Ok so hows the best way to get the freight jobs?

Same as any other job.

Network, network, network. What kind of times do you have? Bare minimum you'll need 1200TT to meet 135 IFR mins.
 
I had less than 400 hours total time as a pilot, but I had an A&P and a Flight Engineer ticket. My company has a minimum to upgrade Engineers with 900 total time, 500 hours on the company's panel, and 2 years total with the company. My previous company would upgrade Engineers any time the wind changed direction and the Engineer being upgraded had a Multi-Commercial, Instrument, and a First Class Medical. There were quite a few 300 hour 727 First Officers flying after they rode the panel for a year or 2. I will be eligible to upgrade with my present company in a little over a year, seniority willing.

One thing about Engineers........I'm the 5th Engineer from the bottom, but once I upgrade, I'll be senior to almost half of the FO's. The reason for that is the Engineers don't move up quickly.....and there are a lot of ROPEs......Retired Old Pilot Engineers, just hanging around. I don't mind it though, That's what seniority is all about. One day I will have it, and by God I'm going to appreciate it.
 
When you mean 500 hours as a F/E does that mean 1500 hours in the airplane? I heard you can only log 1/3 of the actual flying time, is that right?
 
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There were quite a few 300 hour 727 First Officers flying after they rode the panel for a year or 2.

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Where do I sign up!
 
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When you mean 500 hours as a F/E does that mean 1500 hours in the airplane? I heard you can only log 1/3 of the actual flying time, is that right?

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No that is 500 hours of actual F/E time, you can log 100% of FE time. However, it doesn't count towards your TT.
 
The best jobs are just as competitive as any other major. I'd say 1000 PIC turbine and at least one pilot recommendation...and that's just the unstated minimums...

The freight job I had before UPS (Convair 640) wanted 2000 total and 500 multi. And the one before that (Aero Commander 500B) wanted 1200 total and 100 multi.

While knowing the right person can help a lot (networking)...I never had any recommendations for any flying job I got except the first one doing Grand Canyon tours. I just sent out resumes and filled out applications....
 
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Network, network, network. What kind of times do you have? Bare minimum you'll need 1200TT to meet 135 IFR mins.

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Networking is important. However, I got on as a Shorts FO with 300TT. I worked on the line for a year after college, and then filled out an in-house app, and here I am. Lucky? You bet. But there's something to be said about putting yourself in a postition to be lucky.
 
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Lucky? You bet. But there's something to be said about putting yourself in a postition to be lucky.

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Amen, Shorts Driver, Amen.
 
What does it take to upgrade to captian in the shorts or 727? How long at the company and how much time do they want?
 
You can upgrade when you have the seniority to upgrade. Seniority is based on date of hire. Then, all you have to do is make it through the company training program.
 
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You can upgrade when you have the seniority to upgrade. Seniority is based on date of hire. Then, all you have to do is make it through the company training program.

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A good bottle of Scotch to the Chief Pilot doesn't hurt either.
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Just Kidding!
 
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Well?? Chime in freight dogs!!

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Another job where I noticed guys staying were the Fedex caravans flown by Empire. Used to see those guys on my route when I flew 207s, and later PA-31s and SA-227s. Best part, all single-pilot and mostly night. But, outstation life varied.

Holbrook, AZ for example was one of those places that you pull out the sleeping bag in winter and sack out in the cargo bay; whereas Yuma, AZ, I chipped in on a crash pad with 8 other pilots.....from Mesa/America West Express guys, to some United Express guys, and a couple other freight dogs from my company.

Definately an interesting experience.
 
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You can upgrade when you have the seniority to upgrade. Seniority is based on date of hire. Then, all you have to do is make it through the company training program.

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Yes. What I am asking is how long is the wait to get some PIC time at the companies these guys are working at. Also, most places have some sort of mins for captains...such as where I work, 2000TT and 500 in type (wavierable).
 
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Network, network, network. What kind of times do you have? Bare minimum you'll need 1200TT to meet 135 IFR mins.

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Networking is important. However, I got on as a Shorts FO with 300TT. I worked on the line for a year after college, and then filled out an in-house app, and here I am. Lucky? You bet. But there's something to be said about putting yourself in a postition to be lucky.

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The golden horseshoe has been wedged up my ass up until now so I'm with ya there!! Building hours I will go!
 
I saw an ad posted on a bulletin board (an actuall board made of cork, not an internet one!) looking for a flight follower to work in the ops department of a small local Part 121 freight company. I knew the guy who ran the ops department - he was the instructor in a college course I was taking. I was flying for an aerial photography company at the time with about 850TT, but I needed a second job to pay the bills. I got the ops job and I showed up Monday morning to start.

I seems that there was a Convair FO ground school starting that day, and I was told to sit in since I needed to get signed off on the Indoc. portion of the training anyways to do flight following. Long story short, by the end of the day I was hired as an FO and I ended up never working in ops. Thus began a very "interesting" 2 year stint as a freight dog...

The moral of the story: the job came with a little networking, fortunate timing, maybe some dumb luck too.
 
To you UPS/FedEx guys, which I hope to be someday myself,

Any idea of which would be more preferable experience towards getting a job w/ UPS or FedEx (not the feeders). That is to say if one would be preferable over the other?

a) Part 135 Single Pilot Cargo, e.g. Ameriflight, Airnet, etc.
b) Part 121 F/O at a regional
c) Part 135/91 Charter

I plan on instructing for a while (of course), but I have a couple of opportunities that could lead to better things in the future, one being regional airline and the other corporate.

At the end of the day though, whoever says, "You're hired!" is where I'll probably start working...

Dave
 
The qualifications to be considered for employment by UPS or FedEx is no different than the qualifications needed for consideration at United, Delta or American.

PIC multi-engine turbine time is what every major airline HR dept wants to see. PIC time is preferred over SIC time. 121 time is preferred over 135 just as 135 time is preferred over part 91 time. Multi engine turbine time is preferred over multi piston time just as multi piston time is preferred over single piston time. Seeing a pattern?

Bottom line: Get as much 121 PIC multi engine turbine time as you can get (at least 1000 hrs). Best place to do that, except for the military, is either flying for the Regionals or flying for an overnight freight outfit like Ameriflight which flies turbine equipment.
 
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The qualifications to be considered for employment by UPS or FedEx is no different than the qualifications needed for consideration at United, Delta or American.

PIC multi-engine turbine time is what every major airline HR dept wants to see. PIC time is preferred over SIC time. 121 time is preferred over 135 just as 135 time is preferred over part 91 time. Multi engine turbine time is preferred over multi piston time just as multi piston time is preferred over single piston time. Seeing a pattern?

Bottom line: Get as much 121 PIC multi engine turbine time as you can get (at least 1000 hrs). Best place to do that, except for the military, is either flying for the Regionals or flying for an overnight freight outfit like Ameriflight which flies turbine equipment.

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So when the next hiring? Got 2.5 years left on the gig here.

Looking for all options. Currently, the OV-10 state department south america gig is an "always hiring".

MD
 
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Looking for all options. Currently, the OV-10 state department south america gig is an "always hiring".

MD

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Is that a "freight" hauling job?
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