ahem, as a former Atlas scheduler
Whaledriver is on point as usual, and although I sympathize with JT he has no clue how hard the "SR" guys work. They've earned their stripes. I've said it a million times the newer pilots just don't know what the SR Atlas pilots went through, the amount of flying they've done, days they've been extended into (ABSOLUTELY they get extended EVERY month), how many holidays/birthdays/special occasions they SR pilots have missed. Most people think that schedulers don't care about the pilots, maybe alot of the newer schedulers don't. But I was at Atlas for quite some time, and naturally I established a good working relationship with most of the crewmembers.
Does that mean from time to time I didn't hang up the phone and curse them out, of course I did. But the business model that is Atlas is a monster, they chew up EVERYONE and spit them out. I'm getting off topic, so I'll just say out of the airlines I've been with, including the one I'm with now no one comes close to those SR Atlas pilots, they make everyone else look like punks. I've never seen any pilots work as hard, as long or roll with the punches and the ever changing flight schedule like they do. For the most part they are older, but they work circles around these new pilots that are in their 30's-40's. Of course as a father I understand what the newer guys are feeling being away from their families so long, but like or not that is Atlas, and it will never stop being that way.
Quite honestly, customers come and go but they generally come back to Atlas because no other company has the crews, work rules or infrastructure to adapt to the constant changes the marketing department pushes on the GCC. Sadly, I was told that 40 crewmembers were furloughed this week, more to come. And what makes Atlas so successful is how hard those pilots work, quite simply they make it happen, beyond all logic and reason they just make it happen.....it always amazed me