Ameriflight

Maurus said:
What are the competitive numbers? I'm willing to bet it involves TPIC at the legacies. This is was matters in the end. People at majors on this very site say 1500 TPIC is optimal. With a background of 121, 135, CFI, TPIC, and PIC time in general I expect to be more competitive than most of the 2007-2008 zero to hero wave of pilots.

Also TPIC has had a huge past. AMF uses it as a recruiting item, but so does everyone else as it is was makes a pilot competitive for a good job in the future. When I joined AMF the airlines still required 1000 TPIC unless they were a national carrier such as Spirit, JetBlue, or Virgin.



Well you were stuck in oak. To get the maximum benefit out of AMF you have to move. I'll have my 1000 TPIC at about the 2.5 year mark.

In the end we won't know, but I believe a more varied background will be what can put me ahead at an interview.
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Again though, thats what they say now, ask some of the guys that have been there for 10 years what they got hired on with. This stuff all changes. Hell I heard SWA requires applicants to have turbofan time. Nobody is getting that at AMF without the Lears. So we can get all the TPIC we want, without these specific requirements nobody is getting in. A lot of airlines require real multi-crew experience. And these companies know that AMF multi-crew is different from real multi-crew minus the Bro.

As these requirements mold and change, we will not know if we meet anything until we see a posting somewhere. I have heard about the turbofan requirement from 3 different SWA pilots. This literally screws 99% of the pilot crop at AMF. So you spend 4 years at AMF getting your 1000TPIC only to find out you need a bunch of turbofan time, then its off to the regionals or corporate to get it. This is where a huge percentage of pilots are weighing options and finding it a better option to head to the regionals (especially on west coast bases that are going to be gone soon). The QOL will be better there I think we can all agree with that. The first year pay will suck ass I think we can all agree with that. But we can also all agree, the equipment, and environment at a regional are much better suited to get you to a major than freight. So if the dream is to get to a major that has funny requirements, such as a year of 121 experience, or turbofan time, or FMS experience, multi-crew aircraft experience, or hours in an aircraft above 40,000lbs. Whatever it is, freight ain't gonna get any of us there unless we work for Atlas or the like.

Thats not an AMF bash, I loved the experience I got there I wouldn't change it. Hell it got me my current gig because of the reputation AMF pilots have. But for the guys with the end goal to get into a major, a major major, you are going to be competing against guys with the 1000TPIC sure, but they will also have been flying aircraft built this century, in the 121 environment already. I don't think anyone will argue at the advantage of that.
 
UAL747400 said:
I wasn't talking about 121. Perhaps it's not even an insurance min on the 91 side either as I've only seen/heard it mentioned a handful of times. I don't buy anything coming out of management's mouths. Whatever preconceived ideas that I spout out on here are from spending 10 years on this forum. ;)
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91 insurance mins vary a lot. 1000 hours total time was a requirement I heard a lot to get into something turboprop (like a Caravan or in my case the Pilatus and Meridian). In the corporate world, a lot of brokered trips we do require the captain to have 250 hours PIC in type. That seems to be a widely used insurance minimum.
 
In the passenger charter world, the rating companies(Argus, wyvern) have more to do with your employment than insurance.
 
Inverted said:
Again though, thats what they say now, ask some of the guys that have been there for 10 years what they got hired on with. This stuff all changes. Hell I heard SWA requires applicants to have turbofan time. Nobody is getting that at AMF without the Lears. So we can get all the TPIC we want, without these specific requirements nobody is getting in. A lot of airlines require real multi-crew experience. And these companies know that AMF multi-crew is different from real multi-crew minus the Bro.

As these requirements mold and change, we will not know if we meet anything until we see a posting somewhere. I have heard about the turbofan requirement from 3 different SWA pilots. This literally screws 99% of the pilot crop at AMF. So you spend 4 years at AMF getting your 1000TPIC only to find out you need a bunch of turbofan time, then its off to the regionals or corporate to get it. This is where a huge percentage of pilots are weighing options and finding it a better option to head to the regionals (especially on west coast bases that are going to be gone soon). The QOL will be better there I think we can all agree with that. The first year pay will suck ass I think we can all agree with that. But we can also all agree, the equipment, and environment at a regional are much better suited to get you to a major than freight. So if the dream is to get to a major that has funny requirements, such as a year of 121 experience, or turbofan time, or FMS experience, multi-crew aircraft experience, or hours in an aircraft above 40,000lbs. Whatever it is, freight ain't gonna get any of us there unless we work for Atlas or the like.

