Considering Ameriflight interview; could use some answers/input

Flugzeugfhrer E-man

Flugzeugfhrer E-man

New Member
Hey everyone,

So, I finally decided to apply somewhere that might actually hire me and Ameriflight has been replying pretty promptly to my application. I've got some questions to answer before I waste anyone's time with interviewing me. I have read a lot of the threads on the site, some just confuse the hell out of me, a lot answered the basics (thank you).

**Most importantly...is there going to be expansion/opening at the Miami Base? A mechanic was telling me so, even gave me the chief pilot's number...and then I decided to apply out of curiosity.

1. Would I be able to commute to/from Cincinatti -Miami(that's where the recruiter wrote they would need me)
2. How much does a crashpad/room cost in the cincinnatti area
3. What's an actual expected number of flight hours a month
4. Do you get paid more if you overfly a certain amount of hours (I see only salary listed on the web)
4. Work 5 days always? Any bidding for routes to reduce the number of days, that kind of thing (I'm clueless about bidding, since I've never done that)
5.Do I even stand a chance of eventually getting based in Miami (I read on here about one guy who kept bidding on a station/plane and never got it so he and a buddy left)

I hope to be able to keep the job and still live in Miami...believe me if I could afford rent on my own I'd of been out ages ago.

My background:
Been a CFI 4 years, Corporate Piston twin in Aerostar 2.5 years (got 70hours PC-12 before I was canned), ATP-2500 TT, 1000Multi

Current situation: now flying Part 135 In PA-31's (mostly freight). The pay is pretty good, $2500 guarantee a month and I have been doing well so far. So, this is what has always kept me from the regionals, money. I could not live on less than $36k a year away from Miami. I'm used to the 12-14hrs duty days and average 4-7hrs flight a day...so it will not be anything new to me. Mostly, I crave that Turbine PIC time. I'm sick of walking the airports, talking with C.P's, D.O's and other pilots who tell me about some kid that sold out for $2000 or less/month with much less time than I have and getting the job I want in a small/med jet SIC for Part 91...so I know I need to move around and fly turbine, but pay is always a critical factor in anywhere I work. I have established the fact that Corporate is all about networking, but my networking hasn't worked yet and I need to look at alternatives. I keep my head up and regularly visit airports and FBO's with resumes in hand and a smile on my face to the ones nice enough to take 2 minutes to listen. Only other option that has come up so far is Silver Airways, only if they hire me as captain though (pay/PIC time of course).

Aspirations: maybe the majors and FEDEX, UPS; but am really in love with Corporate above all. I need some time to finish my 4 year degree if I continue for the majors. Skipping the regionals at all costs is a huge goal of mine..unsure if it's feasible.



Thank you to anyone who reads this and replies. Please keep in mind that I'm not too familiar with most of your acronyms for things you regularly discuss in your posts. I'm trying to make a decision before the weekend.
 
I don't work for AMF but I did work UPS feeders and I was around a lot of amflighters in dallas.

1. Somewhere between absolutely not and don't count on it. Amflight runs are outstation based and you can only reliably jump on SWA. You might be able to swing it but you'd end up using your "2.5" days off commuting and would only be home for maybe 24 hours if youre lucky.
2. You can get a roommate situation for $400-500 a month, so slightly less than that.
3. It varies, but from what I've seen from AMF an average around be 30-40 hours a month.
4a. That I do not know, I know you get paid more if you have an asian autopilot.
4b. Some runs are 4 days, most are not.
5. Someone who works at AMF would better answer this.
 
1. Commuting almost never works for AMF pilots that I've seen. The schedule just makes it too tough. Yeah we can jumpseat on Southwest, but that doesn't guarantee you'll make it to work on time.
2. Probably not that much. But that I don't know.
3. Depends on the run, but 40-60 hours a month is about right. I think the PR based aircraft fly more block hours per day than any other location at this point.
4. Not that I'm aware. The idea is that they pay you for a 40 hour work week and that number is only increased if you happen to do something extra for the company outside of the normal work day (i.e. getting the oil changed on the crew car), get a 10 unit run/line, or some other bizarre circumstance that might come up. But generally speaking, you can work up to a 16 hour duty and they will only pay you the standard 8 hours (they call them units) at your normal rate
4. Some schedules are only 4 days a week (still earning the 40 unit paycheck), you can/do bid for your schedule/line, but as you might imagine the cushiest schedules go to the pilots with the most seniority.
5. Anything's possible. I honestly don't know the situation there, but having been at the company for a year, I have no recollection of ever seeing a Miami bid open up. I suspect it's probably very senior.

