Cargo pilots fly considerably fewer hours than passenger pilots. Cargo pilots average approximately 31 hours of “block time” per month compared with 57 hours for passenger pilots. MYTH: Cargo pilots get less rest than airline pilots.
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Both can fly up to 30 hours per week or 100 hours per month, and they also complete pre-flight planning and post-flight duties during working hours. Airline pilots spend more time interacting with large groups of people than cargo pilots.
Cargo pilots sometimes have less conventional schedules. It's common for long-haul cargo schedulers to build trips that might last upwards of two weeks away from home.
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!
Schedules can vary depending on what route you have. Our work schedules are five days on and two days off, Monday-Friday or Tuesday-Saturday. Most pilots start out as “Floaters” and fill in as needed (similar to pilot reserve schedules at most airlines). This type of schedule has a lot of short days during the week.
Not too many people are aware that pilots in the U.S. must retire at age 65, due to federal regulations. That may be set to change, however, if a just-passed bill succeeds in becoming law.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Flight times within the duty periods are restricted to a maximum of 8 hours for flight crews consisting of one pilot and 10 hours for flight crews consisting of two pilots. The 8-hour and 10-hour flight time limitations include any additional commercial flying performed by the flight crew during the period.
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.
In the U.S., there are no FAA age limits for pilots except for commercial airline pilots employed by airlines certificated under 14 CFR Part 121. These airlines cannot employ pilots after they reach the age of 65. However, these pilots may stay on with a Part 121 carrier in some other role, such as flight engineer.
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.
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.
The answer is no. While some airlines have an age requirement before you can fly a commercial flight, there's no age limit in wanting to become a pilot. Many think that at age 40, they have missed their opportunity to become a pilot.
A pillar of these reforms is the “1,500 Hour Rule” which requires first officers, also known as co-pilots, to have a minimum of 1,500 hours of flight training time. Since this rule was implemented in 2012, our skies have never been safer.