wasn't able to give him a weather briefing. That is why he called FSS.

CRP might have been VMC but it was enroute wether which was the problem. As it sounds, you think we just sit up here in "our tower" and watch the planes on the screen. Any one who has been to BUR during the night operation knows we are out on the ramp with everbody else.

And why did he call BUR and not DFW? The flight was not under BUR's control. The fact is the pilot was not experienced and he was looking for someone with the same inexperience to tell him what he wanted to hear. The route I advised him to take, would have only added 5 minutes to the flight and did not require him to take on more fuel than standard. If he needed more fuel, then he had less than standard fuel on the aircraf and that needs to be addressed.
BTW, he ended up flying the exact route DFW advised him to take, and he did not take on extra fuel.

OK under our operations manual, It has Tropical Depression under Severe Weather, Why I do not know. Anyways it states: "Alert BUR Dispatch when Potential weather conditions are developing.
If communications with BUR are interrupted, the local station manager is authorized to take whatever steps are necessary"

As for the Inexperience, Someone with 20yrs here, said its a no go. He may have flew the route DFW advised him to take but if i remember correctly he departed some hour & a half later, it was about 0700-0730 our time.

DFW asked him why he wasn't leaving because no one called and told DFW he had delayed the flight. DFW, per DHL's request, then called back later and asked if he would consider departing north and fly around the edge of the weather. Keep in mind, the weather had only gotten closer and it was still safe to depart

DFW was notified, I personaly did not do it, but heard she was, DHL was also notified by us. The reason DFW had a heart attack about it was, the base manager was not there yet, and got upset about it. Per DHL request at the time it would be fine to wait it out, rather than go out around it.

Actually, you don't know the whole story, you only know what you where told and your characterization of what happened is inaccurate. Next time you want to air what you think is dirty laundry, get your facts straight.
The fact is, the pilot was asked to fly with in all AMF guidelines and not once was he asked to do anything unsafe. He didn't want to depart because he could see lightning. Well, I have news for you, in Texas, if it is dark and there is lightning, you can see it for 50 to 100 miles.

Actually I DO, I got the intinal call from the pilot, I stayed from the first call untill he departed. So I was here, I did not here the story from another DX, or another pilot.

That may be the fact that you can see Lightning 50-100 miles away. The point is, the pilot did not want to depart, weather other pilots would do it or not is Irrivliant. There are some pilots here would would fly through a hurrican. I can give my opnion, tips and facts, but the pilot has the final say, not us, not mangment, not FSS.

 

[EatSleepFly]

I have a novel idea, Linetech, why not drop it? Or is there some reason you want to air out internal issues in public? You're making a mountain out of a molehill. It's done and over with, lessons learned, blah blah blah. I see no reason why it should be spelled out play by play on here.

Now go back to your tower and watch me on the screen.

 

[Popeye0537]

I think that's where the two camps in this thread don't see eye to eye. Maybe the guys who chased a decent paycheck instead of big planes just thought of it as a "decent paying job where I get to fly a plane" and aren't too worried about getting to a major or fractional ASAP.

The route Boris took might take him a couple of years longer to get to a top tier job, but he will have worked several interesting "low-level" jobs along the way and will always have made a decent paycheck that allows him to enjoy his life away from work. These regional guys will get to a major a little quicker (maybe) but they'll have to spend several years of their lives making near poverty-level wages. Ameriflight seems somewhere in between the two, which is why I'm interested in it. I guess its a matter of priorites.

Near poverty levels for years of my life? No chance, first year was hard but I was making the same that I made at AMF for my first year there(24K). Second year I made more at the regionals(39K), and my third and forth year hear I've made more then I ever could have at AMF(70K). Every year that payscale goes up and I aquire another week of vacation. If you stay as an FO your pay is not that good but the only regional that has no movement is Eagle. I don't like commuting that much anymore, but I equate it to the long drive I used to take to BUR to get to work.

 

[Linetech]

I have a novel idea, Linetech, why not drop it? Or is there some reason you want to air out internal issues in public? You're making a mountain out of a molehill. It's done and over with, lessons learned, blah blah blah. I see no reason why it should be spelled out play by play on here.

Now go back to your tower and watch me on the screen.

oh I so so wanted to keep it internal. But someone else threw it out there, plus I don't like being called a liar or what not.

last post about it no matter whats said. PM me HA HA

 

[jaxpilot]

The reason I chose flight express is that I would get to stay in the town I was living in and have family in (jacksonville) while making 40k my first year. I get every weekend and holiday off (every day the banks are closed) and am home every night. I like having a life outside of aviation. After a year here I will have 2500TT and 500ME which will qualify for a jet charter job in the area for a few years and then a fractional, which is my career goal. Some guys would rather crappy pay/QOL and bigger airplanes, not me, Im only 22 and have plenty of time.