questions about 135 work

Kleigh · May 17th, 2008, 15:30

Hey, I am kinda new to the forums, just hit my 135 mins, and I am thinking of a freight job for the experience, etc. I had just a few questions. 1. is 135 freight just night time/ or predominately night 2. Is it a stop along the way to a career or a career itself? 3. what is the quality of life like for you guys?

Thanks

mikecweb · May 17th, 2008, 15:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kleigh

Hey, I am kinda new to the forums, just hit my 135 mins, and I am thinking of a freight job for the experience, etc. I had just a few questions. 1. is 135 freight just night time/ or predominately night 2. Is it a stop along the way to a career or a career itself? 3. what is the quality of life like for you guys?

Thanks

1. Most freight is flown at night, nature of the industry. You can however definetly find work during the day or early evening.

2. Both. For many it's a stop along the way. If you can adjust your personal life to fit the schedule there are many that make it a career.

3. Home every morning. Major holidays off or double pay. 90% at our company enjoy weekends off. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. We have good benefits and jumpseat agreements with many airlines.

I'd also like to add that first year pay is usually higher then most regional jobs. They cross somewhere around year 3-4 and then the pax guys will make more. Most leave 135 freight because they can't hack the schedule. Some like me love it. I love going to work every day in shorts or jeans. I love walking right up to my airplane without having someone pat me down.

Boris Badenov · May 19th, 2008, 22:14

IMHO, the scheduled stuff (bank runs) is going the way of the dodo (with the exception of the scheduled medical lab stuff, but in my experience those are few and far between) within the next two years or so. This means that you'll be flying whenever there's stuff to be flown. That said, more often than not, the on-demand stuff is also at night.

Some guys make a career out of it. It's extremely unlikely that you'll ever break six figures, but as long as the scheduled stuff lasts, you'll sleep in your own bed, know your schedule, generally get the weekends off, etc. For some people that's worth a lot.

I've loved the QOL of freight, although I don't really have anything to which to compare it (unless you count being a CFI, in which case it's LOADS better). As mentioned above, I'm home every day. I work four days a week for about 7 hours a night. That's sort of a "second step" job, though...the first one was a lot more work. I've been flying 135 for about 2 1/2 years now, and by year three I should have over 4000TT/1000MTPIC and never have made less than 32k/year (more on second year/second job payscale). So by the numbers, it's a pretty sweet deal. There are also the intangibles...being more or less your own boss, "boxes don't bitch", flying through uh "interesting" weather, "buck stops here"...all of the freight cliches can be either positives or negatives depending upon your disposition. I love them.

OTOH, there's always a tradeoff. I sleep while it's light outside. I fly the same route every night. I see the same ten people every working day. If I get off work and want a beer, I have to watch soap operas and see the sun come up. There are no hot flight attendants or party time overnights. It was the right thing for me, but it's not for everyone.

minitour · May 20th, 2008, 06:46

I'm having a good time with it and I'd recommend it.

-mini

SkyFive · May 20th, 2008, 12:06

I've been flying the line for nearly three weeks now for a small operator with nine Caravans. We fly bank stuff, documents, checks and the other night I loaded a giant size box of Honey Nut Cheerios!
Anyhow, the important things to me are quality of life, pay and equipment. I fly one of two runs nightly, BHM-TPA 5:30p-1:30a or BHM-HKS 9:30p-12:30a. Me and one other pilot swap runs at our discretion. I'm sitting at my computer at 10:00a writiing this while drinking my coffee after a full nights sleep. The pay is very respectable, the schedule is great for me as I'm not a early riser and the equipment is top notch. The only apprehension I had/have is flying into the really nasty weather. My actual instrument time is very low but I'm getting more experience every day. Last week I flew threw a squall line of TS which had tornado warnings associated with it. Center gave me vectors through the least intense activity and all I saw was turbulence and intense rain, so intense I could not communicate with center due to precip static in my radio's. I had to remove the seat from my arse when I arrived in Tampa none the less.

ackeight · May 20th, 2008, 18:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by SkyFive

I've been flying the line for nearly three weeks now for a small operator with nine Caravans. We fly bank stuff, documents, checks and the other night I loaded a giant size box of Honey Nut Cheerios!
Anyhow, the important things to me are quality of life, pay and equipment. I fly one of two runs nightly, BHM-TPA 5:30p-1:30a or BHM-HKS 9:30p-12:30a. Me and one other pilot swap runs at our discretion. I'm sitting at my computer at 10:00a writiing this while drinking my coffee after a full nights sleep. The pay is very respectable, the schedule is great for me as I'm not a early riser and the equipment is top notch. The only apprehension I had/have is flying into the really nasty weather. My actual instrument time is very low but I'm getting more experience every day. Last week I flew threw a squall line of TS which had tornado warnings associated with it. Center gave me vectors through the least intense activity and all I saw was turbulence and intense rain, so intense I could not communicate with center due to precip static in my radio's. I had to remove the seat from my arse when I arrived in Tampa none the less.

Paragon huh?

I ran into some of you guys in BHM often. None liked it for some reason....

SkyFive · May 21st, 2008, 12:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by ackeight

Paragon huh?

I ran into some of you guys in BHM often. None liked it for some reason....

I think you'll find that at all of the cargo operators. You can make some of the people happy some of the time but, you can't make all of the people happy all of the time.

ackeight · May 21st, 2008, 14:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by SkyFive

I think you'll find that at all of the cargo operators. You can make some of the people happy some of the time but, you can't make all of the people happy all of the time.

