Cal V Fdx

[MalteseX]

I was an active pilot at CAL when I was called for my interview at FDX in Jan. I'm swimming in the pool like a lot of others.

just my $.02

You seem to be perfect for the subject of this thread.
You are in the FDX pool?

Are you going to leave CAL and go to FDX when they call?

If you don't mind, please share your thoughts of the pros and cons--I think everyone here could benefit. Thanks

 

[Purpled]

Before the info starts flying again, let me try to provide some amplifying information.

It is difficult to impossible to get a M&G (when they were doing them) if you were a current CAL pilot, even a newhire. That being said, there are always exceptions and if you've already had your M&G, my guess would be that you could take the job at Cal and have it not change your interview/offer status. Just a guess though. Looking forward to the discussion.

Good luck.

 

[Whine Lover]

"Am I Qualified To Fly Freight?" Test :

1) Do not have a beer at dinner. At 10pm pull a chair alongside your favorite picture window and stare out of it until 1am.

2) At 1:30am drive to Denny's and have the Grand Slam Breakfast with copious amounts of coffee. Or, select a microwave burrito from the nearest vending machine. Remember to have a balanced meal. Add a Snickers bar.

3) Stand around and talk to anyone else you know who is awake at that hour...Or, find a room full of middle aged gaseous old men sleeping on cots/bunks to catch a few Z's in.

4) At approx. 4-5am preflight and prepare for departure. Pull your kitchen chair up to the window again and repeat step 1.

5) At about 7-8am crawl in to bed and go to sleep. Prepare to wake up in about 15-30 minutes as your wife and kids get up to go about normal daily life. This will simulate the Maids beginning the cleaning process in your layover hotel.

6) Sleep, sporadically, til' 3-4pm.

7) Eat dinner (no brewski for you) repeat all above.


If you have sucessfully completed the above test without difficulty you are qualified to enter the "Sacred Ranks of the Freight Dog." Congratulations!

If, however, you find that this was a difficult test , remember that it will be a close approximation of a big part of your future flying/work days. 100% of the time at some outfits, maybe much less at others.

Realistically, the above WILL comprise a large portion of your flying for many years.

If you can't handle the above for 1 night and day....Think about a career filled with them.

YKW

 

[Jumbo Pilot]

You seem to be perfect for the subject of this thread.
You are in the FDX pool?

Are you going to leave CAL and go to FDX when they call?

If you don't mind, please share your thoughts of the pros and cons--I think everyone here could benefit. Thanks

Well.... where to begin... I first put my application in with FDX in the Spring/Summer of 04. A Little background.. Flew LJs for the USAF for a Few years and have been flying the Galaxy for the past 6 years.. you know all that Heavy, International, FMS/Glass stuff... LOL.

My M&G was done before I started training at CAL. CAL offered me the job very quickly (within days) after the interview. I thought is was the most prudent thing to accept the training slot at the time because there was no guarantee that Fed Ex would ever call and no guarantee that I would make it through the interview process. So I started training at CAL.

So now I wait to see what happens. I really haven't had to make a decision yet. I'm in the pool and have the letter yes.. but I honestly don't have a "Real" job offer until I get the call for a class date... so....

My plan is to leave CAL if/when I get a class date. Until then, I will be thankful that I have a decision like this to make. I know there are a lot of people who would like to have the choices I have.

As far as pros and cons...... Long term viability of the company/industry plays a large part for me. Pay and benefits.. WORK RULES... are all better at FDX. I truly enjoyed the passenger side of the business. The people at CAL are great. Flying the 737 is neat and I have a lot of satisfaction in the job itself. CAL has a much more efficient operation than the military flying I've grown used to the past 10 years. All that being said.. I will truly find out in about 5 years if I've made the right choice. I will then really understand the lifestyle on both sides of the fence.

Again.. just my $.02..(the wife says "it's more like $.50".. LOL). and I'll keep swimming.

 

[Whine Lover]

"My plan is to leave CAL if/when I get a class date."

Rule of Thumb:

"Never go backward to go forward."


IMHO. Served me VERY well for the past 22 years...