Thats not an AMF bash, I loved the experience I got there I wouldn't change it. Hell it got me my current gig because of the reputation AMF pilots have. But for the guys with the end goal to get into a major, a major major, you are going to be competing against guys with the 1000TPIC sure, but they will also have been flying aircraft built this century, in the 121 environment already. I don't think anyone will argue at the advantage of that.
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You completely missed the point that I included 121 time in there which is likely where your turbofan time will come from. A well rounded pilot would be better than a lot of the FOs that went to a regional at low times. Having experience around the industry in different types of aircraft and roles is a good thing. All I was saying is that the 1000TPIC is what can get you ahead. Not to mention it is a good fall back. I have heard of guys getting furloughed from some of the national airlines to find themselves in a pickle because they didn't have their TPIC. They got picked up while they were an FO at a regional and couldn't go anywhere after getting the furlough letter. They tried Delta and even though they had time in one of their types of aircraft they couldn't get a call. This was during the last Delta hiring wave. Competitive mins are what matter. Not the measly 1200TT 1000 Turbine that they list as their requirements.

This is what Delta has on their site. United has a very similar quote as well for their hiring mins.

delta said:
When evaluating the flight time of applicants meeting the basic qualifications, consideration will be given to, among other things, quality, quantity, recency, and verifiability of training; complexity of aircraft flown; types of flight operations; and hours flown as PIC in turbine powered aircraft. Applicants invited to interview must provide appropriate documentation of all flight hours.
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Guess it isn't worthless. Add in some 121 time and you now pretty much fulfill the rest of the competitive requirements. Also notice is says "types of flight operations" as when the time comes I will have 121,135, CFI, Cargo, Passenger. People I will compete against will likely just be 121 Passenger and maybe CFI for the most part.

SWA really shouldn't be an end goal for anyone. Great place to work, but they wont have much movement compared to other airlines. Younger pilot group + too many pilots once the 717s leave = not much room for movement in the future there.

I'm just saying to make yourself as competitive as possible. Getting your TPIC ASAP will not hurt at all and will make you more competitive when the time comes. A pure freight background may not be what it used to be, but freight will definitely come into play when you need to get an interview after flying at a regional. Seniority is key. The faster you can make yourself competitive and get in the more secure your job will be in the future.
 
I think any experience we can get, the better. Its a simple as that. Flying cargo for AMF is fine for a while. Its a tough job, terrible schedule, and for the most part really boring (flying to the same 2-3 airports 5 days a week is typical). I also think flying for a regional after a tour at AMF is good game plan. I have gained a lot from AMF. The argument of "Regional vs. 135 Cargo" is kind of ridiculous really. Saying that, there is something to be said of getting to a regional sooner rather than later so you can get some seniority and get through the crappy pay. The longer you wait, the harder it is to adjust to the poverty regional FO pay after making a semi livable salary at AMF.
 
Anyone know if there are any Brasilia FO positions available? I am instructing in the NW and flight time has slowed to a crawl. I'm sitting at around 650TT and 25 multi. Would I even be considered with those times? Considering heading south for the winter to build time faster.
 
word302 said:
Anyone know if there are any Brasilia FO positions available? I am instructing in the NW and flight time has slowed to a crawl. I'm sitting at around 650TT and 25 multi. Would I even be considered with those times? Considering heading south for the winter to build time faster.
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Apply and see what happens.
 
You have a systems test at the end of indoc. The test at the beginning is just to make sure you know some general stuff if I remember correctly.
 
Inverted said:
You have a systems test at the end of indoc. The test at the beginning is just to make sure you know some general stuff if I remember correctly.
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No test at the beginning when I went through in September. There was a test that was basically over the ops manual, some regs and weather at the end however.
 
UAL747400 said:
No test at the beginning when I went through in September. There was a test that was basically over the ops manual, some regs and weather at the end however.
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Im in the Dec 10th class, so any help would be appreciated.
Thank You
 
pwa said:
Im in the Dec 10th class, so any help would be appreciated.
Thank You
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Only input I have is to make sure you have the flows and limitations down. So down, that you can run/recite anyone of them proficiently with no hesitations with the t.v. on and the ipod going. Or while taking a shower(this is my personal test for knowing if I have things learned or not). For me, it's hard to do without some kind of cockpit mockup, but try to at least get them straight in your head. The two days in front of the cockpit mockup and 2 days in the sim should be enough to get the hand motions down. The ground school, in my opinion, goes plenty slow enough that you can study that material as you go a long. They'll put on a facade of being laid back, and they are if you know your shiz. They'll help you out if you don't, but they'll obviously only go so far.

Be open minded to change certain things with your flying if needed. They're paying you to fly their plane and they're going to want you to fly it their way. Personal example, I don't/didn't care about cross radials on approaches, but they want you to use them. That wasn't a big deal to change for me.

I'd also use this time to polish up on the stuff you're SUPPOSED to know already as well. You probably won't have time to before the checkride. Main thing right now is those flows however.

What are you coming from if you don't mind me asking?
 
UAL747400 said:
No test at the beginning when I went through in September. There was a test that was basically over the ops manual, some regs and weather at the end however.
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Thats a chance since I went through. We had a test on TERPS and other random stuff after Sheri did her thing on the first day. Then we had a PA31 system test due at the end before sims.
 
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