Air cargo carriers Inc.

[southbound]

Anyone have updated info on ACC, Inc? Can a newbie(FO) get MYR? Thanks in advance

[MSUDAWG]

what do you want to know about them? Yes a newbie can get MYR, as a matter of fact its about to open up for an FO...At least the UPS run is, not sure about the DHL run out of there

[southbound]

Dawg, What kind of hours and money can you expect working the UPS run out of MYR?
Also, how well is the equipment maintained? Are you on salary at ACC? Thanks for the info, Andy

[MSUDAWG]

Originally Posted by southbound

Dawg, What kind of hours and money can you expect working the UPS run out of MYR?
Also, how well is the equipment maintained? Are you on salary at ACC? Thanks for the info, Andy

There are 2 runs out of MYR, one is DHL and the other is UPS. UPS runs suck monkey balls because its just you and the drivers so guess who gets the lucky job of loading the airplane, yes the pilots do. DHL does everything for you all you do is fly the plane. The money is the same on ALL the runs as you are salaried. Regardless if you fly 100 hours a month or 40hrs a month, you get the same pay. Pay is better than most of the regionals for a first year FO.

To answer your question, the UPS run out of MYR goes to CAE at about 8 oclock at night and you spend the night and come back in the morning early. The flight time sucks, so I wouldnt recommend that run. Equipment is maintained pretty well, although there have been some maintenance write ups lately. They are good about getting these things fixed tho.

Like any job, it is what you make it. The quick TPIC is attractive to me, which is why im here. If you are coming to ACC for QOL, well I suggest you go somewhere else because you wont really have one of those. The same stuff over and over every night gets old fast. If you keep your eye on the prize of the quick upgrade and getting your time fast, well the end result will be decent. Anyway good luck and hope this helps.

[CE525BGuy]

Upgrade is fast 1200hrs.F/O pay is comparable to the regionals. Captain pay is mid 40s and dosn't go much higher after that. Lifestyle is rough on the body. Say goodbye to your friday nights for a long time. Most runs are low time 2-4hrs a day. Most f/os leave and go to regionals only to start at the bottom all over again. If you can stomach 4-5 years of all that, you will probably catch a break somewhere. Remember that you will be flying a slow, unpress, non-glass airplane. Not the best looking thing on the resume considering you are up against guys with thousands of hrs of crj time. It will make you an awesome pilot though and the traing there is good.
Good luck

[BajtheJino]

Originally Posted by CE525BGuy

Remember that you will be flying a slow, unpress, non-glass airplane. Not the best looking thing on the resume considering you are up against guys with thousands of hrs of crj time.

You hear so many different sides of this.

[CE525BGuy]

Turbo-prop time is good. Jet time is better. If you look at most big-time jobs out there, you can by-pass turbo-prop pic requirements with Jet-sic time. Not to mention that the upgrade times at the regionals are pretty quick these days.
Like I said, flying the shorts will make you a great stick, but if you are looking for the fast track, seek a jet job. I had ups pilots telling me to get the heck out of there if i wanted to see a brown paycheck someday.

[ppragman]

Originally Posted by CE525BGuy

Turbo-prop time is good. Jet time is better. If you look at most big-time jobs out there, you can by-pass turbo-prop pic requirements with Jet-sic time. Not to mention that the upgrade times at the regionals are pretty quick these days.
Like I said, flying the shorts will make you a great stick, but if you are looking for the fast track, seek a jet job. I had ups pilots telling me to get the heck out of there if i wanted to see a brown paycheck someday.

You don't learn #### flying glass. I've seen pilots come up here from the regionals and try to fly in AK. Anybody with more than a dozen hand flown approaches can fly circles around them. As for UPS, well, after dealing with their ground crews in FAI, screw that.

[MSUDAWG]

Originally Posted by CE525BGuy

Turbo-prop time is good. Jet time is better. If you look at most big-time jobs out there, you can by-pass turbo-prop pic requirements with Jet-sic time. Not to mention that the upgrade times at the regionals are pretty quick these days.
Like I said, flying the shorts will make you a great stick, but if you are looking for the fast track, seek a jet job. I had ups pilots telling me to get the heck out of there if i wanted to see a brown paycheck someday.