I mentioned this in the other thread, but consider this when making your decision: You say you want to end up at the majors or corporate? How valuable do you think single-pilot, steam gauge cargo flying will be to that end? Yeah, apparently some AMFers go straight to the majors after years of working here, but an awful lot of them end up going to the regionals anyway. There's something to be said for CRM, FMS and 121 experience going forward in your career.

Corporate's similar- 99 time ain't King Air time. Most of the job openings I see want time in type. Plus, you have to be presentable and be a master of customer service for your pax. If you've been flying boxes around while wearing Dickies, corporate flight departments might be weary.

Some people love it here. But honestly, given your pre-requisites, I doubt you'd want to fly here. Just my 2 cents.
 
I work for AMF and I wouldn't go to Cincy if I were you. If you wan't to end up at a regional don't waste your time just find one and forget AMF. If you wan't corporate or charter in your future than its the place for you. Cal Goat what base are you?
 
Dang, thanks guys....

Cal: I didn't think of the FMS/121 angle...guess it's something to consider. If I could find a corporate gig without a type rating, I'd be there now. I didn't want to sound cocky or let on that I may be buying the bs so far, but I asked the recruiter specifically for the Metroliner and Miami...she wrote that Miami was not an option at the moment but initial base offered would be CVG in the Metroliner. I have been itching to build time in that thing for a while; and figured it'd be good for the resume. Unfortunately the only one that flies it here is IBC and I've never been a fan of their pay. I got the idea about transitioning back to corporate because I've read over a few times of guys going to corporate after AMF or being offered corporate jobs (guess it's something to do with the type of flying, schedules and workload).Your comment about my times and not wanting to fly there got me thinking...could you elaborate? I absolutely cannot do the regionals at the moment (maybe next year)...just loans to pay and getting financially ready to make peanuts is the delay. I guess it doesn't make sense why a guy like me hasn't gone regional yet huh? I'm afraid of racking up too much twin piston pic time and having employers wonder what's wrong with me or why hasn't anyone hired me (background, knowledge, etc).

Thanks Spira for the info on #1...never done commuting and now it seems like that's not an option. 30-60 hours a month isn't much...I've been doing 70,120,110,90, 90 since I started the year...and I wouldn't want to hang around for more than 2 years to break 1000TPIC. Sounds like a lot of sitting around and running the duty clock.

Jay: Cinci is that bad huh? I'm not trying to get a regional job while I can still breathe...but it seems to be the only way ahead unfortunately. I only started thinking about the Major Cargo carriers after starting to get disillusioned with the Part 91 job hunt...seems like a good goal to shoot for. Corporate is my dream.

What about that guy telling me they're going to be competing with IBC for more out of Miami with the metro's? Guess it was just another rumor huh? Well, it was enough to get me thinking...
 
Dude I can honestly say if I were you I would absolutely consider AMF. If they are offering to put you straight into a metro, no matter where you are based, take it. Even a Beech 99 to start. AMF is a decent company to work for, you will build time fast, and yes you will likely be able to get MIA or at least SJU in the future, particularly if you can show them you are from the area and won't get shot because you walked into the wrong neighborhood. I worked there for a while and loved it, it got me the TPIC time I needed to move on to a great job. Another consideration is that many corporate operators are VERY anti 121. This seems silly and some will disagree with me, but I believe there's a real animosity with many corporate folks about this, it's unfortunate but true. AMF is great time and I've seen a lot of Amflight pilots move into great corporate jobs. Commuting isn't really possible, but you could probably go home on some weekends and such if Southwest goes where you need to go. Find a cheap place to stay, deal with it for a bit and go home as much as possible, and try to get based where you want ASAP. I think it's a great move. If you want any more info I'd be happy to provide as much as I can, but I say go for it.
 
I agree with Dan208B. From what I've heard hiring straight into the Metro is not very common, and I'd jump at the chance to take it wherever it's offered. From what I've heard from friends who fly there: wake up early in the morning, fly to an outstation, hang out for a bunch of hours, fly back to your base late in the evening and get home very late at night. Do that for 5 or 6 days a week. That doesn't seem like a commutable schedule to me, but like they said maybe you could SWA it home for 24 hours per weekend.

