Day in life of a Ameriflight cargo pilot?
 

Hi,

I was wondering if Ameriflight pilots could share their story on how their average day at work is like.

Thanks! :)

Your question is best asked in a more US-centric website. You can start here if you haven't seen it already:

https://forums.jetcareers.com/thread...flight.247815/

Trying to help a friend. His son almost has 1200TT and has been doing all VFR aerial survey. He's about to have all 135 requirements to apply to Ameriflight, Bemedji, and other single pilot 135 night freight operators. How realistic is it that they can take someone with 10hrs multi and 80 IFR and put them in a Beech 1900. What things does he need to focus on going into an interview etc. Thanks for any input.

Skip ameriflight and tell him to go straight to an AA wholly owned regional Envoy, Piedmont or PSA

Single pilot night freight is not something I'd recommend anybody despite the 'die-hards' that will tell you it will make you a "real" pilot.
Why not try Planesense and fly multi crew with boat loads of approaches and IMC flying.

B2N2 ~ I heartily agree. After all the hours were built and you'd scared yourself to death but survived, you could move on & up. It certainly built a wealth of experience but only because you HAD to do it and the wealth was a byproduct. Take the safer option if your objective is to fly heavy, multi crew metal. If you're an adventurer/ sadomasochist/ stick & rudder lover, then try night freight!

OK, great advise! He is still working on his associate aviation degree online and I've been telling him to find something to fill in the gap to the 1500 mark. Without having his degree finished will the top shelf regionals look at him? I read horror stories on the prune about places like Mesa :eek:

Nothing wrong with small steps.
Albeit a single engine but the PC-12 that Plane Sense uses is no kids toy.
Cruise on in the low 20's at 275-300 TAS is a big enough step from SE piston.
Stay a year and build 600-700 hrs multi crew, all XC, and a ton of take off and landings.
Keep in mind you can fail a type rating ( even at a Regional) if you're woefully underprepared or simply lack the skill connected to experience.

Heavy Equipment Operator:

You friend does not need a bachelors degree until the day of his interview at a legacy carrier.
I understand that Southwest Airlines has dropped their requirement of a bachelors and will now accept an associates degree.
If he is working on his associates degree, then he should continue it all the way to bachelors.

On-line is fine, and flying night freight is a fine way of getting there.
UPS has just announced a flow thru agreement with Ameriflight, as has Allegant Airlines.
I don't see how these type of programs would make me want to stick with the Ameriflight life style.
There are simply too many other opportunities you'd be passing up along the way.
You'd be placing all your eggs in one basket, (I just mis-typed casket for basket. Maybe it was more a subliminal thing) on the hopes of a job at a flow thru airline.

If he had started flying in the right seat of a two pilot cargo plane at 250 hours, and upgraded to captain at 1200, then I'd be happy with his progress.
Like McNealy SA-227s or Air Cargo Carriers SD-360s.
But he has missed this valuable opportunity.

So what would I recommend he do is.
Just wait until 1500 and go with the regionals.
There are plenty of flight instructors with restricted ATPs and 1000 hours who make it into the right seat of a CRJ, so I'm sure your friend will do just fine.

If he wants to move up now to jets, a better move would be somewhere like IFL Group with FA-20s.
IFL is the kind of company you can stay and grow with.
I believe they have big plans for the future.

But first it would be best to decide if you want Delta/American/United or FedEx/UPS.
I feel that a separation of the two sides of the industry is becoming more prevalent.
Well it actually three sides of the industry, as airlines like JetBlue prefer NexJets type people most.

It's time for everyone to start thinking where you want to end up at.
And position yourself at the most compatible carrier.

I saw the funniest thing ever.
A Delta captain was talking to a regional captain and said.
"Do you want to work for Delta someday?"
The answer he got shocked him.
"No, your job is just like mine. I want to work for FedEx or UPS and do a 12 day around the world trip and be off the rest of the month."
The look on the Delta captains face was priceless.

My calling card reads "'adventurer/ sadomasochist/ stick & rudder lover" I found towing signs great fun. Teaching multi to freshly minted COM pilots in my Apache and then 310 was good sport. Esp when operating out of a 2800 ft low rent strip.

Later I came up with a wind fall and bought a Merlin (SA226). I found so amusing that we have have a GPS approach to a 3200 foot runway with FAA approved 1000 ft touch down zone markers 1200 feet from each other.

For me in the Merlin these are go around markers. If you not firmly on the ground after touching down 95 knots with 2200 feet left your headed into the trees. BTW I have high flotation gear - and have put intentionally landed and departed from grass strips in my Merlin. I can't think of a more dissatisfying job than coddling the masses in giant tin can and having the Airport management decide if the runway is safe or not, and a dispatcher and MEL decide if my ride is up to the task.

I'm not a full blown lunatic, I normally take friend and family around on my air travels. On several memorable occasions, I've run a risk assessment and concluded that between my self, the airplane, airport facilities, and the WX that were done flying for today. To the sound of complaints of I must be a work 500 miles from here first thing tomorrow, I wan't to sleep in my own bed tonight etc. This only stiffens my resolve to park it until conditions improve. I avoid saying would you prefer dying tonight to being late to work tomorrow. The only go no go decisions that i've ever regretted are the go ones.