What made you choose freight?

chrisreedrules

chrisreedrules

Master Blaster
I will have my 135 mins about midway through this year. I have been thinking a lot lately about what I want to do. I could wait until I have my ATP mins and go the regional route, but there is a lot that doesn't appeal to me about flying for a 121 operation. The more I think about it, the more I think I'd like to go the 135 cargo route. Somewhere like Ameriflight or Key Lime or Air Cargo Carriers. I want to fly a Metro, Shorts, or something I won't be able to fly for a 121 op and I want to be able to say I flew single-pilot IFR ops. What made you choose the freight route?
 
I didn't choose freight...Freight chose me.

Some of the advantages to 135 freight over regionals are: Inital pay, much faster turbine PIC, and you don't have to deal with those nasty pax. The lifestyles between 135 frieght and the regionals are polar opposites. Each have good and bad and it's up the the individual to decide which is a better fit.
 
I chose freight because I was familiar with 135 Ops, the pay was marginally better than RJ-land, and I wouldn't have to throw a gear lever. It was a good experience and it got me where I want to be career wise - but my goals are a lot different than others I imagine. If you want to be flying a Jet for United-Delta Airways dba Alaska Airlines dba Hawaiian Airlines (for when the mergers are complete) - go fly for a regional and see if you like it, and get the kind of experience they'd like. If you don't know what you'd like to do long term - fly 135 cargo.
 
ppragman said:
I chose freight because I was familiar with 135 Ops, the pay was marginally better than RJ-land, and I wouldn't have to throw a gear lever. It was a good experience and it got me where I want to be career wise - but my goals are a lot different than others I imagine. If you want to be flying a Jet for United-Delta Airways dba Alaska Airlines dba Hawaiian Airlines (for when the mergers are complete) - go fly for a regional and see if you like it, and get the kind of experience they'd like. If you don't know what you'd like to do long term - fly 135 cargo.
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That is exactly why I went freight. So far it seems like it was a good move.
 
I didn't choose freight. Freight chose me.

When freight saw I could fly the airplane and didn't let the airplane fly me, freight chose me.

When freight saw that to me flying an NDB approach to mins was just part of the job and not an emergency, freight chose me.

When freight saw my balls were like grapefruits with the density of lead, freight chose me.

I didn't choose freight. Freight chose me.

:D
 
They were hiring and it was only a two week course...

J/K. Sorta. I went to FLX because I didn't have a multi rating and I was too poor to get one. So I flew the dog doo in a 210 for a year and some change and made enough money to live comfortably AND get that multi rating. So I did my ~6 hours (IMS) in a Duchess and they put me in a Baron they were paying ME to fly the next day. Then someone put an MU-2 on the field and needed someone local to fly it ASAP. So it was off to fly the rice rocket with about 500 hours of multi. Freight was awfully good to me. Can't promise it will be the same for you, but when I look at the money my peers from flight school spent to go get furloughed from one regional after another, I sacrifice a goat to the Night Gods of Freight.
 
I think you just have to decide which is more important: your balls self satisfaction, or your ego.

To be honest ive never flown 121, but I spent the past year trying to satisfy my appetite for jet time in the corporate world. I enjoyed the lifestyle; IE flying all kinds of different places, and truth be told putting in big fuel orders, and whipping out the kyrptonite hotel rewards card. When it came down to it, I was just feeding my ego.

In the end while it was fun, it wasn't satisfying. Once you've gotten drunk at one titty bar, you've gotten drunk at them all.
 
It was the first job that got me out of teaching Chinese guys how to fly.

I did it for 2 years with 2 companies, One not so good, The other was fantastic. Now flying pt. 91/135 corporate, My Single Pilot Cargo Background really helped me land that job.
 
If you had told me in college that I would be flying a bastard kingair in 2012/13, I would have laughed at you.

