Freight pilots
Discussion
The pilots who fly the cargo 747s, etc...
Why do they choose that role, which I understand is less well paid than the passenger carrying pilots?
Is it a stepping-stone to a pax job? Do they just prefer not dealing with the public? Better employment prospects? Just prefer a fuselage with no windows..?
?
Why do they choose that role, which I understand is less well paid than the passenger carrying pilots?
Is it a stepping-stone to a pax job? Do they just prefer not dealing with the public? Better employment prospects? Just prefer a fuselage with no windows..?
?
To be honest, it's just a job with different payload.
Some are lower paying than some passenger jobs, some better; much like some passenger carriers paying less than another. Of course, thats talking about the scheduled 'large cabin' freight carriers. Many pilots cut their teeth flying small freight feeder aircraft to build experience, but I don't think that's what you're getting at.
FedEx and UPS in the States being examples of freight pilots being better paid than most passenger pilots. In Europe, the likes of Cargolux, KLM Cargo and Luftansa Cargo pilots make 'flag carrier' pay. In the UK, I believe (happy to be proven wrong) DHL pilots make similar money to the bucket and spade guys at Thomas Cook, Thomson etc. which is (for most) less than the guys at BA. Where I am, if you fly the 747 on the 'normal' contract, you get rostered on both the freighter and the passenger variants. Our payscales are the same, regardless of whether you fly the 747, 777 or A330/340. Our lifestyles can be very different, however.
There are pros and cons to freight flying vs passenger flying. Not dealing with the disruption that passenger operations can cause is a big one. I enjoyed being able to roam around the aircraft, take a real meal and warm it up, and a more diverse route structure with plenty of charters etc.. The downsides are that the flying is often through the night (but so is a huge amount of long haul flying), and (again, where I am), the rosters are more disruptive than the passenger fleet - the company may change the pilots freighter rosters to keep the passenger operations on track.
Essentially, it's just another job doing the same thing. I personally don't care too much what is behind the flight deck door when I'm at work. Some jobs are great, some not so much, just like the passenger airlines. Like anywhere else, if you 'gel' with it, they can be fabulous careers, and if you don't, they can suck the life out of you!
At my company, we only have passenger 777s, which is what I fly - so I don't do exclusive cargo flights. That said, we routinely carry some 30+ tonnes of cargo in the belly, on top of the passengers and their bags.
Some are lower paying than some passenger jobs, some better; much like some passenger carriers paying less than another. Of course, thats talking about the scheduled 'large cabin' freight carriers. Many pilots cut their teeth flying small freight feeder aircraft to build experience, but I don't think that's what you're getting at.
FedEx and UPS in the States being examples of freight pilots being better paid than most passenger pilots. In Europe, the likes of Cargolux, KLM Cargo and Luftansa Cargo pilots make 'flag carrier' pay. In the UK, I believe (happy to be proven wrong) DHL pilots make similar money to the bucket and spade guys at Thomas Cook, Thomson etc. which is (for most) less than the guys at BA. Where I am, if you fly the 747 on the 'normal' contract, you get rostered on both the freighter and the passenger variants. Our payscales are the same, regardless of whether you fly the 747, 777 or A330/340. Our lifestyles can be very different, however.
There are pros and cons to freight flying vs passenger flying. Not dealing with the disruption that passenger operations can cause is a big one. I enjoyed being able to roam around the aircraft, take a real meal and warm it up, and a more diverse route structure with plenty of charters etc.. The downsides are that the flying is often through the night (but so is a huge amount of long haul flying), and (again, where I am), the rosters are more disruptive than the passenger fleet - the company may change the pilots freighter rosters to keep the passenger operations on track.
Essentially, it's just another job doing the same thing. I personally don't care too much what is behind the flight deck door when I'm at work. Some jobs are great, some not so much, just like the passenger airlines. Like anywhere else, if you 'gel' with it, they can be fabulous careers, and if you don't, they can suck the life out of you!
