The pallets are big metal things. Officially called PAJs or PMCs but everyone in the industry calls them pallets which threw me when starting on cargo. There’s loads of different types covered in the loading manual that you come across. The wooden pallets sit atop them or freight can be directly secured down. It’s a bit of a science cargo loading. There’s also lower deck (lower lobe) cargo too. The same as on a passenger, you have things called ULDs or unit loading devices.
Freighters run heavier than passenger as a sweeping rule. The max take off mass varies but for TF-AML she’s max ramp weight of 397.8 tonnes. Max take off 396.8 tonnes. A bit is allowed for taxi fuel burn. I’ve flown 325 tonnes so far but it’s not unusual to see far heavier of carrying mining machinery or something like that. It depends on so many things like how much fuel you’ll need vs how much you’ll burn. For example the max landing weight is only 285, so if you’ll only burn 60 tonnes you can only take off weighing 345 otherwise you’ll be overweight on arrival. Theoretically we can take 170 tonnes of gas if the tail has tanks fitted, but if you did you’d not be able to carry much payload 
Here’s the only other one I could find. Arriving on a passenger flight into some tiny short Indian airport I can’t even remember the blinking name of. The radar on the airfield was out so it was all fly yourself time. We were all quite happy to be down as the Indian controller was half asleep and there were a few aircraft close by following us. It’s a pretty boring video to be honest as the old iphone struggled like mad with the contrast from the bright day (you can see us shielding our eyes from the sun).
I so far prefer freight as its so relaxed. Flying out of Lagos over Africa at night you take your tie and shirt off, put your t shirt on, take your shoes off and head back to make coffee in the galley and stretch your legs on the upper deck. It’s all quite surreal. The passenger flights do have some pretty Asian girls on but that can cause it’s own problems downroute for attached fellas 
. We carry only Hajj passengers who (I can’t put this without sounding un PC) can be quite eye opening. Not like Virgin. We’ve no dash 8s unfortunately.
m.youtube.com/watch?v=0L0wCVOLHxY
Wow, that was a good view, do you assist with loading or is it down to the loadmaster etc? Are the crew fully catered for on freighters or is it FR style? Is GSS/Atlas the only operator in the UK to operate the dash 8s?
No we don’t physically assist putting the cargo on unfortunately. The loaders are trained in how to use the deck system and it’s a harsh rush job environment. They wouldn’t let you do it unless formally trained. I’ve helped re stack pallets, rachet strap and and net up.
It used to be a lot the pilots weren’t interested, or too rushed upstairs to get involved with the main deck. There was a big push from the chief pilot about checking the load and securement after the National Airlines 747 crash at Bagram (that was one of ours until a couple of years ago). I always from the word go made a point of asking the loadmaster to show me as much as possible as I also found it interesting. To be fair now most run around the deck checking stuff and locations, especially if we’re carrying anything spicy like lithium batteries.
The catering on freighters is do it yourself cooking wise but they provide enough to eat until Christmas. They load hot and cold food into the chillers. Cold stuff includes fruits, salads, local things like wraps, humous, pitta - depending where you are flying from country wise. Hot meals can be anything; curries, meat and veg with sauce, fish, paella, weird stews. There’s stacks of snacks; dips, chips, bread sticks etc. enough cold drinks and juices to drown in. You could really get fat. It’s up to you to cook it in the galley. They even have bug spray for mosquitoes and anti septic sprays in a big bag away from the first aid kit. The mossie spray is meant for the upper deck but we ‘borrow’ a tin or too for our hotels and set it off in the hotel rooms before heading for a beer.
In flight sometimes a friendly loadie or mechanic will put the food on and set a pot of coffee on the perculator. They put enough food on the freighters to feed 20 people yet there’s normally only 4-6 of us! As said, it’s very laid back people just pad through to the upper deck in their socks. At night all the lights are out except a few low lighters. All the seats on the upper deck are big fat leather business class seats for the freighter. We carry enough seats incase customers send anyone like grooms for horse transport.
The pax flights have generally really nice catering too, and you get first class treatment from the girls bringing you drinks and grub.
GSS will be the only UK operator of -8s until May when they all go back to Atlas after bloody IAG pulled the contract and gave it to the Arabians 
Sounds like a cracking job, too bad it’s dead mans shoes 
I’m sure the GSS crews will find something with all the hours they have, good to hear they take care of you unlike certain LoCos…
Freight Dog:
The passenger flights do have some pretty Asian girls on but that can cause it’s own problems downroute for attached fellas
I heard that a certain carrier in the Middle East has sacked pilots for messing around with the girls:shock:
Freight Dog, if I remember correctly from my Gatwick days TF is an Icelandic reg also when we loaded Virgins the pallets were loaded the other way round not side by side, guess that,s the difference between freighters and reg passenger 747,s. Oh btw great video,s
ray
Yeah they look after you on board. It’s the other stuff that makes it a little frustrating, they can send you home with little noticed unpaid if they don’t need you as you’re self employed and you’ve no idea when they’ll call you back.
They’re all Icelandic reg. They’re just painted in Saudia colours for the customer.
Freight Dog:
they can send you home with little noticed unpaid if they don’t need you as you’re self employed and you’ve no idea when they’ll call you back.
Why don’t you go for a full time job?