Freight is something that I was drawn to, but only for the money. I did aerial survey and got absolutely sick of it when I was in Boise, ID and we sat for a month straight not doing anything.(there's more to the story, but that will be over beers in about a decade) Left that and needed a job. Flight express paid close to what survey did and they were hiring into St. Paul. PERFECT location for me. Did that for 7 months, decided no one gives a rats poo hole about 210s and Barons, and now I'm at Ameriflight checking off a box. After this, I'm not sure yet, but I'll figure that out soon. Air Ambulance might be next. I'm in no real hurry to chase the fast track to a "career stop". At this point, I've still got 38 years of working time left if I pick 121. I'm leaning towards 91 corporate for the long term right now, and freight fits with that more than 121 from a networking standpoint. They don't give a crap about the stupid jet/crew/glass BS either, so there's less head shaking and frustration when thinking about the future.:)

I have also ALWAYS had a dirty turboprop fetish, particularly the Metroliner. A regular Metro-sexual. I was not going to go out of my way to fly one though. Luckily, we have a million of them! GIMME GIMME GIMME! :smoke:

As much as I pick on the regional guys, and overly voice my opinion of the superiority of freight guys(which we are :p) , I'm not here for the experience. An airplane is an airplane is an airplane and it's only hard if you're an idiot.
 
UAL747400 said:
I'm not here for the experience. An airplane is an airplane is an airplane and it's only hard if you're an idiot.
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Well after a couple engine failures, gear extension problems more than a few times, electrical failure in IMC, and a dead-stick landing... I can safely say that its easy when everything is working. Its when it all goes to hell in a hand basket that we really earn our pay.
 
chrisreedrules said:
Well after a couple engine failures, gear extension problems more than a few times, electrical failure in IMC, and a dead-stick landing... I can safely say that its easy when everything is working. Its when it all goes to hell in a hand basket that we really earn our pay.
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My autopilot decided to take the morning off today, IMC for 90% of the flight to! What.. I have to fly this thing? Then N1 decided that 100% is just not enough. We needed more. Then I landed at the destination and took a nap.
 
chrisreedrules said:
Well after a couple engine failures, gear extension problems more than a few times, electrical failure in IMC, and a dead-stick landing... I can safely say that its easy when everything is working. Its when it all goes to hell in a hand basket that we really earn our pay.
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Thats cute. I remember my first flight. ;)
 
chrisreedrules said:
Well after a couple engine failures, gear extension problems more than a few times, electrical failure in IMC, and a dead-stick landing... I can safely say that its easy when everything is working. Its when it all goes to hell in a hand basket that we really earn our pay.
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watch-out-we-got-a-badass-over-here-meme.png
 
chrisreedrules said:
Well after a couple engine failures, gear extension problems more than a few times, electrical failure in IMC, and a dead-stick landing... I can safely say that its easy when everything is working. Its when it all goes to hell in a hand basket that we really earn our pay.
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I see what you're getting at, but most emergencies will tolerate a pretty significant delay. "ZOMG, YOU WILL DIE IF YOU DON'T FEATHER THE DEAD ENGINE WITHIN .0000000067 SECONDS!!!!" in the beech 99 if the auto-feather doesn't do it's thing. Well, no, no you will not. You've got at least 20 seconds before a decision is made for you. :)

That's neither here nor there in the context of the thread though. We all chose freight because passengers would complain about our enormous balls getting in the way during boarding. :smoke:
 
z987k said:
My autopilot decided to take the morning off today, IMC for 90% of the flight to! What.. I have to fly this thing? Then N1 decided that 100% is just not enough. We needed more. Then I landed at the destination and took a nap.
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Part of your freight man card is on fire right now!
 
UAL747400 said:
Part of your freight man card is on fire right now!
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It's actually a pretty regular occurrence. The auto pilot works maybe 50% of the time. Then sometimes it's going along just fine, you glance up and it's in a 30* descending turn. Not off, but not doing what it's supposed to either.

UAL747400 said:
I see what you're getting at, but most emergencies will tolerate a pretty significant delay. "ZOMG, YOU WILL DIE IF YOU DON'T FEATHER THE DEAD ENGINE WITHIN .0000000067 SECONDS!!!!" in the beech 99 if the auto-feather doesn't do it's thing. Well, no, no you will not. You've got at least 20 seconds before a decision is made for you. :)
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20 seconds? Maybe at rotation. Most any other phase of flight you have until whenever you feel like it.

Heck, recently the T/O briefing is unless we're on fire, after rotation we're going home.
 
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