Hello :)
Hello Steve , ( BEWARE , LONG POST )
Having looked and read about many areas and topics ( many from PPRUNE ) about flying freight and how to get into the freight flying industry , i have found ... :
Drawbacks :
The ratings you must have and usually the experience you have is the exact same as if you were applying for a job with a major european / international airline. So freight isnt usually easier to get into if you are interested in flying the heavy jet freighters or anything.
Very much fewer sponsorships or part-sponsors are available in the Freight industry , and there are really only a few for passenger flying anyway , so it near-impossible to be sponsored by a Freight airline.
A Perk and Drawback at the same time :
The main difference between passenger flying and freight is the TIMES , Type of aircraft , destinations and veriety of flying.
- TIME : Passengers operations mainly take place during the day , and have " rushes " on certain days. Freight flying , you could be starting a shift at 19:00 ( ! ) , for a long-haul ( or a group of small flights ) around the world ( or U.K ) , so the mail / freight is on the doorstep of the people who want it by the next morning. Also , like a passenger airline , your weekend could fall on a tuesday and wednesday , and you could be working through the weekend.
- Aircraft :Cargo doesnt care if it flies in the biggest , safest aircraft or with the best rated airline. So , often cargo operators feel no change in aircraft is needed , and operate small , turbo-propeller aircraft , relatively old and not the most comfortable or " coolest " aircraft at the airport.
- Destinations : Unlike charter or scheduled passenger operations , contracters dont always want cargo delivered to Zurich , London , Cape Town , so some places you could be operating into airports you have never heard of , with very little commercial traffic flying into them.
- Veriety : Like the above topic , one day you could be delivering washing machines ( or similar ) at luton , very busy , then same time one week later , you could be delivering a couple of stacks of newspapers to the Isle Of Man , after which you are off to Geurnsey on a re-positioning flight. Which will also mean , 9:00am , you have a full aircraft at maximum take-off weight , then take-off from Isle Of Man the aircraft handles very different , as it is empty execpt for fuel.
Perks :
The pay for flying freight for a major freight airline is the same as flying for a major euroopean / international airline = you get good money flying for a main airline.
Like Veriety , pilots who like the excitment of working different hours , unsure of where they will be in a weeks time ( airport wise ) , what cargo they will be carrying , it is very diffucult stuff and really builds your experience quickly , with ATC / traffic density and aircraft handling characteristics changing all the time.
The freight airlines are generally very stable , like with the passsenger airlines. As long as you research the airline you are applying to , with a good cargo airline , you will get payed on time , the rosters will not change without a certain notice period and it will be a friendly and fun enviroment to work in.
Overall :
I am sure some of this information is a little ( or alot ) " out of date " or just very wrong. But there are many topics similar here , take a look in the Freight Forum and look back and i am sure there will be much more to read about.
Good Luck
Hope this helps
Calum