Typical Day For Freight Pilot

T_Hudson said:
Where can one find information on smaller freight.. Non ups, fedex, whatever.. For new guys breakin into the freight world. Are there things like the regional passanger airlines for cargo? Regional cargo LOL?

Are the requirements about the same as what the regional passanger airlines are hiring?

Thanks in advance,
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There certainly are. And, the gettin' is good.

You can look at Flight Express, Airnet, Ram Air Freight, Ameriflight . . . . good stuff!!

Typical day for Lloyd:

Well, I'll roll out of the bed at about 1400 . . . .1200 if I'm really feeling froggy. Lounge around, eat, play with my dog, and maybe take a nap. If I have any business to take care of or errands to run, I'll go and try to knock them out.

At about 1730, I'll jump into the shower, get dressed and jump in the car. I live about 10 minutes from the airport, so I can wait until the last minute.

At 1800, I call Dispatch and check in, and they assign me my airplane. I go out, start my paperwork, do my pre-flight inspection, etc. I'm usually done at about 1808, and then I climb into the back of my plane and take a nap. If the weather is crappy, I'll go have a gander at it. Usually, however, my visit to DUAT a few hours prior will suffice. At about 1830, I'll call Clearance Delivery and get my clearance to FTY. I'm filed GQO Bunni.bunni2, and I'm always cleared via the Titan 1 Departure, as filed. 7 Times out of ten, ZME will give me a heading to Fulton County direct. ;)

My courier is scheduled to show up at 1850, but usually doesn't make it until about 1905. He'll come, and I'll load my 210. Bank work, mostly. My run typically has between 600-850 pounds of garbage.

I'll close the plane up, and fly down to FTY. Typically take about 1.2 hours. Land, unload, load about 175 pounds for the trip back - except for Fridays: I have only one 30 pound bag! :)

While I'm on the ground, I'll go to the little boys' room, grab a Diet Coke, and a bag or two of free popcorn (Mmmm). Go out, walk around my plane really quickly, and then jump in the plane for the flight back. Takes a little longer for the return flight, usually about 1.4. Again, if I want direct, they'll gladly give me a heading! Listen to music, the news, etc.

I land, unload, put the plane to bed, and call dispatch to give them my numbers. I'm usually back in my car by about 2230.

:)
 
Typical day for Delia:

Don't have to wake up because I've stayed up all night missing the times Lloyd was living in the hangar and would stay up with me (not what you think!). Check in with dispatch at 0500. Load my 30 lbs of cargo into the baron and eff around until I decide to pull the thing out of the hangar. Take off for Memphis around 6:00am. Unload around 0730.

This is where I get my 8 hours of sleep. I can also check email, eat, go to Graceland, watch a movie, etc AND GET PAID FOR ALL OF IT BECAUSE I'M ON THE CLOCK.

About 1630, wander out to the courier building with the free cokes that the FBO provides for all pilots (and once every 2 weeks full of the free food at the cookout they've had) and wait for my late-ass courier who is supposed to get there at 1640 but normally makes it anywhere between 1700-1740.

Take off, get back to St. Louis around 1900, and calculate precisely down to the minute how long I can drink before I have to quit for my 8 hours.

I get $130 - $140 a day for this? I have health insurance? I have paid days off (when the company lets you have a day off). That's awesome!!

and YES...... Flight Express is hiring! :)
 
"Are you losing your touch, Don?"

I've never been a napper. I always watch TV or play on the computer during the sorts. Some guys can just fall asleep at the drop of a hat, which makes for a great freight dawg. Sleep in the plane, no way. But some guys can.

I seem to sleep less and less as I get older, yet I'm not overly tired during the day. Guess I'm getting old....
 
Saw one of your 757's in BUR this afternoon, Don. Do they have facilities for you guys to hang out in at all of the places you fly into?
 
I was just in BUR this month. The "pilot lounge" was a little room about the size of two closets. Had a UPS intranet only computer and maybe a little TV, I can't remember. The catering was okay and the folks working there were nice enough.

Contract says if we have to "hang out" in a BUR type facility for more than two hours, we get a hotel. Less than two hours scheduled on the ground, we could wait in the plane and it would be legal and sometimes more comfortable.

Hubs like ONT they have a "quiet room" which is lounge chairs and darkness. Supposedly you can sleep. Bunks came with the new contract and have yet to be implemeted. We should have bunks at the major hubs and anywhere there is a hot crew. I do hot PHX and they are not in compliance with the new contract. The folks in PHX are pretty nice (I got a free burger today and sometime get Pizza), so I don't think it will be me that files the grievence.

But, yeah, everywhere we go has at least a table, a UPS computer, and a couple of lounge chairs, for the flight crew.
 
The MU-2 is a squirly airplane and has some unsually flying qualities as others have mentioned. If properly trained the plane shouldn't be a problem. The MU-2 doesn't allow for mistakes and requires a lot of mx.

As far as flying freight. I work of a smaller 121 airline operating 727's and DC 9's. There is a lot of sitting around and waiting for the phone to ring unless you are on a schedlued run.

The scheduled run goes from michigan to texas and back almost nightly. It isn't a bad trip unless you get assigned to after being up all day. 12-16 hour duty days are the norm on adhoc and schedule runs. Hope you like coffee:insane:
 
DE727UPS said:
I was just in BUR this month. The "pilot lounge" was a little room about the size of two closets. Had a UPS intranet only computer and maybe a little TV, I can't remember. The catering was okay and the folks working there were nice enough.

Contract says if we have to "hang out" in a BUR type facility for more than two hours, we get a hotel. Less than two hours scheduled on the ground, we could wait in the plane and it would be legal and sometimes more comfortable.

Hubs like ONT they have a "quiet room" which is lounge chairs and darkness. Supposedly you can sleep. Bunks came with the new contract and have yet to be implemeted. We should have bunks at the major hubs and anywhere there is a hot crew. I do hot PHX and they are not in compliance with the new contract. The folks in PHX are pretty nice (I got a free burger today and sometime get Pizza), so I don't think it will be me that files the grievence.

But, yeah, everywhere we go has at least a table, a UPS computer, and a couple of lounge chairs, for the flight crew.
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If you end up in BUR sometime with nothing to do give me a ring sometime, I'm most likely hanging out in hangar 2 right in front of where ya'll park.
 
jtrain609 said:
If you end up in BUR sometime with nothing to do give me a ring sometime, I'm most likely hanging out in hangar 2 right in front of where ya'll park.
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Hey! Don't you supposed to be ummm....working! Now get to wok.j/k
 
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