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FDX MD-11 New Hires to ANC

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Pecan

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 8, 2002
Posts
53
Jumpsat last night with two LCA's on the MD. One was in LCA training and just came from the schoolhouse. Word is.....96 MD-11 new hire FO's going to Anchorage. The company is apparently trying to work out the logistics regarding new trainees to the Maddog, and personal moves to Alaska. I'm sure that'll cost the company some $$.

Yeah....I'll believe it when I see it too. Just in case---you poolies might want to break out your fly rods, and muk luks.
 
Pecan,

Thanks for the update. Have you heard when classes will start? Is April still a good guess? Do you know about how many pilots are in the pool currently? Thanks again.
 
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Training

knocker et al.

Mgt always seems to keep a tight lip on anything involving $$--ie..training dates etc... Seems like I've heard that there are approximately 50-60 poolies. Someone else can probably speak more intelligently than me on this matter. I'm just passing on info I heard last night.

I don't think y'all will be sitting in the pool for 2 years like some of us. Hang in there. We want y'all to start training almost as bad as you do....almost.
 
I gotta ask, does the company require you to live in ANC? Do guys commute from MEM? I would think that it would be an 'easy' commute from MEM to ANC to start your trips.
 
you can commute

I met a guy that was commuting from the east coast to ANC.

You can live anywhere you can handle communting from.

Goose17
 
My understanding of the commuting situation is that it is moderately to very competitive to get to ANC, especially from MEM. All of the fedex flights fill very quickly and non-revving up there is just as tough, especially through Seattle. Quite a few people I know do it, but it's tough. One guy jumps from BOS to EWR, then picks up an MD11 to ANC. Told me he loses at least 2 days on either end of a trip.
 
navyflyer said:
I gotta ask, does the company require you to live in ANC? Do guys commute from MEM? I would think that it would be an 'easy' commute from MEM to ANC to start your trips.
Click to expand...

I guess that depends on what your idea of easy is. MEM-ANC is a 6+ hour flight, along with a 3 hour time change. All to start what is more than likely an international trip. Doesn't sound like fun to me. I know there are guys that do it, to each his own I guess. No, the company does not require you to live in domicile.
 
Goose,

Any mention what would happen to the training dates for those of us already on the current training letter, but with dates between Apr and Aug? Did the company find more training sites? Great news for all of us.
 
Thanks for the replies. I know it would not be an easy commute, but, I can't move at this point (my wife is in the middle of grad school) and would like to stay put here, she's almost done.
If based out of ANC, considering the 'forecasted' growth of FDX, would it be 'easier' to get based out of MEM sooner rather than later? I think the MOAB may keep ANC new hires in ANC for some time. I know it's all speculation, but, I got nothing else to do right now.
 
Just curious..

Is it possible to move your reserve days, so that you can have one or two long stretches to help cut down the number of times you have to commute?

Thanks in advance!
 
XJguy said:
Just curious..

Is it possible to move your reserve days, so that you can have one or two long stretches to help cut down the number of times you have to commute?

Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...

Some reserve lines are already built that way, one long stretch. Yes, you can sometimes move R days. No, you can not move R days to create your own long string of R days, FAR legality reasons.
 
ANC Commutability

Poolies,

I took a buddy who is in the pool thru the ANC MD11 bidpack and showed him the FO line awards over the last 6 months. To be honest, for a very junior MD FO it didn't look that commutable, which surprised me. There were a fair amount of what we call "trash lines"....choppy line construction of 3, 4, 5 day trips. Big block reserve lines go a little senior (not just in the summer). Some of the secondary lines were pretty good with long far east trips. Didn't see a ton of frontend and backend deadheads (airline tickets) in the pairings so your commutes to ANC would be primarily in Fedex jumpseats.

Obviously, if the company says ANC or no job....you go to ANC and hope for the best. I know there are folks who do it, you just might want to go into it knowing that the commute may be a bear (no pun intended) and your time away from home might be pretty high for a while.

My gut feel and the rumor going around the training bldg is that there will be MD11 MEM and A300 MEM FO seats offerred to new hires too over the coming months. Hopefully, as a poolie you'll have some options. Good luck!
 
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Thanks for your replies!

For the record: I am REALLY EXCITED to have the opportunity to work with all you guys/gals at FedEx. I don't care if I'm in MEM, ANC, or Subic, 727 or MD11, or WHATEVER.... I'm just happy to have this opportunity!

I heard the good news last week and I'm still celebrating!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

XJGuy

:beer:
 
Just heard this one.......LA to double in size!!! I heard it from a guy who lives in the O.C. That's what he told Jack he wants!

Jack said O.K.!
 
navyflyer said:
I gotta ask, does the company require you to live in ANC? Do guys commute from MEM? I would think that it would be an 'easy' commute from MEM to ANC to start your trips.
Click to expand...

You can live any place you want, but life is a lot easier if you live up there. I've been based in ANC twice on the MD11 for two years each time and commuted from SE PA by using the EWR-ANC J/S most of the time. We have a nonstop flight to ANC almost every day from IND, EWR, ORD, MEM, OAK, SEA. The only flight that can be a problem is the MEM-ANC-MEM and even that one usually is no problem. Most departures out of ANC depart in the morning 8-10AM for Asia, to the lower 48 in the afternoon 2-4PM. There are a few exceptions, but this is the norm. You will have to commute in the day before, so if you have a trip to Asia on Friday you will have catch the J/S out of one of those above mentioned airports at around 3AM on Thursday. There have been some guys that come up the same morning for the afternoon departures which would be very dumb if one was on probation. The return home is a bit of a killer because you arrive in ANC from ASIA around 11:30AM, hang around for a few hours, and then J/S another 6-7 hours. It usually takes a couple of days for your body to catch up with where you are. When I could hold only reserve I found the commute easier because you usually did not finish that last Asia trip on your last reserve day. I usually sat around Anchorage for a few days before going home rested.

Anchorage is a great place to spend some time. I believe they still have a 3 hour reserve call out so you don't have to leave on a moments notice. Most of your flying will be in the MD11 international vs MEM where it will be MD10 domestic.

My advice is to move there if that is possible, commute if need be, and jump at the chance the MD11. Great airplane, fun flying, good people to work with.
 
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Creamer said:
Goose,

Any mention what would happen to the training dates for those of us already on the current training letter, but with dates between Apr and Aug? Did the company find more training sites? Great news for all of us.
Click to expand...

If I understand the question correctly, you don't have to worry about losing your slot. If you have a seat awarded from a previous bid when a new bid comes out, but yet to have trained, you are still going to training - before anyone from the new bid does. If the floodgates open and we switch into max throughput gear, your class date would likely move up.

I am currently in day 4 of Airbus class and I haven't heard any new rumors. We are in an information vacuum as usual.

Goose17
 
Re-Bid

Creamer said:
Any mention what would happen to the training dates for those of us already on the current training letter, but with dates between Apr and Aug? Did the company find more training sites? Great news for all of us.
Click to expand...

Creamer,

I'm in the same boat with a summer MD trng date. I talked to CY who does the training letter. She says we still need to bid the MD11 (or what you bid last time) again in this upcoming bid and the trng letter is redone after every seat bid. So, in essence, they are not holding a slot for us if a new seat bid closes b4 you attend training. Hope that helps.

BTW-Anybody make sense out of JL's email last night? Kinda wierd!
 
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I also here there are ANC-AFW (near DFW) flights four days a week now. Not sure if anything runs the other way. As the base grows I'm sure the flights will increase and will go more places in the lower 48. IMHO
 

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