A month in the life of a UPS pilot

[145BOSS]

There are a bunch of threads about how to get hired with UPS, but what I am wondering is how the operation works. For example: How long are the bid periods? What is life like on reserve? What is the average night of flying consist of (flight time, sit time)? How many days are the pairings? Is it possible to get day-trips or two-days? What are the junior and senior bases? How senior do you have to be to get day-time flying? Are there any travel benefits on other airlines, for example ID-90s? I know this is kind of a long list, but just trying to get the big picture. Thanks for the info.

 

[Dizel8]

Shhhh, they are all sleeping

 

[Rory Bellows]

Some Answers

I’m a new guy…by no means an expert, but I can offer a new guys perspective:

(1) How long are the bid periods? (A) 28 days. We bid 2 at a time = 56 days.

(2) What is life like on reserve? (A) As with many of these questions, it depends. It depends on what seat and a/c you’re in. And it might change after the new contract. For now, there is reserve “A” from 11pm till noon the following day and reserve “B” from 11am till midnight. It’s a 13-hour window, but they can use you for 16 hours. As a new guy in the back of the 72, I never fly. I mean that almost literally. Sometimes you get called in to do “sim support” or to sit 8 hours of airport “hot.” I know they are thin on 72 FO’s, so they get used a lot. It all depends on seat and a/c. There is also a 24 hour call-in reserve. You get to stay home for this, but any open time or open sim-support goes to the 24 hour guys first.

(3) What is the average night of flying consist of (flight time, sit time)? (A) Varies again. The 75 domestic seems to be the work horse these days, so a typical night in the 75 might be 2 legs into the sort, sit for about 3 hours and then 2 legs out of the sort. Some other a/c just have one leg in, one leg out. There’s a very big mix.

(4) How many days are the pairings? (A) Huge variation...domestic or international? Generally speaking, a domestic line begins on a Sunday or Monday with a commercial or DH to the gateway (outstation). You then fly the sort all week and finish Saturday morning. International trips tend to be longer than a week. But I don’t claim to be an expert since I’m not doing that kind of flying.

(5) Is it possible to get day-trips or two-days? (A) The guys that give me a ride home when I commute do early turns. They show at about 0230, fly one leg to the gateway, sit a couple of hours and fly one leg back. They’re done at roughly noon.

(6) What are the junior and senior bases? The large majority of the list is SDF based. There are two smaller bases in MIA and ONT, but they are 75 only.

(7) How senior do you have to be to get day-time flying? (A) A lot of the international flying is daytime and some new hires are going into the 75Z (Z = International) and the MD11. A lot of the 2nd day air is flown during the day too. I’d say you could end up flying during the day right away. It’ll obviously take longer to hold a line.

(8) Are there any travel benefits on other airlines, for example ID-90s? (A) Some, but I’m not sure what they are.

(9) I know this is kind of a long list, but just trying to get the big picture. Thanks for the info. (A) You’re welcome

RB

 

[145BOSS]

Thanks for the great information....I hope to see you online some day!