YKW

 

[Jumbo Pilot]

I agree Whine Lover.

By going to FDX.. I'll get a pay raise (still in my first year at CAL) and there is a good possibility that I won't sit reserve anymore.. better benefits and work rules as I mentioned before.. etc.. etc.. etc..

 

[MalteseX]

Well.... where to begin... I first put my application in with FDX in the Spring/Summer of 04. A Little background.. Flew LJs for the USAF for a Few years and have been flying the Galaxy for the past 6 years.. you know all that Heavy, International, FMS/Glass stuff... LOL.

My M&G was done before I started training at CAL. CAL offered me the job very quickly (within days) after the interview. I thought is was the most prudent thing to accept the training slot at the time because there was no guarantee that Fed Ex would ever call and no guarantee that I would make it through the interview process. So I started training at CAL.

So now I wait to see what happens. I really haven't had to make a decision yet. I'm in the pool and have the letter yes.. but I honestly don't have a "Real" job offer until I get the call for a class date... so....

My plan is to leave CAL if/when I get a class date. Until then, I will be thankful that I have a decision like this to make. I know there are a lot of people who would like to have the choices I have.

As far as pros and cons...... Long term viability of the company/industry plays a large part for me. Pay and benefits.. WORK RULES... are all better at FDX. I truly enjoyed the passenger side of the business. The people at CAL are great. Flying the 737 is neat and I have a lot of satisfaction in the job itself. CAL has a much more efficient operation than the military flying I've grown used to the past 10 years. All that being said.. I will truly find out in about 5 years if I've made the right choice. I will then really understand the lifestyle on both sides of the fence.

Again.. just my $.02..(the wife says "it's more like $.50".. LOL). and I'll keep swimming.

Thanks for your response..... You are in the best spot to comment on the original subject of this thread. Congrats on being in such a good position to choose among these various jobs.

You probably won't go wrong at either company. Looks like with your background, you know what night flying is like and have gotten used to it. Even on the worst trips, FedEx never has 24-26 hour duty days.!!!

 

[MalteseX]

"Am I Qualified To Fly Freight?" Test :

1) Do not have a beer at dinner. At 10pm pull a chair alongside your favorite picture window and stare out of it until 1am.

2) At 1:30am drive to Denny's and have the Grand Slam Breakfast with copious amounts of coffee. Or, select a microwave burrito from the nearest vending machine. Remember to have a balanced meal. Add a Snickers bar.

3)Congratulations!

If, however, you find that this was a difficult test , remember that it will be a close approximation of a big part of your future flying/work days. 100% of the time at some outfits, maybe much less at others.

Realistically, the above WILL comprise a large portion of your flying for many years.

If you can't handle the above for 1 night and day....Think about a career filled with them.

YKW

And on your days off, get up at 2 am and post on flightinfo!!!

 

[propjob27]

I was an active CAL pilot when I was called for the FedEX interview as well. However, like a couple of other guys had mentioned, I had done my meet n greet before I was hired at CAL.

Anyway, after being successful in the FedEX interview, I chose to leave CAL. I was also on 1st year pay/senority there, so I didn't view it as giving up much..

The pay, work rules, schedules (ie, WAAAY less hours flown per month here at FedEX than at CAL), and "job security" (I hate that phrase) made the decision fairly easy for me.

Both are great companies and anyone should consider themselves lucky to be at either, let alone have a choice between the two.

PS. To WhineLover, you CAN have beers with dinner when you fly freight. Most of our night-time shows are in the 0200 to 0300 range. So you're able to have a few with dinner providing you finish by 6pm to 7pm. I know that's a little early to eat dinner, but you get used to it.

 

[Whine Lover]

"By going to FDX.. I'll get a pay raise (still in my first year at CAL) and there is a good possibility that I won't sit reserve anymore.." ...Jumbo

"The pay, work rules, schedules (ie, WAAAY less hours flown per month here at FedEX than at CAL), and "job security" (I hate that phrase) made the decision fairly easy for me." ...Prop

That makes sense. It's better than a lateral move. As long as you guys don't mind the hours.

