Freight Pilot Salary/Can you life?

[elmetal]

We were given 120/day per diem to spend how we chose. Do 4 to a room in a RIDICULOUS resort hotel or double up in a holiday in and save most of this money. Or somewhere in between. I was saving 4000 a month minimum per month, usually more like 6-7k. This can erase ALOT of debt or get you miles ahead of your peers financially. We both quit because 7 months or more on the road can be fun for one season, more than that can wear in you. I wouldn't trade this experience for anything and it's the sole reason I'm so out spoken about CFIs not being qualified to go into 121.

I've been reading a lot about survey and I'm more interested in the lifestyle if only for one or two season, but the money sure is attractive.

if 120 a day is the per diem then what is the salary? sounds like a fun adventure for sure. I definitely plan on doing that for a few years if I can.

 

[MikeD]

We were given 120/day per diem to spend how we chose. Do 4 to a room in a RIDICULOUS resort hotel or double up in a holiday in and save most of this money. Or somewhere in between. I was saving 4000 a month minimum per month, usually more like 6-7k. This can erase ALOT of debt or get you miles ahead of your peers financially. We both quit because 7 months or more on the road can be fun for one season, more than that can wear in you. I wouldn't trade this experience for anything and it's the sole reason I'm so out spoken about CFIs not being qualified to go into 121.

My old company out of Chandler AZ, back in the day, had a company-paid hotel room at the Harrah's resort in Laughlin, NV for the PRC/IGM/IFP run, and a similar arrangement for the P20/HII run. Not a bad arrangement for flying a Lance around, day/night and all WX.

 

[squeezemylemon]

Martex gave 20$/day per diem for Food when floater.
2000$/monthly salary.

 

[elmetal]

Can't win them all I guess? :///

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I777 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Tommay85]

I've been reading a lot about survey and I'm more interested in the lifestyle if only for one or two season, but the money sure is attractive.

if 120 a day is the per diem then what is the salary? sounds like a fun adventure for sure. I definitely plan on doing that for a few years if I can.

We were paid 20/hour minimum 2.5 hours a day. We kept whatever out of that 120 we didn't spend as well. MINIMUM pay was 5150 a month. If you were fortunate enough to get a least 120ish hours for the month in, that would get you around 7k IIRC. The most I ever did was 216 hours in one month. Getting 10k for one month of work is pretty gravy.

I will say this, if you can find a company similar to mine, you get A LOT of experience. z987k will disagree with me, but to me, 135 cargo(what I'm doing now) is a cake walk compared to this. Especially from an ADM stand point.

I'm going to go all obnoxiously out spoken here, but experience it seems, does not get you a job these days, they want hours, BUT you'll be a much better and more rounded pilot from doing something like this. What would have likely saved the Air France crew that crashed into the Atlantic, and the Colgan crash and where did Sullenberger learn the energy management skills that gave him the ability to land on water? Who are the best stick and rudder guys in general? Guys with experience in light weight airplanes.

It's also a perfect primer for a 135/91 PAX job in the future. We were in charge of the plane(fueling, hangar, getting it pulled out, ect..), setting up hotel rooms, rental car. I've heard of more guys falling on their face with that part of a 91/135 job than anything else. It'll teach you excellent soft skills as well since not only are you working with these guys, you're living with them too. Depending on how you set up the hotel of course.

I would definitely recommend doing something like this if the opportunity arises. The "GO GO GO GO" mentality expressed on these forums to guys in their 20s is ridiculous. You have 40 years to fly boring airliners someday. Have some fun and get some valuable experience in the mean time.

Air America Flight Center is who z987k and I worked for if you want to do some googling. All the information including an example "day in the life" so to speak is on there somewhere.

 

[z987k]

The only thing harder about the 135 flying is the fact that it's basically 15 hour duty days 5 days a week which fatigues the living crap out of you, and some days/weeks, you'll be shooting an approach every time you land, which could be 5,6,7 times a day. Maybe to mins, maybe circling, certainly not all ILSs.

There were more outs in the mostly VFR flying we did, but as a whole the survey asked for a lot more of a pilot and person in general. Nothing was set up for you. No dispatch, no center stored flight plan... no hand holding. UAL is right, from an ADM standpoint going to 135 seemed like graduating college and then going back to having a babysitter at the age of 6.
Turbocharged and turbine multis in mountains is easy, especially way above the weather and terrain 150-180hp cessnas requires thought.

 

[elmetal]

I agree with both of you (conceptually) 100%.

Maybe it's because I'm only 24, maybe it's because I haven't yet worked survey, or maybe it's because I have no family and no real need for the supposed "job security" 121 life brings; but I tell you, airline flying is quite literally the LAST thing on list of jobs I'd like to pursue as a pilot. Right now the first is survey and 135 cargo, but I'm leaning towards survey. I like the idea of banner towing more than i like the idea of 121 (at least pax, fedex ups and dhl don't write me off yet!)

