Is getting to an acmi within a few years at a regional a reasonable goal?
Posted by Greedy_Camera_433@reddit | flying | View on Reddit | 36 comments
Currently at a regional without a flow agreement like the wholly owned and aviate regionals. It seems like now that the hiring wave is over, legacies are gonna start taking only military hires and pilots from their flow agreements moving forward. I’ve adjusted my expectations and started to look into acmi carriers and started to think maybe I’ll like the lifestyle. Is it still a reasonable goal to get to an acmi carrier like Kalitta, ATI, ABX, atlas, etc after a few years at a regional? Assuming they are hiring.
sniper4273@reddit
While keeping your expectations grounded and your options open is good, I think your expectation of never going to a major from your regional is misguided. Hiring will pick up again, especially once Max 7/10 and 777X are certified and start delivery.
Now, you may stay a bit longer at your regional, but the majors DO hire outside of their flow.
0621Hertz@reddit
Not one major US carrier has the 777X on order.
It’s all 787/737/A320/A350 from here on out for at least the next 15 years.
Jhorn_fight@reddit
It’s wild how many planes are on order as well. If you look at United and over the next 3 years they are expecting 500 new aircraft… I totally agree that most airlines won’t be buying the 777x for at least 10 years.
JustAnotherDude1990@reddit
You mean the things from the company that are already basically years behind…
sniper4273@reddit
They are literally years behind, yes. Doesn't change the fact that when they are eventually delivered, it will trigger some hiring.
JustAnotherDude1990@reddit
“In the next 10 years there will be some hiring” is basically what any statement equates to that is dependent on Boeing not fucking something up.
saxmanB737@reddit
TPIC time is important. But that said I wish I had gotten to spend more time at my ACMI rather than a regional going to Omaha. It was a good time. Layovers are measured in days, not hours.
RaiseTheDed@reddit
It's totally reasonable. There are ACMIs that are better than others, but it's definitely not a bad gig. In fact, I love it. It fits me. I don't need glamour, I like the long trips, pay is good (could be better, but ACMI will never get UPS/FedEx pay. Just how it is). Get to travel the world.
LootenantTwiddlederp@reddit
What’s funny is that I got a TBNT from Kalitta but got picked up by UPS.
The recruiter at PAPA said I was barely competitive. This was after United said I was a shoe in, but so was everyone else applying.
0621Hertz@reddit
The recruiter was right, you’re not competitive for Kalitta.
Because you didn’t look like a sucker.
RaiseTheDed@reddit
Haha, Kalitta can be a joke lol. They'll hire guys with King Air time but not guys like you with C17 time....
empennage_a_trois@reddit
They are not, but they hired a lot of pilots in the past two years on work visas from Ukraine and Venezuela because they were viewed as cheap labor who won’t read the contract and won’t push back. That’s about to backfire, those companies will be losing a sizable chunk of their pilot workforce soon. Hiring will come back then.
RaiseTheDed@reddit
Didn't know about that. I would not have put it past them to do that though, that's on par for them
theoriginalturk@reddit
Has atlas been hiring either?
RaiseTheDed@reddit
Nope, not since we dropped Amazon.
theflyingcowboy@reddit
I know nobody ever knows, but if you looked into the crystal ball when would you guess they start picking up folks again?
RaiseTheDed@reddit
Could be any time really. If we get more jets, more contracts, hiring elsewhere picks up, etc could trigger hiring. The last of the 737 transitions are coming though now, so I suspect we will get a better idea when that's finished up.
Computerized-Cash@reddit
The market for mainline pilots will pick up again. ACMI (from what I’ve heard from a Kalitta 777 Captain) isn’t very glamorous and has an okay payscale. Plus if their contact doesn’t get renewed the company goes bust and you have to fight again to get hired again just to be at the bottom of the seniority pilot. I’m sure with your experience you could find a better corporate gig.
RaiseTheDed@reddit
Depends on the company. Atlas' biggest contract is only 9% of our income. So it's not really a big deal if we lose a contract, like it is with a regional.
bottomfeeder52@reddit
heard atlas was like the best kept secret in aviation if you wanted to live in ANC and fly the 747
RaiseTheDed@reddit
Pretty true. Still great even if you gateway to work. We get two weeks of vacation a year, which will kick out an entire month of flying with no work, and if you bid first half the month before, second half the month after, you get two months off straight. Pretty awesome
74_Jeep_Cherokee@reddit
But at some point, to do one front one back you'll have to do 30 straight right?
RaiseTheDed@reddit
Not necessarily, no. If you plan it right, there won't be any issues.
74_Jeep_Cherokee@reddit
Good to know, always been interested in ACMI
bottomfeeder52@reddit
is it true you get catered food on your flights?
RaiseTheDed@reddit
We have food, yes. The quality depends on the station. Usually a decent assortment though. Sometimes stuff you'd rather not eat too lol
bottomfeeder52@reddit
incredible
554TangoAlpha@reddit
Biggest thing about Kalitta is what happens once Connie dies. I know they all say they have a plan but…
Computerized-Cash@reddit
I talked to an ATI guy who said a similar thing, they live and die by their freight contracts and they work their pilots pretty hard. 18 straight on 12 off sometimes with reserve too.
XxVcVxX@reddit
ATI is bottom of the barrel and they work 16/12...
554TangoAlpha@reddit
Ya I JS on ATI recently and it was uh eye opening…
ZOB_oo_land@reddit
Connie Kalitta is currently 87, for the lazy
throwaway302534704@reddit
The legacies will be hiring a lot more pilots in your lifetime than the ACMIs.
Joe_Littles@reddit
Why do you think they will have no street hiring? Thats kind of a silly assumption. Not sure that’s going to play out in reality.
Twarrior913@reddit
Because it’s not happening immediately obviously!
rFlyingTower@reddit
This is a copy of the original post body for posterity:
Currently at a regional without a flow agreement like the wholly owned and aviate regionals. It seems like now that the hiring wave is over, legacies are gonna start taking only military hires and pilots from their flow agreements moving forward. I’ve adjusted my expectations and started to look into acmi carriers and started to think maybe I’ll like the lifestyle. Is it still a reasonable goal to get to an acmi carrier like Kalitta, ATI, ABX, atlas, etc after a few years at a regional? Assuming they are hiring.
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