I'd say if moving out of Miami is the only thing holding you back, just do it. Even at major airlines bases open and close and sometimes you might have to move (especially for improved QOL). Dan might be right though that you could have the local edge over the competition, and SJU sounds like it would be an adventure for sure!

If you're concerned about taking the job because of the pay, and being able to continue paying off loans... well that's a problem...
Don't they say Miami has a super high cost of living though? So relocating to a base in a cheaper area might help out with that a little bit, but maybe I'm just looking at the glass half full. :)
 
I'm 2.5 years removed from AMF so some may have changed. CVG is different than most AMF bases. It's not your typical UPS runs. From what I hear they may have picked up a few out of there. The thing I experienced was constant change. My outstation/schedule always changed so it was hard to commute. When I first went there it was 3 on 1 off which actually was very commutable and I loved it. By the end I was 6 on 1 off and they changed my outstation the 7th time in 6 month and I flipped them the bird. They like bringing in guys who can take the abuse because they are happy to be building TPIC. I had the time and just needed a job and didn't need to take it just for my logbook. The other thing to consider that if you are trying to commute out of CVG you have to either drive to IND or SDF since Southwest doesn't fly into CVG. The drive isn't horrible but you gotta have reliable transportation to make that happen. If you are at an outstation and commute out of there it may be better.
 
I'm just saying from what other pilots have said about cincy. I know Mike was there and I think KLB is still there he would be your best for contact. I really depends on what base you get for me it's been great with some sucky times with some great flying experience gotta run ups is here
 
Just remember the street captain fail out rate for the metro is on par with NASA's astronaut program. I'd seriously consider this in the pro/cons list.
 
jhugz said:
Just remember the street captain fail out rate for the metro is on par with NASA's astronaut program. I'd seriously consider this in the pro/cons list.
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The important thing is to study. They aren't trying to fail anyone, they are trying to make sure that if you're going to go fly a metro around by yourself, that you're really ready to do it. They've had more than one person kill themselves and they don't want to let it happen again. I don't blame them. The metro isn't an easy airplane and shouldn't be taken lightly. However, it's a great airplane and a lot of fun if you're willing to put in the effort during training.
 
jhugz said:
Just remember the street captain fail out rate for the metro is on par with NASA's astronaut program. I'd seriously consider this in the pro/cons list.
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We were 4/4 in our class. All off the street. Then again I was lowest time with 3500 hours.
 
Street captains are not failing out like crazy. If that were the case, the pilot population at AMF wouldn't be so pissed off at all the street captains we have.
 
Dan208B said:
... particularly if you can show them you are from the area and won't get shot because you walked into the wrong neighborhood....
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What does that have to do with anything? They put people in bases because of seniority and necessity.

Maurus said:
He is stuck in a very slow moving base.
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Some people characterize it as dying. And I'm not stuck here. I just prefer the location and AMF's incentives are not worth it to me to relocate.

mikecweb said:
They like bringing in guys who can take the abuse because they are happy to be building TPIC. I had the time and just needed a job and didn't need to take it just for my logbook. The other thing to consider that if you are trying to commute out of CVG you have to either drive to IND or SDF since Southwest doesn't fly into CVG. The drive isn't horrible but you gotta have reliable transportation to make that happen. If you are at an outstation and commute out of there it may be better.
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Very good point. I was talking to a coworker today who had been talking to some Southwest pilots who told him that turbo-prop PIC no longer mattered as much as jet PIC. Granted, not everyone wants to go to the majors or Southwest, but it does beg the question what's the value of 1000 TPIC in single pilot, steam gauge equipment for further career advancement? As I mentioned before, the guys running the flight department in Burbank told my indoc class that "any regional would hire us after working for AMF". That seems to be their reality.

Good time building, yes, but what kind of time? If you have 135 mins, you can still go to a regional and make crappy pay like you would get at AMF except that you're going to be getting
-CRM experience which matters to just about any professional pilot job that pays well.
-FMS and glass experience which is already the standard for any job that we would want in the future (121 or corporate) and only going to become more relevant in the future.
-More money after 2 years.
-Airline benefits on more airlines and your family can fly too.

