Jakob

Howdie guys,
yeah, my question is pretty much already asked! I would appreciate a bit of a comparison between flying for a cargo airline and flying passenger airlines! Maybe some of you have experienced both. Maybe you can just tell me how it's like to fly cargo...

Thanks a lot.

Cheers

SWAjet

I fly for SWA, and I have one friend each at UPS and FedEx.

At SWA we have a very enjoyable work environment, but we work hard when we're putting in our hours. I'm exhausted half the time when finishing my trips. But the paycheck, profit sharing, and 401-k balance are darned good for a passenger operation.

My FedEx and UPS buds love life flying their international trips in the heavy MD-11. I've seen some vacations knock out a complete month of flying. They're home a lot, talk about their nice layovers in France, Germany, and China, and how it's actually a plus not having to deal with passengers.

I would say that cargo has a lot more respect now as a career with what has happened to the passenger airlines. They pay better than everyone else, probably work a lot less, and have loads and loads of stability through their business model.

EDPM

I flew pax for the better part of 10 years and now fly boxes. Flying cargo wins, hands down.

Boxes don't complain when ATC won’t let you depart with blue skies due to wx enroute. No drunken boxes. No FA’s to brief. Not always climbing and descending to find a smoother ride.

Even sim training is easier because you don’t have to constantly simulate briefing the FA’s and talking to the pax on the PA.

It’s like they say….boxes don’t bit*h!

EDPM

PearlPilot

Good! That's why I am attracted to places like Fedex/UPS. Hopefully the conditions will be the same in 10 years.

L-1011-500

Man it depends on who you are flying for as well. Most cargo carriers are a far cry from FDX or UPS. I flew both PAX and Cargo. They are like compairing apples and concrete. Pax operations have draw backs like those mentioned earlier in this thread. But at least I flew better hours. My cargo flying has been lot's of night flying and having to sleep during the day. Something I still can't get used to very well. There are some great runs flying the hub where you don't fly much at all but you'll be flying really nasty ones for a long time before your seniority can hold it. Now days I am flying international routes and it's much better for me personally. It's all personal taste. But it took alot of crappy flying to get here.

captjns

Best part of flying cargo?

No drunken or disruptive pax.

No Flight Attendants to worry about showing in the hotel lobby at 1700 for a 1715 shuttle to the airport which leaves for the airport every hour. If you have the burning desire to see a F/A, find one the hotel you are staying at.

Generally weekends and holidays off. Some layovers I had afforded enough time for a mini vacation.

Jakob

Thanks a lot for those replies! I really find it quite interesting how different the opinions are. You guys are all pretty much of the same opinion but I heard some other pilots, that fly passenger aircrafts, say that they would never want to fly cargo!
Thanks again...
greetz to all

RedeyeAV8r

I have flown both..............Started out on the PAX side and am now on the cargo side.

Just like the PAX carriers, in Cargo Seniority is Everything...........but I believe Seniority is even more important when flying for the cargo haulers.......speaking for FedEx.

Got almost 21 years total with 12 years in Cargo and 9 years with PAX.

I can say that I personally prefer the PAX schedules in the Junior domestic.
Being a JR domestic puke on the 727. Flying the all night schedules was very hard on me.........A junior Red-eye trip for a PAX carrier would be a mid level to slightly above avg trip with FedEx. Again this is a personal thing.........trying to sleep days when your body says it is time to be awake just Screwed me up..................Some guys here have no problem adapting to the body clock swaps.............Most are former Navy Squids used to sleeping under the waist catapult on the flat tops................

I always envied their ability to sleep anywhere through everything........I never could.

On the Senior side........If you can hold the Day trips with Double DH's the Cargo side (FedEx again) the flying is great.........No body clock swaps, good time off.

In the international...........The PAX flying is generally better. Launch over to a Intl city, layover and then return...........That was pretty sweet flying....sure you swapped the body clock but it wasn't too bad.

FedEx has a few of those type trips and schedules and it goes very senior, but most of our INTL skeds are Long trips 8 -15 days in length. Commuters tend to like these more. Some are OK if you don't mind being gone for a long time.........but speaking for just me........it tends to really screw with my aging body. taking upwards of 3 to 4 days recovery time when I get home.

If you look at our seniority system as compared to Big PAX carriers.......FedEx's seniority spread is somewhat different. We have approx 4700 total pilots (+ or -) on the list.

Our Junior Capt on the 727 is around 3600 on the list! (76%)
Our junior MD11 CAPT are around 2500 on the list! (54%)
Our Junior A300 Capts are 2600 on the list! (55%)

We have FO's going to the right seat of WB less than 6 months after they are hired!

Why..............Part of the reason is our pay because we are not Aircraft specific......only 2 categories....Wide Body, Narrow body. The other reason (in my opinion) is being Junior at this company really sux. Being Senior, life can be very, very good.

The top FO's in every seat have seniority numbers less than 1000.........


Long rant but that is how it is...........The pay check comes twice a month and currently the Big 3 Cargo fcarriers have
stability......but we all know that could change in a NY second.

Bottom Line with Stability and upheaval not being a factor....................
I would probably choose the PAX schedules as a general rule................but that is me.

747classic

You have to ask which type of cargo flying as well.
I have no experience with the courier cargo services like FedEx or UPS, but with general, long-haul wide-body cargo.
There are two major disadvantages to flying cargo:
1. The schedule might not be that fixed. Flights are often delayed because of late arrival of the cargo, cancelled because of lack of cargo, or changed completely in favor of cargo charters.
2. When flying pax, you most often leave your base to some destination, lay there for a day or two, and then fly back. When flying cargo, you can expect multiple sectors on most trips, e.g going to port A, then next day to port B, the next day to port C etc. Trips can add up to 8-10 days away each. It's ok if you're commuting, but if you actually live at your base, it sucks.
Now on the plus side:
1. No pax to deal with, keep them warm/cool, protect them from turbulance, appologize to them for being late etc.
2. Most airlines offer quite a lot of days off per month.
3. Pay is good.
4. Professionally speaking, because cargo planes are generally heavier than pax, the average leg is shorter. Less use of heavy or multiple crews, so you get to fly more. (some might see that as an advantage to pax flying, when you can sleep for 7 out of a 14 hour trip, and still get paid for 14)
5. Again, professionally, operation cargo airplanes, which are often older, and at high gross weights, mostly at night, I find challenging. Again some may prefer the pax all-new airplanes.

From what I gather, we cargo pilots are considered more adventurous, rugged pilots, going away for a week each time, and within that week covering 7 different cities, moving at night, using old equipment...
while pax pilots are the office-clerks in shiny suits, who never get their hands dirty.
Now you gotta choose what will you ride into town: a 1960 harley, or a brand new toyota?

charley

Hello,
Well, for one thing it really depends on how old you are as when flying Cargo your usually trying to sleep during the Day, which is hard to do. Of course if your younger you can tolerate much more also, like less sleep etc.
Pax flying can be fun if you have good FA's, and have decent layovers of at least 48 hours. International flying with the right company, and seniority affords this luxury. Jet lag and time zone changes are the cons.