Ameriflight memories, trauma
- Thread starter Cal Goat
- Start date
Cal Goat
Prestige Worldwide™
I was there just over year on the Chieftain. I got offered a 99 about 9 months in, but by that time I knew I didn't want to be there anymore and wasn't interested in any additional commitment.
I don't deny that every employer has some level of BS, but as I've said time and again around these parts, my issue with AMF was the lack of growth. I saw what I perceived to be one of the best 135 cargo companies in the country not even attempting to compete with some backwater operation that was doing a shocking amount of UPS work in our region.
I saw a company that was treating its pilots almost like a pest and doing the absolute minimum to take care of our comfort on the layover. I had to bargain with our base manager to very basic crap fixed on the crew car a couple of times... to say nothing of the crew apartments themselves. At this moment I'm laying over at an Embassy Suites that offers our airline's crews free drink coupons for happy hour. Oh and of course there's free wifi (come on, AMF). It's the little things that can make a surprising difference in your overall happiness when you're in this line of work. It doesn't take much because lord knows that most of us genuinely enjoy the work itself.
spbrian
Well-Known Member
There are times that it is safely able to be done and times you learn not to or should not.... Taxiing a chieftain down a straight 75' wide parallel taxiway on a retired military base that is now a GF airport you are unable to reach up and dial in a VOR frequency with no reading of a chart due to knowledge with proper company SOP followed on the before takeoff brief by verifying your settings (time saving not having to tune, only cross check). Realizing that doing this while taxiing through snow on a BFE small airport with 30' wide taxiways is a greater risk and your full attention must be outside is called judgment.
This type of flying, in these aircraft bring a higher risk than other types of aviation jobs, you have to manage the risk while working within the regs/sop's/comfort to get the job done as efficiently as possible. Each person, depending on their experience level and time doing the job in that equipment will be able to utilize that equipment to maximize the potential.
Inverted
mmmmmm wine
Managers receptions at Embassy Suites is the best!
Seriously though, this was always the hardest for me to understand. How do you stick 6 people in a 2 bedroom apartment for 10 hours with literally nothing more than basic electricity?
EatSleepFly
Well-Known Member
Understood. Again I don't disagree but I will say that things varied greatly between bases. I'm assuming you were at OAK. I only did tdy there twice in the PA31 and found it to be my least favorite base by far. As a reference, during my time there I spent time at BUR, OAK, PDX, SLC, BFI, PHX, BIL, and CVG and flew the PA31, 99, and Metro.
Each base was kind of its own little microcosm and QOL-type things you're talking about largely depended on the local management.
I do agree with you about them being very lax about competition but I always assumed it was because we had as much business as we could handle as it was.
Inverted
mmmmmm wine
I am still convinced that there is no such thing as a 135 flight that was completed violation free. This goes for all of 135 not just AMF.
EatSleepFly
Well-Known Member
EatSleepFly
Well-Known Member
What, exactly, does that have to do with AMF? Or Part 135 at all for that matter?
People choosing not to comply with certain rules and the ability to conduct a flight entirely within them are two very different things. But I think you know that and are just being obtuse.
Inverted
mmmmmm wine
I was responding to managing risk, and how there is really no such thing as a perfect flight.
EatSleepFly
Well-Known Member
Gotcha
spbrian
Well-Known Member
There is and never will be a violation free flight, 251 seen on the airspeed indicator passing through 9999... ding here's your violation.... Did you say something about the rude pax or line guy or whatever below 10K, ding.... violation... Did you sump your jet's fuel tanks??? Ding... Violation......
It is about managing risk within the operation and the company's SOP's but knowing how to utilize various regulations/OPS-Spec's to be within the letter of the law to maximize potential.
Ever do a contact approach at Ameriflight, it's a complex OPS-Spec to follow but a useful tool when you know how to utilize it.
It is about managing risk within the operation and the company's SOP's but knowing how to utilize various regulations/OPS-Spec's to be within the letter of the law to maximize potential.
Ever do a contact approach at Ameriflight, it's a complex OPS-Spec to follow but a useful tool when you know how to utilize it.
If I wound up without a bottle, I would request and fly a slightly longer route that would keep me low enough. Not hard.
scooter2525
Very well Member
I've always wondered what the department of public health and safety would say about the crew quarters living situation.
Tommay85
Well-Known Member
Tommay85
Well-Known Member
Eh, I've heard enough stories across the board. 91, 135, 121. Everyone plays the same games. At the very least, when it comes to getting home.
Playing devil's advocate mostly...
Tommay85
Well-Known Member
You guys are spot on though with the gripes. Arguably, there's some things that are even worse in PR. We're left on our own on these islands/countries. In the worst way too. Not just customs/ATC stuff, that I actually like since I'd have to deal with that anyways if I were to do a part 91 job. But, maintenance write-ups in Venezuela for example? Lets just say, short of the wings or engines falling off. I'm NEVER writing up an airplane there ever, ever again while working for AMF. Not until that aspect changes. There's talk that dispatch/management will do more in those situations and a few others, but I'm not holding my breath.
Anyways, it's been polled a few times what it would take to get people to stay. Our turnover this year is record setting. 60k for Metro pay would probably only give me enough incentive to stay for one more year, and I bet any raise would only bring that figure to 50k. Freight just sucks... Knew that going in though. It's a place to get some flight time, diversify your resume for other operations, and GTFO. Always has been. I personally have very little intention of staying past 1500 TPIC, which is two years total in freight.
Anyways, it's been polled a few times what it would take to get people to stay. Our turnover this year is record setting. 60k for Metro pay would probably only give me enough incentive to stay for one more year, and I bet any raise would only bring that figure to 50k. Freight just sucks... Knew that going in though. It's a place to get some flight time, diversify your resume for other operations, and GTFO. Always has been. I personally have very little intention of staying past 1500 TPIC, which is two years total in freight.
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Tommay85
Well-Known Member
This is why I'll always be an advocate for freight guys over all others. Everything is all on you and I believe that is a good perspective to gain and carry with you. Even if it's not in other operations. Arguably, in some aspects, that is why freight kind of sucks...
Cal Goat
Prestige Worldwide™
Maurus
The Great Gazoo
There are three things you need to ask yourself before doing something
Is it smart?
Is it safe?
Is it legal?
If you answer no to any of those then don't do it. Yes it seems obvious but sometimes we don't really think about something like this till it is too late.
I know I did a lot of stuff at AMF where I answered no to the first two questions after the fact and once they tried to stretch the third.
AMF 723 was the most dangerous flight you could do at AMF in regards to fatigue. If you had a hint of a headwind you could not run on time and would constantly block 8+ hours overnight with nothing more than a 25 minute break. This isn't counting the fact that all boxes behind you are radioactive. All single pilot of course since glow flight are min crew only.
Is it smart?
Is it safe?
Is it legal?
If you answer no to any of those then don't do it. Yes it seems obvious but sometimes we don't really think about something like this till it is too late.
I know I did a lot of stuff at AMF where I answered no to the first two questions after the fact and once they tried to stretch the third.
AMF 723 was the most dangerous flight you could do at AMF in regards to fatigue. If you had a hint of a headwind you could not run on time and would constantly block 8+ hours overnight with nothing more than a 25 minute break. This isn't counting the fact that all boxes behind you are radioactive. All single pilot of course since glow flight are min crew only.