Generally, jumping ship in the first year works out well.

What's really scary is when guys give up a few years of seniority to go backwards in pay and QOL so they can reach the "Pot of Gold" at the end of their new found airlines rainbow...they rarely find it. I watched a bunch of guys jump ship for another major in 1998. So far they have lost hundreds of thousands of dollars, lost QOL, days at home etc. and I think are furloughed or about to be. '' A bird in the hand...." has always been my theory.

Prop,

Yeah...we used to chug beers in the am between 8-3pm on the layovers then crash til' our midnight show.

Those were the days when 8 hours was the rule and there was no testing anyway.

Most places have 12 hours in their G.O.M these days and my freight buddys tell me they don't seem to have the "fun" they used too.



YKW

 

[1stCivDiv]

I am still fairly new here but I have only had 1 month out of 7 that I had to fly at night. After 3 months on the line I was holding day lines. Take that for what it is worth. If you live in MEM then you get a better deal by sitting at home on daytime reserve and flying your 4-5 DAYS a month...

 

[Whine Lover]

Wait...Math was never my strong subject. Help me out here.

On the line for 3 months to hold day lines, but only 1 month in 7 flying at night?

Anyway, sounds like Fedex is the place to be if you want to fly freight.

Also the 727 rocks...so ya' got that goin' for ya' too.


YKW

 

[propjob27]

Whine:The 727 is a POS. dang right. But, after flying the CRJ, 737 ,757, and A300 I reached a conclusion that it doesn't mean jack shi t what you're flying. It's how much you get paid and how little you have to do for it. That's why I left Continental. Or any other pax carrying airline, for that matter.

By the way, It still is 8 hours around here. And you don't have to drink in the "am". 3 am show means 7pm last beer. 2am show means 6pm last beer. So I'm not quite sure what you're getting yet. I don't know how long it takes you to piss out that last buzz cola before blowing a 0.000, but for me, i'ts 8 hours. Your buddies flying frieght don't have the fun they used to?? I'm on airline # 5, 4 of them were pax airlines. I got your fun right here.

But in the end, who really gives a shi t. The last good job died when Pan Am went Chapter 7 in 1991. Now all one can do is hang on and hope to make enough to pay child support.

 

[Whine Lover]

Gol-dang!

Is everybody here just lookin' to fight?

(Wow...and I thought I was a malcontent.)

Dude, I was serious about the 727. Flew it for 9 years and loved it.

And, I guess my beer drinkin' schedule is a little different than yours. If I knock back a few at dinner time I am ready for A) slammin' down 8 more and/or B) TV and "Nappy Time." At 3am all I'm good for these days is pissing or puking.

However, when I was 28 years old, it was a blast to drink beer and eat hot wings in dive bars at 8am (especially after a 48 minute flight and 2 hours of duty for a 5:1 Trip Rig day.) I proudly wear the badge of "Freight Dog". I just wouldn't choose to do it again at this point in life.

22 years and 2 airlines. One freight, One pax. I've enjoyed them both in different ways.

Why does everybody here take everything as a slam or sarcasm?

YKW

 

[propjob27]

Why does everybody here take everything as a slam or sarcasm?

Because we're pilots.

 

[stonewall]

Gol-dang!

Is everybody here just lookin' to fight?

(Wow...and I thought I was a malcontent.)

Dude, I was serious about the 727. Flew it for 9 years and loved it.

And, I guess my beer drinkin' schedule is a little different than yours. If I knock back a few at dinner time I am ready for A) slammin' down 8 more and/or B) TV and "Nappy Time." At 3am all I'm good for these days is pissing or puking.

However, when I was 28 years old, it was a blast to drink beer and eat hot wings in dive bars at 8am (especially after a 48 minute flight and 2 hours of duty for a 5:1 Trip Rig day.) I proudly wear the badge of "Freight Dog". I just wouldn't choose to do it again at this point in life.

22 years and 2 airlines. One freight, One pax. I've enjoyed them both in different ways.

Why does everybody here take everything as a slam or sarcasm?

YKW

Hah! My biggest problem is option A. It's so good when it hits your lips....