I understand what you are saying, but dont believe everything you hear. I know you are an x ootsk, and prob was miserable doing it like many are at air cargo, but it gets you where you want to go. Yeah jet time is good, but looking down on heavy TP time, hand flying in the weather on steam gauges in the middle of the night is nothing frown upon. Upgrade times at regionals arent as quick as Air Cargo. Multi Engine TURBINE PIC is just that, MULTI ENGINE TURBINE PIC, it goes in the same column in your logbook. RJ drivers are a dime a dozen and anybody can fly a jet with an autopilot with glass. Having a constant scan and hand flying all approaches and cruise will help you a LOT more when you go to that interview at the major of choice.

Fast track as you put it is what you dedicate yourself to. If its going to a regional, yeah you will have a great lifestyle and QOL compared to here but you wont get to where you want as fast. There have been quite a few go straight from Air Cargo to UPS (3), FedEx (3), Delta (1 about 3 weeks ago), XOJet (2 within the last few months), NetJets (3 within the last year), CitationShares (not sure how many) , AirTran (not sure how many), Avantair (2 within the last year) without a lick of jet time. All these people stuck it out and got their 1000 then moved on. It can be done and it is done. Yes connections at airlines help, but what is going to set you apart with 3000hrs CRJ time from another guy with 3000hrs CRJ time. Most of the guys doing the interviewing at majors now have experience in these old "pilots airplanes" and have something to relate with you about their experience in them.

Its easy to come to Air Cargo and get your 1000TPIC quick if you can stick out the lifestyle. Hopefully after I get my time, I will be able to go where I have been eyeing since I was a little kid thanks to a member of my fam. If your job of preference isnt hiring, well get your thousand then go ride right seat in an RJ to get that wonderful glass experience and jet experience, if you will....

[BajtheJino]

Right, Right.
I'm so sick of hearing theres only two places to work if you want to fly big freight one day-UPS and FedEx. There is more! Theres a whole world out there of freight!!!
I wouldn't mind working for ACC one day and will probably apply in a couple of months. What can it hurt. I like flying at night and it seems like a descent job.

Like you stated, MTPIC is MTPIC.

[CE525BGuy]

Alright, if ya have to pick out of all the 135 cargo stuff, yeah ACC is one of the better ones. Number one thing you get out of it is good training and a transport category plane to fly around in.
A few points you need to ask a pilot group about before making the move.
1.)QOL=long nights loading airplanes and little flight time
2.)Hahahahah wait till ya meet managment and how they view your seniority number based on your ability to walk a very fine line
3.)Locked into a non-prorated contract for a year and again when you upgrade.
4.)If you get junior-manned to someplace far away, have fun paying your way there with as little as 3-4days to do it. (they promise you they will give you a week to do it when you are in training...dosn't happen much)
5.)Attrition should be the tell-tale sign of a good company with happy pilots, so there ya go. F/Os jumping ship and breaking contracts ....
6.)Jumpseat agreements...Just ask a former employee about what alpa thinks of the company now and how they are loosing those agreements.
7.) Good luck getting a replacement pilot when you get a cold and have to send them a doctors note.

Yeah, after all that you will just slip right into the right seat at brown or purple with all your valuable 135 time carrying boxes. Happens WAY more often and much much sooner than the guys flying 121 jets

And, if you want to break into the private sector, most insurance co's require jet time specifically and don't count TP time. Same goes with some airlines.
I'm just trying to offer some insight to people out there who say to them selves, "I like to fly at night and I want to earn a big set of....wings by being an ootsk".
Seriously, no matter where you go, ask the pilots what they think.. you have 2 opinions here from the same Co...and another guy flying for someone else. I hope someone else can tip the scales for your decision on this forum.

[CE525BGuy]

Personality and who you know is what sets apart the 2 121 crj guys and puts you in the number 3 spot just based on the fact that you are 135.

pilot shortage=more guys move on=your argument holds a little water in the last 9 months, and , most likely in the cases of the other lucky ones. Thats how I got lucky. Shortage, knew a guy, right place at the right time. They met me before they met my steller TP resume. Lets just say, ACC just filled the void with...... reasonable experience. Not happy about burning jet time to teach me an FMS though.....

[late bloomer]

CE525BGuy raised a question I need to know more about.....jumpseating.

On Aircar's page on another site, they state they're part of CASS and have jumpseat privileges with 20 or so carriers. I sure would like to hear some recent personal experiences any of you might have had jumpseating, since the odds are I would be working away from home if I went with them.

[todd584]

Just started recently with ACC, and I have jumpseated one time with Midwest. No problems, and the crew was very friendly.

