Fed Ex Feb 21st class

[Reddie]

Heard today, 12 straight to the boeing right seat, 6 to the back of the DC10, and 12 to the back of the Boeing. Congratulations guys.

 

[PurpleTail]

Heard today, 12 straight to the boeing right seat

I find that really hard to believe. Are you saying that 12 new hires will never do any plumbing? Serve coffee? Do a walk around preflight? Run the ALPC? Wow..timing IS everything.

 

[busdrver]

Not the first. Won't be the last.

 

[Dave Siegel]

I find that really hard to believe. Are you saying that 12 new hires will never do any plumbing? Serve coffee? Do a walk around preflight? Run the ALPC? Wow..timing IS everything.

How true is it that the average lifespan of FedEx (and other freight) pilots is reduced significantly due to extensive backside of the clock flying?

 

[psysicx]

Check the other thread titled UPS Fedex ?'s.I asked the same thing.

 

[AlbieF15]

About the same as a guy who's paying a mortgage out of savings while on furlough....

 

[codeone]

72-fe/10-fe/72-fo

Aside from the hourly pay difference in subsequent years, what are the other considerations to picking one of these options over the other two if given the choice? Better trips, shorter/longer training, ability to hold quality lines, more/less reserve, etc?

 

[FedEx1]

.

Hey works for me, bring on the pass over pay while I wait until my MD-11 class.....But I did hear that the newbies that were going to the right seat of the Boeing still have to come into the AOC, pick up a coffee jug, and walk around with it for at least a year. Something about a new requirement....

 

[New FDX Guy]

But I did hear that the newbies that were going to the right seat of the Boeing still have to come into the AOC, pick up a coffee jug, and walk around with it for at least a year. Something about a new requirement....

A small price to pay!




.

 

[Zulu]

Aside from the hourly pay difference in subsequent years, what are the other considerations to picking one of these options over the other two if given the choice? Better trips, shorter/longer training, ability to hold quality lines, more/less reserve, etc?

I'll take a stab at this one. As far as 727/SO vs DC-10/SO, talking to guys who have been through both, the -10 training is supposedly much easier. Not that the Boeing is difficult. Trips are definitely better in the -10, but you'll probably spend all your time there on reserve. Reserve in the Boeing should be short (if at all), but you get to spend time in garden spots like Great Falls and Shreveport. Another consideration is what you want to do after plumbing -- 727 FO systems was a cakewalk after being on the panel, but if you're looking to go straight to the MD then you probably want to learn the -10.

I'm skeptical about guys going straight to the right seat of the 72. The system seems to be built around learning the ropes from the panel, and they make an awful lot of assumptions about what you know when you go to the right seat. I'm sure the company will have some sort of "new hire FO" training, but I wouldn't want to be one of the first to try that out.

With all that being said, knowing what I know and having a new hire's options, I'd go to the back of the -10 and try to move to the right seat of something as soon after the end of probation as possible. But that's just my opinion.

Good luck and welcome aboard,

Z

 

[satpak77]

How true is it that the average lifespan of FedEx (and other freight) pilots is reduced significantly due to extensive backside of the clock flying?

You might ask

How true is it that the average lifespan of (Insert PAX airline) pilots is reduced significantly due to extensive furloughs, house relocations, divorce, teenage kids who hate dad (and his career), re-starts at new airlines, going from Capt to FO all over again, furloughed at age 53 and your company liquidates shortly thereafter, etc etc ad nauseum

"Backside of the clock" applies to police officers, emergency room nurses, freight dogs, truck drivers (see freight dog entry), and FlightInfo surfers. Its done everyday, all over America. Nobody dropping dead from "backside of the clock"

later

 

[BIGBROWNDC8]

Dave Siegel,

Ive flown in the Military, with a regional and now with the Freight Dawgs (UPS). Im not sure about the whole life expectancy thing, cause Im not at my end yet, but for me, I actually prefer the night gig. As posted on a different thread, the worst thing that I can do to my body is get up early. As long as I can remember, I have ALWAYS had troubles getting up to an alarm clock. Military had me showing at 0500 (ouch!!!) Regionals, Id have to get up at 0430, to make a 0630 departure. Ive always been a night guy, My wife hits the hay between 2230 and 2300 and for me, (unless Im getting lucky) Im up till 0100 - 0300 any night of the week.