With all of that said, what you guys seem to say about survey is EXACTLY what I'm looking for. I'm not that interested in what will get me the big shiny jet job in an airline. I'm looking for experience, both as a pilot as well as a person. I'm looking to expand my abilities, operate outside of my comfort zone (though in a safe way. safety is important) and do things I wouldn't otherwise do.

I will definitely look into air america when the time comes. Sounds like a fun job, at least from my side of the fence.

Thanks to both of you for the insight into your experiences as survey pilots moving on to 135! It's pretty much my planned path of execution, but we all know plans don't always work out. I will try my best to make it work though!

 

[Tommay85]

Thanks to both of you for the insight into your experiences as survey pilots moving on to 135! It's pretty much my planned path of execution, but we all know plans don't always work out. I will try my best to make it work though!

No problem man, any other questions, fire away. Plans do indeed change. If someone told me back when I was a freshman at UND(Where SJS is prominant) that I was going to do aerial survey and then part 135 freight I would have told them they're nuts! Priorities and industry changes will affect your path.

 

[elmetal]

No problem man, any other questions, fire away. Plans do indeed change. If someone told me back when I was a freshman at UND(Where SJS is prominant) that I was going to do aerial survey and then part 135 freight I would have told them they're nuts! Priorities and industry changes will affect your path.

absolutely. what kinds of things does AA look for in a pilot as far as experience? would 1000TT do?

 

[Tommay85]

Not much, though our boss prefers to higher people that have flown in the Midwest or have mountain experience. He prefers that, be he'll hire whoever he thinks will do the job without much complaining. 1000tt is PLENTY. We had a couple guys with only 300ish when I started. IIRC, they wanted 500tt and 100 xc. I was a UND CFI with 1000 hours and some change when getting hired there.

Oh and if you can give them 1-2 seasons and you luck out with turnover, you could get into of their aztecs.

All the info you should need right here.
http://www.airamericafc.com/imaging/

 

[elmetal]

Not much, though our boss prefers to higher people that have flown in the Midwest or have mountain experience. He prefers that, be he'll hire whoever he thinks will do the job without much complaining. 1000tt is PLENTY. We had a couple guys with only 300ish when I started. IIRC, they wanted 500tt and 100 xc. I was a UND CFI with 1000 hours and some change when getting hired there.

Oh and if you can give them 1-2 seasons and you luck out with turnover, you could get into of their aztecs.

All the info you should need right here.
http://www.airamericafc.com/imaging/

I'm currently 272/15 :/ but I'm working on it . I think I'll be around 1200-1500 when I make my move on to survey. I'd like to do it now but I'm too low time.

I don't know how I'd react to the 24/7 road lifestyle but in theory I'd like to do it for a good while. especially since I have no home. I don't have a house no kids no wife and I finished college 2 years ago with nowhere to live really. heck, I'm currently living in Brazil trying to work down here to get some better hours for jobs like survey, 135 and maybe a season of banner towing (I really really want to try it out)

I'm definitely good on the XC. and real XC too not just 50nm away. I tried to take as many long trips as possible. frequently over 3 hour flights each way, did a coast to coast flight in a 172 once, that was seriously the experience of a lifetime. It's one of the main motivators for me to try out survey.

Would you happen to know if they are currently taking people around my time or is the market too saturated with higher time guys ATM?

EDIT: Shooting an email. I haven't really got anything to lose

 

[Tommay85]

I'm currently 272/15 :/ but I'm working on it . I think I'll be around 1200-1500 when I make my move on to survey. I'd like to do it now but I'm too low time.

I don't know how I'd react to the 24/7 road lifestyle but in theory I'd like to do it for a good while. especially since I have no home. I don't have a house no kids no wife and I finished college 2 years ago with nowhere to live really. heck, I'm currently living in Brazil trying to work down here to get some better hours for jobs like survey, 135 and maybe a season of banner towing (I really really want to try it out)

I'm definitely good on the XC. and real XC too not just 50nm away. I tried to take as many long trips as possible. frequently over 3 hour flights each way, did a coast to coast flight in a 172 once, that was seriously the experience of a lifetime. It's one of the main motivators for me to try out survey.

Would you happen to know if they are currently taking people around my time or is the market too saturated with higher time guys ATM?

EDIT: Shooting an email. I haven't really got anything to lose

Hiring time is usually around September, though lately, they've been flying all year and it is the pilots choice to do so. You're only obligated to a 7 month contract from Oct 15 to May 15.

 

[elmetal]

Hiring time is usually around September, though lately, they've been flying all year and it is the pilots choice to do so. You're only obligated to a 7 month contract from Oct 15 to May 15.

shoot, if a contract is what it takes to prove that I'm not gonna use them to build time and GTFO, I'll gladly sign a 12 month if I need to

I'm about to shoot the email but I forgot my password to my logbookpro file so I'm waiting for a response from NC Software...................

I'm an idiot.

 

[nocturnalaviator]

I fly survey as well and am assistant CP of a company on the east coast, we're always looking for help when needed. PM if interested

 

[elmetal]

I fly survey as well and am assistant CP of a company on the east coast, we're always looking for help when needed. PM if interested

PM'ed