[late bloomer]

Curious about a couple of items regarding the Shorts and Aircar's routes:

What is engine-out performance like, especially in the summer? I know the Saab 340's SE performance at MTOW in the summer leaves a lot to be desired. Is that the case with the Shorts as well?

Also, being an unpressurized cabin, are you on 02 on most flights or, depending on the leg length, is it not worth going up to the flight levels?

Thanks for the info.

[MSUDAWG]

Originally Posted by late bloomer

Curious about a couple of items regarding the Shorts and Aircar's routes:

What is engine-out performance like, especially in the summer? I know the Saab 340's SE performance at MTOW in the summer leaves a lot to be desired. Is that the case with the Shorts as well?

Also, being an unpressurized cabin, are you on 02 on most flights or, depending on the leg length, is it not worth going up to the flight levels?

Thanks for the info.

It performs just fine on one engine at MTOW, granted in the summer time it will be a little sluggish but it does pretty well. As for the unpressurized cabin, its not a big deal as you dont need to fly that high on many of the legs. Charter birds have o2 in them bc they go up to 18-20k on long hauls to take advantage of winds and fuel burn but you dont need o2 on many of the scheduled routes. We are filed anywhere from 6-10 but its usually 8,9 or 10k....

[late bloomer]

Originally Posted by MSUDAWG

It performs just fine on one engine at MTOW, granted in the summer time it will be a little sluggish but it does pretty well. ....

That's a nice step up from the Chieftain I'm flying now. It has the gross weight increase with the VG's and it is a dog climbing on two (we're always taking off @ MTOW), much less on one. Come summer, I'll be looking for a place to put that puppy down if a motor gives up the ghost before I get that gear up

[ZapBrannigan]

Originally Posted by MSUDAWG

Most of the guys doing the interviewing at majors now have experience in these old "pilots airplanes" and have something to relate with you about their experience in them.

Bingo. If I was doing the interviewing i'd much rather take my chance on someone who is hand-flying a turboprop with steamgauges than yet another RJ driver. But then again, I started out in the Jetstream so i'm biased.

[WalterSobchak]

Originally Posted by late bloomer

Curious about a couple of items regarding the Shorts and Aircar's routes:

What is engine-out performance like, especially in the summer? I know the Saab 340's SE performance at MTOW in the summer leaves a lot to be desired. Is that the case with the Shorts as well?

Also, being an unpressurized cabin, are you on 02 on most flights or, depending on the leg length, is it not worth going up to the flight levels?

Thanks for the info.

1424shp 27,100lb = 19:1 power to weight ratio for the Short

1870eshp 29,000lb = 15:1 power to weight ratio Saab

Saab is part 25 certification. Short is part 23 there is a big difference.

Navajo is 21:1 power to weight on oei to give you an idea. The short is closer to a Nav on oei than a Saab.

[late bloomer]

Originally Posted by WalterSobchak

1424shp 27,100lb = 19:1 power to weight ratio for the Short

1870eshp 29,000lb = 15:1 power to weight ratio Saab

Saab is part 25 certification. Short is part 23 there is a big difference.

Navajo is 21:1 power to weight on oei to give you an idea. The short is closer to a Nav on oei than a Saab.

I guess the wing loading would play a part as well.....
340B 64 lb/sq ft
360-100 50 lb/sq ft
PA31-350 32 lb/sq ft

[SkyFive]

ACC is hiring, they called me yesterday. I've already taken a job so I respectfully declined. They seem like a good company to work for. PIC in twin turboprop. It would be great for the resume'. You could even append your radio calls with "heavy". Call Ward if your interested.

[Old Dominion Flyer]

For those who are in the know at ACC, what sort of times are the new hires coming on with? Are you getting the 300TT guys or more like 135mins guys?

[LOGS]

Originally Posted by todd584

Just started recently with ACC, and I have jumpseated one time with Midwest. No problems, and the crew was very friendly.

Hey Todd whats up! How you liking ACC? Where are you based out of?

Might whole .02 on the 121 vs 135 right now is 1. Regionals don't pay 2. The way the economy is who knows how the airlines are going to be doing anyhow...look at express jet, mesaba, etc. Who knows whats going to happen down the line in like 6 months and 3. 135 is fun, you get to #### around, the skys are always empty at night(I would like direct destination please lol) and the very last reason of all.....packages don't complain

=Jason-