When I was at the regionals I sufferend with the sleep thing, because I could hardly ever get to sleep early enough and always had to get up early. Id drag a$$ all day long. Here at UPS, Its usually one leg out, Im in the Motel my 0530 and I sleep as long as I wish. Its truly a great thing (for me)... Sure there have been a few times where I was doing a west coast to east coast thing and the night was VERY long, but those are far and few in between. Its a good gig for me.

Most people know what kind of person they are, if they are like me, this is the job for them and they can probably live longer with this kind of job, if your not like me and like getting up with the roosters, thats awesome, this job will work for you, but it may take a few years off your life... Hope this helps...

BBDC8

PS... Imagine a flight where you get direct anywhere you go and there is absolutley no radio traffic. No sun rays to give you skin cancer. Nasty WX caused by heat thermals, nope dont have those either... Its not all that bad...

 

[Huck]

You can always counter any unhealthy effects by working out more. I've exercised more since I've been a night crawler and it has helped.

And for the record, multiple 24 hour layovers are what kill me. Once I did a day sort, a night sort, a day sort and a night sort. At the end I looked like Beetlejuice. Took 3 days to get normal again....

 

[codeone]

21 Feb Class options

Z-
THX for the info. Obviously you can't go wrong with either option, I just hope to get a choice. 10-FE sounds like the way to go with the long run in mind.

 

[psysicx]

What kind of locations does the 10 go and how long to get a line?And would you have gone to the right seat if you could,first.Also what is the difference between the the DC-10,MD-10,and MD-11?

 

[General Lee]

I flew the 727 FE panel for 8 months and I hated every minute of it. I understand Captain authority, and I respect that. But, to have the FO also looking at you like you are a pee-on and waiting for you to fill out the hotel sheet for BOTH of them was ridiculous. I still fill out the hotel sheet to this day for the Captain, because he has earned it, but the FOs that used to fly the 727s were usually the laziest pilots around. A lot of the FOs were in the Military, and I guess they thought it was a rank issue---but I wasn't in the military and I didn't take orders from FOs.



Bye Bye--General Lee

 

[Echopapa]

DON'T TAKE THE 10!!!

I was a new hire into the DC-10 and can tell you that it is an easy job, a good "gentelman" like ground school, and a fairly quiet plane.

BUT....(there is always a big butt)

I started on reserve and ended on reserve. The first year I had progression, and the last two years I was litterally losing seniority every month, and that is unbeliveably frustrating. There is little or no progression because planes are going away and over 60 guys are comming on strong.

Also, you will lose $20K a year starting in your second year.

If you want to fly reserve, don't mind a pay cut, and want a cushy job without getting to do any take offs or landings, then bid the -10. If you want to hold a line, get a landing, get more money, and have positive seniority progression take the -27 FO.

 

[fdxhopeful]

Heard today, 12 straight to the boeing right seat, 6 to the back of the DC10, and 12 to the back of the Boeing. Congratulations guys.

Anyone know how they'll choose who goes where? Will we have a choice based on seniority, assign based on seniority, or dart board method?

 

[USNFDX]

Anyone know how they'll choose who goes where? Will we have a choice based on seniority, assign based on seniority, or dart board method?

Last four of your SSN

IE
XXX-XX-9999 = Good

XXX-XX-0001 = Last in class

 

[active_herk]

Last four of your SSN

IE
XXX-XX-9999 = Good

XXX-XX-0001 = Last in class

To add to USNFDX's answer, once the seniority is figured out (using the above method), they will then ask eash person in seniority order which seat they would like. Once the slots fill up in that seat, it is no longer available for the rest of the class.

A note to the newhires who have to decide. First year pay is very similar no matter what seat you choose. It is second year pay where the big differences occur. More than likely, there will be another seat bid out before your first year is done, so if you want the big bucks AND the seniority, I would bid the panel right off the bat, and then bid for the seat upgrade at the one year point. Sure, it makes for an additional training cycle, but your quailty of life will probably be much better the first year, and then you can get the pay increase when it actually happens. Besides, when you do make the switch to the new seat, you will already have some built in seniority. Just something to think about.