I would if I could. There is nothing in the UK despite having quite a lot of experience and heavy time you don’t stand a chance unless you either have hardly any hours and a 737-800 rating and go through a badly paid CTC cadet scheme or have no hours and get in with BA. Very very frustrating. Its annoying a lot of experienced guys. No chance of a UK job and watching a lot of no hour ‘cadets’ through CTC feed into every airline. It’s because it’s cheap. Experience counts for naff all in the UK. I’ve friends with 12 000 plus hours who are Embraer training Captains yet on the dole looking for work in any country. It’s really gone upside down. It’s a bizarre industry these days. It’s turning slowly into a hobby job.
I know what you mean, somehow I thought you wouldn’t struggle to find something if you’ve got experience, ZB, TOM, VS, EZY all ask for time, are you not interested in Asia & ME?
My missus just did her annual emergency training at Cranebank near Heathrow. A day spent shouting :
Brace ! Brace ! Brace ! Brace !
Release seatbelts ! Release seatbelts !
Stand back ! Stand back ! Stand back ! Stand back !
Come this way ! Come this way ! Come this way !
Down the slide ! Down the slide ! Down the slide ! Down the slide ! Down the slide !
I guess this is what it’s all about Freight Dog?
I love the way the pilot lands with just one hand on the steering column. If it was me, I’d probably be hanging on for grim death with both hands ! !
youtube.com/watch?v=KuotSv56 … detailpage
I know it’s frustrating. Like all jobs the cheapest route wins. Last time Monarch’s direct entry number was tiny, they took 2 from the last airline I was at. Virgin at least aren’t cadet obsessed but since they cancelled their Sydney route they’re not taking on for the foreseeable. The rest like Thomson and Easy aren’t fussed on experience. They like either the rated people with or without time and CTC cadets yet again. Easy did open up a while a go to experienced people but they only did that to satisfy the CAA breathing down their necks and it’s back to cadets. It’s a funny job. I know a couple of lads at GSS and its game over for some of them career wise.
I can’t move due to commitments. If I were single maybe.
Hey citycat. That’s a nice vid, well filmed, much better than my efforts on a phone! The Dutch always seem so laid back. Half expect them to light up a schmoke
Another cool Dutch pilot doing the one handed thing 
“Dish ish how you land a plane my friend ! Den, we have der schmoke”
youtube.com/watch?feature=pl … SQJOnxue38
I was amazed at one guy on here saying how well paid he was as a train driver. I didn’t realise. Good hours and pension too. I applied to EWS freight trains in 2002. I was sent an application form but didn’t fill it out and took up HGV driving as it was the quicker route to earning dosh for flying. I don’t think EWS exist anymore.
If you had 2 hands on the yoke who’d control the power or thrust in this case, can the A/T in a 747 manage a ‘manual landing’, what happens if you had to go around?
Freight Dog:
I don’t think EWS exist anymore.
Its called DB Schenker now…
Freight Dog:
It’s a funny job. I know a couple of lads at GSS and its game over for some of them career wise.
How do you mean, I thought maybe BA or Cathay cargo could give them a shot!?
Ah those wacky Dutch! Shame they didn’t have the handlebar moustaches ha ha.
You should always have one hand on the thrust levels during approach just incase you have to go around at any stage, lose an engine or auto thrust does something unexpected like ■■■■■■ to flight idle at 2000 feet. You can’t use auto thrust during a manual landing. It’s a Boeing procedure; when you take the autopilot out you’re meant to disconnect auto thrust.
Re BA and Cathay. You’d think that. BA are only take on zero hour cadets for the foreseeable. They weren’t interested even in the GSS guys. The GSS guys I know of that are struggling are older FOs. They’re too old to get jobs in the middle east and no one taking on 747 guys in the UK. Cathay won’t take on direct entry F/Os anymore. You have to join as a young cruise relief pilot and live in Hong Kong. There’s no London basing for new joiners anymore.
Freight Dog:
You should always have one hand on the thrust levels during approach just incase you have to go around at any stage, lose an engine or auto thrust does something unexpected like ■■■■■■ to flight idle at 2000 feet. You can’t use auto thrust during a manual landing. It’s a Boeing procedure; when you take the autopilot out you’re meant to disconnect auto thrust.
I thought so #citycat…
Funny how BA say they take direct entry (experienced) or FPP on their site…
Freight Dog:
You should always have one hand on the thrust levels during approach just incase you have to go around at any stage, lose an engine or auto thrust does something unexpected like ■■■■■■ to flight idle at 2000 feet. You can’t use auto thrust during a manual landing. It’s a Boeing procedure; when you take the autopilot out you’re meant to disconnect auto thrust.
For my last birthday, my wife bought me 30 minutes simulator time on the Boeing 737 cockpit simulator at iPilot in the Westfield centre. I sweated buckets while trying to make a landing at Heathrow. Trying to keep the aircraft steady and on the correct line for approach while watching the artificial horizon, keeping an eye on the altitude indicator, making the correct engine thrust settings, making the right flaps settings, and having to look out the cockpit, all at the same time. And that’s without dealing with any crosswinds that you guys might have to deal with in real life. It was definitely two hands on the column for me !
I’ve no idea how you guys do it for real, one handed on the column, and a 747 too. You certainly earn your money (when you have a job that is )
citycat:
I’ve no idea how you guys do it for real, one handed on the column, and a 747 too. You certainly earn your money (when you have a job that is )
I think Its just like learning to drive a car or a truck, when you start out it’s 2 hands & after you get the hang of it you have 1 hand on the wheel 1 hand on the gears or whatever. Large aircraft have hydraulics to assist in moving the surfaces ie rudder, ailerons etc just like power steering & pneumatics on your truck. When things fail it’s a different story I’m guessing…