Unfortunatly the only 3 I've ever ran into there decided to leave. And with not having that many pilots to begin with doesn't make that a good ratio. Oh well. Are they still doing strong or is the bank work slowly disapearing for Paragon too? That's the main reason why those 3 guys left, along with some other small stuff.

CaravanPilot · June 2nd, 2008, 11:14

Hey SkyFive,

Is Paragon still looking for pilot's?
How was the interview?
What is the pay like?

Thanks Ken

SkyFive · June 3rd, 2008, 14:21

Sent you a PM Ken. Since this my first >real< flying job I don't reallly have any thing to compare it to. The positives are; I'm the captain, I go to work, do my job and go home, no time clock, no boss breathing down my neck, I fly every day and get to log PIC turbine time, I gain more experience every night and earn a respectable paycheck. The negatives are; displaced from wife and home, the FBO in Tampa ran out of Coffee Mate one night last week.
So far I like this job pretty darn good. It sure beats the heck out of what I was doing before. (don't ask)

ackeight · June 3rd, 2008, 18:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by SkyFive

It sure beats the heck out of what I was doing before. (don't ask)

You were a gigolo too?

May 17th, 2008, 15:30	#1
Kleigh Newbie Join Date: May 2008 Location: ATL Posts: 15	questions about 135 work Hey, I am kinda new to the forums, just hit my 135 mins, and I am thinking of a freight job for the experience, etc. I had just a few questions. 1. is 135 freight just night time/ or predominately night 2. Is it a stop along the way to a career or a career itself? 3. what is the quality of life like for you guys? Thanks

May 19th, 2008, 22:14	#3
Boris Badenov Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Saint Loser, Misery Posts: 636	Re: questions about 135 work IMHO, the scheduled stuff (bank runs) is going the way of the dodo (with the exception of the scheduled medical lab stuff, but in my experience those are few and far between) within the next two years or so. This means that you'll be flying whenever there's stuff to be flown. That said, more often than not, the on-demand stuff is also at night. Some guys make a career out of it. It's extremely unlikely that you'll ever break six figures, but as long as the scheduled stuff lasts, you'll sleep in your own bed, know your schedule, generally get the weekends off, etc. For some people that's worth a lot. I've loved the QOL of freight, although I don't really have anything to which to compare it (unless you count being a CFI, in which case it's LOADS better). As mentioned above, I'm home every day. I work four days a week for about 7 hours a night. That's sort of a "second step" job, though...the first one was a lot more work. I've been flying 135 for about 2 1/2 years now, and by year three I should have over 4000TT/1000MTPIC and never have made less than 32k/year (more on second year/second job payscale). So by the numbers, it's a pretty sweet deal. There are also the intangibles...being more or less your own boss, "boxes don't bitch", flying through uh "interesting" weather, "buck stops here"...all of the freight cliches can be either positives or negatives depending upon your disposition. I love them. OTOH, there's always a tradeoff. I sleep while it's light outside. I fly the same route every night. I see the same ten people every working day. If I get off work and want a beer, I have to watch soap operas and see the sun come up. There are no hot flight attendants or party time overnights. It was the right thing for me, but it's not for everyone.

May 20th, 2008, 06:46	#4
minitour Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Ohio Posts: 678	Re: questions about 135 work I'm having a good time with it and I'd recommend it. -mini

May 20th, 2008, 12:06	#5
SkyFive Newbie Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 10	Re: questions about 135 work I've been flying the line for nearly three weeks now for a small operator with nine Caravans. We fly bank stuff, documents, checks and the other night I loaded a giant size box of Honey Nut Cheerios! Anyhow, the important things to me are quality of life, pay and equipment. I fly one of two runs nightly, BHM-TPA 5:30p-1:30a or BHM-HKS 9:30p-12:30a. Me and one other pilot swap runs at our discretion. I'm sitting at my computer at 10:00a writiing this while drinking my coffee after a full nights sleep. The pay is very respectable, the schedule is great for me as I'm not a early riser and the equipment is top notch. The only apprehension I had/have is flying into the really nasty weather. My actual instrument time is very low but I'm getting more experience every day. Last week I flew threw a squall line of TS which had tornado warnings associated with it. Center gave me vectors through the least intense activity and all I saw was turbulence and intense rain, so intense I could not communicate with center due to precip static in my radio's. I had to remove the seat from my arse when I arrived in Tampa none the less. Last edited by SkyFive; May 20th, 2008 at 12:14. Reason: spelling

June 2nd, 2008, 11:14	#9
CaravanPilot Newbie Join Date: May 2008 Location: Atlanta Posts: 5	Re: questions about 135 work Hey SkyFive, Is Paragon still looking for pilot's? How was the interview? What is the pay like? Thanks Ken

June 3rd, 2008, 14:21	#10
SkyFive Newbie Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 10	Re: questions about 135 work Sent you a PM Ken. Since this my first >real< flying job I don't reallly have any thing to compare it to. The positives are; I'm the captain, I go to work, do my job and go home, no time clock, no boss breathing down my neck, I fly every day and get to log PIC turbine time, I gain more experience every night and earn a respectable paycheck. The negatives are; displaced from wife and home, the FBO in Tampa ran out of Coffee Mate one night last week. So far I like this job pretty darn good. It sure beats the heck out of what I was doing before. (don't ask)

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