Stay at Atlas or leave for AA ?

Kingairer said:
I know it works for some people but 17-19 days on is just unimaginable to me, I dont care how much time OFF is on the back end. To each their own however.
Click to expand...

I did 15/13 for about 6 months, changed schedules, then again for about 3 months. It did arguably the most damage to my social life and relationship then anything ever in the past. And I lived “in base” so even get a few bonus nights at home here and there.

Can confirm my wife’s boyfriend loved it.

Now my finger gets itchy for the sick button when I see a 4 day on my schedule.
 
Kingairer said:
I know it works for some people but 17-19 days on is just unimaginable to me, I dont care how much time OFF is on the back end. To each their own however.
Click to expand...
It's not for everybody, but I absolutely love it. I am far less exhausted doing this than I was commuting to my previous job. This year I work the same days every month, but next year I might mix it up.
 
Kingairer said:
I know it works for some people but 17-19 days on is just unimaginable to me, I dont care how much time OFF is on the back end. To each their own however.
Click to expand...
We started doing 7-9 day trips with the postal contract in my base at Brown and that’s too long for me personally. By day 4-5 I’m mentally checked out. I went back to bidding a hybrid of nights/days vs. just day flying to get away from it. I couldn’t imagine having kids and being gone that long but it works for a lot of people. It also seems like the longer you’re gone the longer it takes to recover once you get home.
 
phill1174 said:
We started doing 7-9 day trips with the postal contract in my base at Brown and that’s too long for me personally. By day 4-5 I’m mentally checked out. I went back to bidding a hybrid of nights/days vs. just day flying to get away from it. I couldn’t imagine having kids and being gone that long but it works for a lot of people. It also seems like the longer you’re gone the longer it takes to recover once you get home.
Click to expand...
It takes me about two days to fly recover from being on the road for two weeks. But we also don't fly a lot. Most of my trips sit around for a couple days in each place.

I used to fly for a ULCC based in Vegas and all I did were redeyes. I never had a chance to recover at home because by the time you were getting back to normal, it was time to go back to work. So I feel much more rested at this job.
 
Yeah, one leg, 48 hours off, wouldn't be a bad schedule. I have a buddy at Atlas that seems to have a pretty cool life. Not married. I can see how an Atlas schedule would be hard on a family life.
 
You definitely need the right partner for the job. But my wife got used to me being gone for 3-6 months at a stretch, so a lot of times she thinks 2 weeks is far to short because "I move things to where they do not belong" when I'm home.

Also, being more senior I bid for and am awarded the lines with 19-22 days off a month.

With a sick call occasionally, vacation and being displaced for training flights I've worked 10 days since September.

10 days.
 
ASpilot2be said:
It takes me about two days to fly recover from being on the road for two weeks. But we also don't fly a lot. Most of my trips sit around for a couple days in each place.

I used to fly for a ULCC based in Vegas and all I did were redeyes. I never had a chance to recover at home because by the time you were getting back to normal, it was time to go back to work. So I feel much more rested at this job.
Click to expand...
That’s what I’ve heard from every person I’ve flown with that was at Atlas. They all seem to miss it a lot. Apparently it used be that way here too on the MD and 747 classic.
 
moxiepilot said:
You definitely need the right partner for the job. But my wife got used to me being gone for 3-6 months at a stretch, so a lot of times she thinks 2 weeks is far to short because "I move things to where they do not belong" when I'm home.

Also, being more senior I bid for and am awarded the lines with 19-22 days off a month.

With a sick call occasionally, vacation and being displaced for training flights I've worked 10 days since September.

10 days.
Click to expand...
I had to go in for landings last month. That was all they used me for on my last rotation. My wife was asking when I was going back to work. :biggrin:
 
Good buddy of mine is at Atlas....

My opinion is....if you're a good sleeper and can adjust, it seems like a great gig. He flies somewhere, usually an easy flight North...Rarely sees any real weather or anything. Spends a few days sitting around to airline somewhere else.

Comparing it to what I do at Azul Norte, I'm flying waaaay more....Just way more wear and tear on me I'd say. BUT...I keep it largely to one time zone, I'm absolutely horrible at sleeping outside of 11pm-4am East Coast time.
 
ASpilot2be said:
It takes me about two days to fly recover from being on the road for two weeks. But we also don't fly a lot. Most of my trips sit around for a couple days in each place.

I used to fly for a ULCC based in Vegas and all I did were redeyes. I never had a chance to recover at home because by the time you were getting back to normal, it was time to go back to work. So I feel much more rested at this job.
Click to expand...
Everyone has their Goldilocks zone of trips…

I for one can do 2-3 days….when that 4th day comes around…everything and everyone is terrible
 
CFIT99 said:
Everyone has their Goldilocks zone of trips…

I for one can do 2-3 days….when that 4th day comes around…everything and everyone is terrible
Click to expand...
I totally get that. But you work harder on your 4 day trip than I do on my 17 day trip.

That's the beautiful thing about this career is there's a job for everybody.
 
ASpilot2be said:
I totally get that. But you work harder on your 4 day trip than I do on my 17 day trip.

That's the beautiful thing about this career is there's a job for everybody.
Click to expand...
I usually do 2-2-1 on those days...leave early back early...

I interviewed about 10 years ago at Atlas and I decided it wasn't for me(mainly cause my wife said no to the schedule....actually that was all of it
 
ASpilot2be said:
I totally get that. But you work harder on your 4 day trip than I do on my 17 day trip.

That's the beautiful thing about this career is there's a job for everybody.
Click to expand...

I'm gonna be honest, I really and truly have to laugh at the notion of airline pilots comparing how hard they work.

I dated an ER nurse once, that my friends, is work.
 
Last edited:
Soku39 said:
I'm gonna be honest, I really and truly have to laugh at the notion of airline pilots comparing how hard they work.

I dated an ER nurse once, that my friends, is work.
Click to expand...
Shoot, even for pilots we don’t work hard. Medevac was an “easy” flying job and still a lot harder than this. The air taxi stuff I did before that? Honest to god carhartts and work boots blue collar work.
 
CFIT99 said:
Everyone has their Goldilocks zone of trips…

I for one can do 2-3 days….when that 4th day comes around…everything and everyone is terrible
Click to expand...
I’m more of a reset kinda guy. Can do 4-5+ day trips fine but if I didn’t get a long enough reset off work like 3 or more days it starts to bother me being at work. Not really into the whole driving to work a bunch of times a month, will see how that changes when I have kids
 
tcco94 said:
I’m more of a reset kinda guy. Can do 4-5+ day trips fine but if I didn’t get a long enough reset off work like 3 or more days it starts to bother me being at work. Not really into the whole driving to work a bunch of times a month, will see how that changes when I have kids
Click to expand...
I bid so its 3 days on 4 days off...usually end up doing around 3 4-days (maybe a 2 day thrown in their) getting to the point that I bid specific trips)
 
ASpilot2be said:
It's not for everybody, but I absolutely love it. I am far less exhausted doing this than I was commuting to my previous job. This year I work the same days every month, but next year I might mix it up.
Click to expand...

I think just like everyone, it depends. That's what's so great about the industry is that there's something for everyone. I live in base and bid weekends so that I'm home to do a majority of school related activities which allows my wife to keep chasing her career. If we didn't have kids? Man, flying a 747 would be legit. Down the road when I can hold the 787 in base in the right seat I'll give that a shot to say I at least crossed an ocean...for now it doesn't work for our family.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top