Inverted said:
Street captains are not failing out like crazy. If that were the case, the pilot population at AMF wouldn't be so pissed off at all the street captains we have.
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Yeah buddy, but you would only take the upgrade if it happened here. And if our now-most-senior Metro pilot gets another job and your indoc roommate gets the upgrade, you'll be flying that 99 for years. I'm just saying that given the situations that arise, I get why they would hire off the street into the Metro.

Just my opinion, but AMF no longer offers benefits that can be reconciled with their QOL. As I type this, I am sitting in a dingy crew apartment (because this job has such high turnover, no one takes care of these places) with dingy old furniture falling apart that the company will NOT replace (I've had them bitch at me for expensing too many cleaning supplies). A crew car is rotting away at another layover because the company refuses to pay $500 to fix an oil leak, so now another pilot has to pick me up during his "rest" period because we only have one crew car for 2 flights that arrive at different times. Meanwhile, some FO at a regional is resting in a reasonably clean hotel room.

I probably sound angry or bitter with the company, but I'm not really. It's a good operation. Undoubtedly the best 135 company in America from what I can see. But it doesn't fit my particular needs and just based on the OP's stated requirements for a job, I doubt it's what he's looking for either.
 
Cal Goat said:
Undoubtedly the best 135 company in America from what I can see.
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That's quite insulting to a lot of 135 ops. You have to remember, there's more than freight in the 135 world. Also more than charter. Best UPS feeder? Maybe. I've heard encore is better and have no experience or have heard much of anything from the east coast guys.
 
z987k said:
That's quite insulting to a lot of 135 ops. You have to remember, there's more than freight in the 135 world. Also more than charter. Best UPS feeder? Maybe. I've heard encore is better and have no experience or have heard much of anything from the east coast guys.
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Fair enough. I'll qualify it as "one of the best" and base that on operational reach and safety record.
 
One of the best freight companies? Maybe.

But it's a place to get some time at and move on. The quick upgrade to turbine time is the selling point, and they can't be trusted to give you that.
 
Dan208B said:
Dude I can honestly say if I were you I would absolutely consider AMF. If they are offering to put you straight into a metro, no matter where you are based, take it. Even a Beech 99 to start. AMF is a decent company to work for, you will build time fast, and yes you will likely be able to get MIA or at least SJU in the future, particularly if you can show them you are from the area and won't get shot because you walked into the wrong neighborhood. I worked there for a while and loved it, it got me the TPIC time I needed to move on to a great job. Another consideration is that many corporate operators are VERY anti 121. This seems silly and some will disagree with me, but I believe there's a real animosity with many corporate folks about this, it's unfortunate but true. AMF is great time and I've seen a lot of Amflight pilots move into great corporate jobs. Commuting isn't really possible, but you could probably go home on some weekends and such if Southwest goes where you need to go. Find a cheap place to stay, deal with it for a bit and go home as much as possible, and try to get based where you want ASAP. I think it's a great move. If you want any more info I'd be happy to provide as much as I can, but I say go for it.
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Think about this part very carefully if you even want to consider corporate. The majority, I'm talking 9 out of 10 or maybe even 99 out of 100(if I ever talk to 100 people) captains from corporate departments that I've talked to will NOT hire airline pilots. John Deere, 3M, and HON(to name some big timers) will throw your resume in the trash if there's an airline on it. Even if you're dating the chief pilot's daughter.

Networking changes most things in aviation and what I've said above is not true with certainty for EVERY part 91 operator. But the nature of the two jobs is so night and day that most corporate/charter operations just don't take the risk. The ONLY reason AMF guys(or any turbine freight pilot) aren't going straight to the majors anymore is because there's just not enough jobs to go around. I mean, why even interview a freight guy when there's 1000s of CRJ captains waiting in line with experience more relevant. Particularly, CRM time. If anyone hasn't noticed, freight dogs don't exactly have the most stellar reputation with the 121 people. Most stereo-types are completely false, but the negativity is still there. If you were to get on the brazilia at AMF, that MIGHT give you a slightly better chance as that is a 2 crew airplane.

That being said, AMF is pretty highly regarded on the GA side of the airport. I've worked the numbers in many different ways, you'll make a hell of a lot more money in your career doing AMF->corporate. Only the lucky ones that end up doing FedEx or UPS make more.
 
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