The total crew of the cargo flights usually consists of two pilots: a Captain and a First Officer.On longer flights we are with three or four pilots: besides the standard crew also a Second Officer and/or sometimes another Captain or First Officer.
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A Commercial aviation = cargo flights and passenger flights. With your pilot license, you will always be ok to fly both passengers and cargo. No choices to be made here. But if you mean to choose between flying passengers or cargo: well try to find some answers for yourself.
They usually have a large and empty fuselage, with no seats, windows, or amenities for passengers. However, some cargo airplanes may have a small and separate cabin for the crew and a few authorized passengers, such as pilots, mechanics, security personnel, or cargo handlers.
It might seem obvious, but many of you ask about this: yes, the pilots prepare their own coffee and meals. Just behind the flight deck, we have a galley, containing several catering boxes with plenty of food, drinks and snacks, an oven and a coffee maker.
A flight like any otherAt the start of our duty we meet at dispatch to discuss the flight and paperwork, we pass through crew security and when we arrive at the airplane, the loading process is usually well on its way.
This applies to cargo airlines as well as passenger planes. FedEx Express pays a junior First Officer $84 per hour, and senior Captains earn $335. The range at UPS is even greater, with junior First Officers starting at $52 per hour and senior Captains earning $341.
For Cargo plane it's constant revenue +/- 1%-2%, without depend from destination. There is some destination with exception, but I think it's just small bug/mistake with income on such destinations. Cargo planes make the most money on shortest trips, passenger planes make the most money on longest trips.
As a cargo pilot, any type of schedule you can imagine is available—domestic, international, 1-day trips, 14-day trips, all-daytime flying, all-nighttime flying, and every combination of these. It is a myth that we only fly in the middle of the night!
Some operators fly “on demand cargo flights”, where aircraft will wait for new cargo at the airport were it had landed with the previous load. They may make “repositioning flights” (that are empty), but they do not “return.
That being said, most flight crew will have considerably higher tolerance for turbulence than most passengers, and crews flying freighters are considerably more likely to just ignore some light turbulence than crews flying passengers (the boxes* neither shriek, nor write nasty letters to the airline).
Cargo operators use passenger airports as well. Night flights for passengers aren't popular for a variety of reasons. Which means there are less flights for passengers landing and taking off during the night hours freeing up slots for cargo.
While there usually are no flight benefits as a cargo pilot, reciprocal jumpseat privileges for crew members can be expected with nearly every one of them, making commuting to work still an option for those looking to live outside of their base.
It is often true that many pilots flying passenger aircraft are paid better than their counterparts at cargo airlines (of course, it depends on the case). The main reason is that airline and cargo airline pilots have slightly different roles and work responsibilities.
Cost. Ocean freight tends to be 12 to 16 times cheaper than air freight since it utilizes large-scale vessels that can transport larger loads for greater distances for less expense. Air cargo, on the other hand, is typically more expensive due to higher fuel costs and the need for faster delivery times.
As of Sep 22, 2023, the average annual pay for the Boeing 747 Pilot jobs category in Staten Island is $100,515 a year. Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $48.32 an hour. This is the equivalent of $1,932/week or $8,376/month.
If you want to become a pilot, it's best not to get any visible tattoos. Airlines have a policy against allowing pilots with visible tattoos while in uniform. If you don't have any tattoos yet, think carefully before getting one – it could affect your ability to get hired as a pilot in the future.
There are no big differences between Cargo pilot and any passenger pilot's skill. The training remains same and so does the skills, Both pilot's either cargo or passengers have same goal and mission. It is always to take the aircraft with either passengers or cargo on board safely from one place to other.
The biggest “con” of being a cargo pilot over a passenger pilot is you work a lot of very early mornings, as most cargo planes get loaded over night before the airport opens for regular traffic. Sometimes a cargo plane will takeoff well before it opens.