At my company, we only have passenger 777s, which is what I fly - so I don't do exclusive cargo flights. That said, we routinely carry some 30+ tonnes of cargo in the belly, on top of the passengers and their bags.
I had a client who was a freighter 747 pilot with MK. He had been a BA 747 captain but when he retired (on a very good pension) he was still only 50 so immediately got a new job flying freighter 747s. His salary from MK wasn't as good as what he had been receiving at BA, but the salary, combined with his BA pension, he was earning MORE than he had previously.
My first airline flying job was bouncing around the sky in the mighty Shorts 360 with the back end full of cargo. I absolutely loved it!
Boxes don't fight with eachother, care if you go through turbulence (though if you had live freight on board it was a bit different), they don't whinge and generally don't turn up late and if they do and miss the flight, the box doesn't moan.
Some of my ex-freight colleagues still fly freight today for the likes of GSS and DHL and they have no interest in passenger work, which I completely understand.
Boxes don't fight with eachother, care if you go through turbulence (though if you had live freight on board it was a bit different), they don't whinge and generally don't turn up late and if they do and miss the flight, the box doesn't moan.
Some of my ex-freight colleagues still fly freight today for the likes of GSS and DHL and they have no interest in passenger work, which I completely understand.
t out of Hong Kong?
First thing I thought of when I saw the thread titleNotadoctor said:
I've pondered the same and decided it's the absence of SLF.
P-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-pick-up-a-prune has a "freight dogs" section that offers an insight into their minds.
Their strangest cargo thread amused for a few moments.
Good link. I liked this one:P-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-pick-up-a-prune has a "freight dogs" section that offers an insight into their minds.
Their strangest cargo thread amused for a few moments.
Pruner said:
Not my story, second hand from a mate - but I'll tell it anyway.
An RAF Hercules many years ago with my mate as the FE was due to fly from Colombo to Singapore empty, but at the last minute some frieght showed up in the form of an RAF police dog with it's handler. The dog had an abcess on a tooth which was going to be treated in SIngapore and was loaded in a wooded kennel crate.
In the climb, the dog's abcess got a bit painful as the pressure reduced. The dog went apesh!t and smashed it's way out of the crate. The crew barricaded themselves on the flightdeck and suggested to the handler that he should go back and calm it down.
"**** Off, h'ell eat me" was the reply.
So the solution was to go onto oxygen, depressurise, wait until the dog passed through hypoxia out than lash it to the floor!
Obviously it wasn't our GG girl - she'd have gone back there and kicked the dog back into its cage..! An RAF Hercules many years ago with my mate as the FE was due to fly from Colombo to Singapore empty, but at the last minute some frieght showed up in the form of an RAF police dog with it's handler. The dog had an abcess on a tooth which was going to be treated in SIngapore and was loaded in a wooded kennel crate.
In the climb, the dog's abcess got a bit painful as the pressure reduced. The dog went apesh!t and smashed it's way out of the crate. The crew barricaded themselves on the flightdeck and suggested to the handler that he should go back and calm it down.
"**** Off, h'ell eat me" was the reply.
So the solution was to go onto oxygen, depressurise, wait until the dog passed through hypoxia out than lash it to the floor!
rhinochopig said:
Being very tall and very tight I've often wondered whether it would be cheaper and more comfortable to fly abroad in a coffin in the pressurised cargo section. Would this be possible - I'd be willing to dress up as a giant Labrador if it helped?
A legendary thread topic perhaps? Let me ask The Lounge. I feel a ' how much would it cost to import a domesticated elephant' situation.....Eric Mc said:
I had a client who was a freighter 747 pilot with MK. He had been a BA 747 captain but when he retired (on a very good pension) he was still only 50 so immediately got a new job flying freighter 747s. His salary from MK wasn't as good as what he had been receiving at BA, but the salary, combined with his BA pension, he was earning MORE than he had previously.
Eric, what's MK please? I don't know and acronyms or initials for those not in the know can be annoying!!!!!!Edited by andy97 on Thursday 25th September 21:24
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