Night freight article on the Flying magazine

[captainabcdefg]

Hi guys, I had a glance at the Flying magazine today and saw an article on night freight pilots.

I am wondering if anyone could shed some light on what the job is like, what sort of experience you need to have and what are some of the operators people can apply?

Thanks for your time and any comment would be much appreciated.

[apache]

your spelling sems quite good!

[mostlytossas]

Yes, and nicely laid out using three short paragraphs:)

[scardycap]

Go to bed at 10pm. Get up at Midnight sign on by 1am. Get to bed by about 7am and spend the day in a motel.
Sign on at 5pm and get home around 10pm.
That's what we do anyway.
Ya two best friends are your A/H and weather radar cause you don't see too much else.

Not a bad gig though there are worse jobs out there:ok:

[3 Holer]

Best kept secret in the aviation industry!

Drive to and from work - no traffic on the road. No delay on airways clearance, no delays taxiing due traffic, once airborne, cleared direct everywhere with no speed restrictions. No problem getting desired levels.

No Flight Attendants wanting to know "when are we getting out of this turbulence, we've just started serving!" No problems with complaining passengers.

No STARS just direct 5 mile final. Get home around 5am and sleep for a couple of hours then full day to bank, post office, shop etc,.

Every weekend OFF, every public holiday OFF and Easter / Xmas also OFF!

It's a shame to take the money!;)

[captainabcdefg]

the flying sounds pretty good. Any suggestions what are some of the operators around Australia for these sorts of flying?

Thanks :)

[sms777]

Are you one of the guys on the DHL 727?
You keep on getting in my way at Sydney.....:E

[rwy01]

Lets not talk too much guy's, I think it is the best kept secret in aviation!!

[aseanaero]

... practice howling at the moon when flying , always good for a chuckle !

Go doggies :ok:

[j3pipercub]

Capt. It all depends on how many hours you have... so how many hours do you have?

j3

[mik757]

Cobham (formerly known as) National Jets - pilots fly the Aae (Australian Air Express) freighter 146's to ADL MEL SYD BNE. They work interesting hours, but the airports arent as busy; and like someone said, the roads wouldnt be bad either!
Its very quiet, with just the 2 pilots and no crew or PAX on board. (Unless someone like myself joins them in the jumpseat!:))
In saying that too, those pilots have to bring their own food, for late dinner/early breakfast or whatever it is.

[captainabcdefg]

Thanks mik757 (http://www.pprune.org/members/293562-mik757), the flying is not bad I reckon. Any idea of what sort of hours and qualifications people would need to apply for night freight pilots? I am think the national jet entry would be pretty high standard in terms of hours and qualifications cause they fly jets, what about other smaller operators?

Again, thank you all for the inputs. :)

[mik757]

This is Cobhams Line Pilot minimum requirements page.
Cobham (Australia) Recruitment: Attention (http://www.bfound.net/det-entry.aspx?jobid=48682&CoId=267&rq=5)

Im not too sure about other smaller operators.However, possibly smaller, TOLL is also a well known freighter company. I looks as though they're operated by Jetcraft aviation;
Jetcraft Aviation (http://www.tollaviation.com/employment.htm)

Im not sure how many hours you have, but both seem to require high hour pilots. I guess it cant hurt to apply anyways. :)

I hope that helps.

[Metro man]

Pros:
Lots of time off.
As already stated WRT to being quieter on the roads and in the air. I flew one holding patten in seven years :)

Cons:
Unusual work hours
Job security not as good
No pax airline perks
3.OOam, mid winter, freight apron in Melbourne. Would you rather be there or home in bed ?;)

Great job IF you can take the unusual hours.

[Howard Hughes]

I'd be keen if I could find an operator in Sydney that paid decent money, I'm out most nights anyway.:E

A three holer would be nice...;)

[TWOTBAGS]

Night freight……… the best of times…… the worst of times.

Up and down the east coast in a Queenair, summer and the build ups, winter and the ice praying that you got to Eildon Weir without having to use max power to maintain height and 27 was active.

Then the Metro, well a bit better you could sometimes get over or around it better and the extra speed meant you got home before sun up….well in winter at least.

Europe in a turboprop as well……. You don’t realize how good you had it at home in oz until you see the build up of ice……behind the boots! Cold wet. Cold wet always grey……….

Made you want to go back to the donga in the back of the Ansett freight shed in Melbourne and sleep.

Until the crackle power 727 left for Perth.

Half of what I do now is night freight in a way, back of the clock ferry to somewhere to deliver a plane for someone else.

[tio540]

In reality. Start at 1700 hours, depart at 1800 hours, land at 0030 hours. Half way there. Drink coffee until 0230 hours and fly till 0600 hours. Get home at 0700 hours and start again at 1700 hours.

