part 135 cargo???

[Inverted]

I went 135 cargo. I don't believe going to 135 cargo is a better move than going to a regional anymore, under most circumstances.

This.

Especially due to the new ATP rules coming into light, if that passes, 135 cargo will be completely undesirable pretty soon unless you want to be a freight dog for life.

I went 135 cargo, and was very fortunate to be able to jump ship to fly jet charter. If that didn't happen, I would have considered Skywest most likely. Milage will vary between 135 operators but the one I, as well as many others on this board were with, was in a steady decline in QOL, with a steady increase in BS. This caused people to jump ship in record numbers, and I am sure, less people applying. We had single guys that said thank you may I have another to the abuse, yet me, as well as many others started to become very negative at the treatment. At most 135 freight operators, expect to be treated like absolute garbage. At a regional, expect a lower first year pay, but much better QOL. Can either lead you to the majors, or whatever your end goal is? Yes. We had guys go from freight to JetBlue and Allegiant within the last few months. Knowing what I know now, I probably wouldn't have gone freight.

That being said, majors are starting to hire. Their minimums are also changing, as they have before. Companies like Atlas would probably love a prior freight guy with the right times. As I have told friends at my old company when I left, we will only know which decision was the better one, when we can all look back on these days and either laugh, or regret. Time will tell which is a better way to go. 135 freight used to be a way to get the 1000TPIC needed to go to the airlines, however these companies are starting to want other experience. Right now it looks like 135 freight is a gamble, yet the regionals are a sure thing, just depends on how long it takes.

 

[Pilot86]

Ok ...if you dont do freight, whats the other alternatives??? Nothing but flight instruct??!! I have been also thinking of just getting my commercial and tow banners and fly jumpers to get my time instead of instructing...how possible is that? ways I can think outside the box besides freight and instructing? Like I said, regionals or medevac is where i want to be so... ?

 

[Douglas]

? I'm curious to your draw to the "regionals". Care to explain?

 

[Cal Goat]

Ok ...if you dont do freight, whats the other alternatives??? Nothing but flight instruct??!! I have been also thinking of just getting my commercial and tow banners and fly jumpers to get my time instead of instructing...how possible is that? ways I can think outside the box besides freight and instructing? Like I said, regionals or medevac is where i want to be so... ?

There are options. A few 135 freight companies offer decent pay but few upgrade opportunities (West Air). If you're looking at time building, aerial survey/mapping is pretty good right now. With affordable digital imaging and companies competing to provide current maps to a variety of customers, there are great opportunities for low time pilots to get out an fly all over the country. Having done it myself, I can tell you that at least half of the flying is incredibly boring, but the travel is great. I flew all the way to Barrow, Alaska once! That was cool!

Most regionals SUCK. But I can tell you that guys with a lot of turbine experience are interviewing at Skywest along side flight instructors who don't quite meet ATP mins. The pay gets better after a year or two depending on how you work the system. Or so I've heard. There might be something there.

 

[z987k]

I'll agree that freight makes no sense if a major is your goal. However if you want to do something else on the 135/91 side, it's a much better place to be than coming from 121. Air ambo wants SPIFR MTPIC. You're not going to get than at 121. Most of the 91 people want to see turbine pic time. You can get that at a regional, but it would take considerably longer.