The only thing missing is ILS to the minima after 12 hours duty, hand flying the whole time. You don't know what fatigue is until you do a circling approach single engine, limited panel, inverter failure, at night after 9 hours duty.

Oh and an engine fire.
:)
Nah, I just kidding.

[aviator's_anonymous]

In saying that too, those pilots have to bring their own food, for late dinner/early breakfast or whatever it is.

Actually... onboard catering is provided for the night freighter pilots :)

[Stationair8]

Whatever happened to the Excabilur Queenair VH-XAE that plied the night freight trade on the East Coast?

[Capn Bloggs]

I think it's over here now.

[sms777]

Quote:
"Whatever happened to the Excalibur Queenair VH-XAE......"

Got sold to a Perth operator about 5 years ago flying nightfreight to Port Headland and back to Perth. I has been sitting idle for a few months now due to expired spar life :sad:
Used to fly it in it's heydays along the East Coast.

:ok:

[Stationair8]

What's the spar life on the Queenair?
Perth to Port Headland that would be few hours flying, would want a good autopilot and a GPS!
Did the Excabilur Queenairs carry a better payload than the standard Queenairs?

[sms777]

VH-XAE is B80 and have a spar life of only 11,000 hrs. The sad thing is that it is only applicable in Australia.
It is a very well equipped ship with autopilot, GPS, dual instruments, even dual transponder and quality avionics. The previous owner spent thousands of dollars on it, even fitted a crewdoor.
It would carry 1200 kg with 2.5 hrs fuel plus reserves at 185 kts. Being naturally aspirated it would run out of puff above 10k though.

[nomorecatering]

Why is it that for the last 5 or 6 articles in Aust Flyingabout night freight ops, its allways a chick pilot.

One would be forgiven thinking only chicks get a gig.

[TWOTBAGS]

I did nearly 300 hrs in XAE, about 20 during daylight and even 1 pax charter for the Bathurst 1000!

Small world. Crayfish to St Helens anyone?

[porch monkey]

You mean FROM St Helens, don't you? Sure our paths crossed once or twice.....

[sms777]

The Bathurst 1000 was a desperate measure for a freighter simply because Bankstown just ran out of aircrafts to hire. Pax hated XAE because the windows were so badly scratched up you could hardly see out. I spent all saturday ferrying people to Bathurst in another aircraft, what a weekend that was. It will never happen again.....:sad:
Did the St. Helens run a few times in XAE.... I am sure i do know both of you guys.

:ok:

[Unusual-Attitude]

Why is it that for the last 5 or 6 articles in Aust Flying about night freight ops, its always a chick pilot.

One would be forgiven thinking only chicks get a gig.

Small 'chick' pilot = light weight = more payload.

Happens a fair bit, though you probably won't be told that was the reason you didn't get the gig when it's gone to another 'more qualified applicant', ie '20 kilos lighter you!'

See 'Too Heavy to work' post.

[Triple Captain]

There once was a no chick policy with a freight mob from southern NSW...

[twodogsflying]

Also, best way to join the mile high club and renew membership each year and get paid for it!

[Stationair8]

Wonder whatever happened to Mitsi that flew the C310 out of YSBK for Western Airlines back in the 90's?

[TWOTBAGS]

Of course I meant from St Helens, I think my brain said to St Helens for Crayfish. but here in DXB my fingers did not do it!

Best one I ever had was leaving BK at 3am to get to St Helens at first light....... wake up the whole of western Sydney with a left turn on track and SYD radar says, XAE, would you like a radar heading for destination, then cleared direct HGD 186 (or close enough).

I tell you it worked out almost spot on!

Some good times were had.:}

[Jet_A_Knight]

That bird used to run on noise.:E

[Chief Erwin]

XAE and AEQ were the only exaliburs in the country.
Nice machines to work on, spar life was the killer.
The company that operated them was Air Eastern, they had a few other queen-airs RUU, AMQ some other ones i cant quite remember.
I modified theexhausts on the one out of Adelaide to linclon to try and meet the noise regulations, but like the 3 holer near impossible.
Those were the good old days

[TWOTBAGS]

The noise maker.....:}

http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z96/redlum5x5/Vh-XAE.jpg

[Area QNH is...]

Wow, seeing that photo brought back some great memories :)
I did around 200 hours in it along the east coast many moons ago!
Awesome aircraft to fly!

[Walrus 7]

Nomorecatering,

I can't answer for the other articles, but Natalie was one of only two pilots on the night when the photo shoot was done for this one. The other gentleman didn't want his name in the feature because he was concerned it might jeopardise his chances of getting a right-hand seat on a heavy. I needed quotes to be attributable to a name, and that meant Natalie. There was nothing sinister or sexist or anything else about it.

Steve Hitchen
Senior Contributor
Australian Flying

aka Walrus 7