Fedex Rumor Update

[General Lee]

Where do you LAX MD-11 guys fly? What type of trips? Does LAX just have an MD-11 base, or DC-10 too? Are there Hawaii turns, or MEM turns etc?? Just curious....I see 727s there too sometimes when I land on 25L....Also, are there a lot of flights into Dallas Alliance?

Bye Bye--General Lee

 

[Goose17]

hiring

Well, I have mixed thoughts...

We (727 S/O's) have been getting a lot of phone calls for draft and volunteer. The right seaters have as well. We are obviously short handed and could use some more bodies. The MD-11 has always been short handed and it 'aint gett'n any better. All indicators point toward hiring shortly after peek.

Counter-point (Jane you ignorant sl_t!)

The bean counters may look at this month and say; "You guys made it through peak without hiring more, you can DEFINITELY get through the spring without additional bodies!" Sure we have been draft and volunteering, but we made it through peak - the most demanding flying time of the year.

Now this is not to stir up a draft/volunteer debate, but it just might be the way the bean counter look at it.

I personally want MOVEMENT!!! I will pass the coffee jug on with honor! How do you land a plane again?

Goose17

 

[PurpleTail]

Good point Goose. The company would much rather pay 150% than have to crank up the schoolhouse and hire more beating pulses to flip switches in a dying fleet of 72's.

I want more bodies on property (just like everyone else) but we all know that the DC10 schedules and fleet are shrinking as well. IMHO, I don't expect any new hires until April when the next bid (hopefully) comes out and the training cycle continues.

On another note to this wondering thread, timing is EVERYTHING in this business. Depending on when you were hired doesn't always dictate what seat you sit in. When an opportunity presents itself you have to decide if you want the $$$ or the quality of life, very rarely do you get to both.

NightFlyer and I were able to sneak into LAX under the radar and we were hired in Jun/Jul '01. On this last bid (since they company isn't currently expanding the LAX base) the junior FO awarded LA was hired in '95. I'll even bet Albie will be flying the MD11 next year in ANC (if he really wants to).

 

[General Lee]

Purpletail,

Where do you LAX MD-11 guys fly to? Do you also fly the MD-10's? Are all of the LAX guys on the MD-11? Do you have any long 12 day Asian trips? Also, does Fedex have a "round the world" trip on the A310 or MD-11? Just curious.....

Bye Bye--General Lee

 

[NightFlyer]

General,
The MD11 guys fly both the MD10 and MD11. The MD10 stays domestic and the MD11 goes all over the world and some of the MD11 trips literally go around the world. The LAX base is a MD11 base only and has a mix of domestic and international flying. The Airbus does not do the "around the world" trips but they do have international flying out of Subic Bay and in Europe. I hope that answer your questions. Take care.

NightFlyer

 

[General Lee]

Thank you Nightflyer.

Bye Bye--General Lee

 

[active_herk]

General Lee,

I'll try and answer some of your questions, although I'm an ANC based guy and not LAX based. Taking a glance at the January LAX bid pack, I would guess about 10-20% of the flying is international (depending on whether you consider HNL and ANC international in which case it would be higher). They do more HNL flying than any other base at FDX. They also do MD-10 flying as do all the MD-11 bases. There are some out and backs in addition to trips. LAX is MD-11 only, no DC-10 based pilots, although you can see every different fleet type at LAX at one time or another. There are some around the world flights in the MD-11, and you see them at all the bases (LAX, MEM, and ANC). There aren't any around the world flights in the Airbus, although we do have an Airbus pilot base in Subic where they do Asia flying, and some Airbuses in Paris to do some inter-European flying. I'm not sure if you were asking about Alliance with regards to trips back and forth from LAX or Alliance in general. I do know we have scaled back Alliance some from previous years, don't know how much flying between the two points. Hope this helps.

 

[Huck]

How does LAX work reserve? Are you responsible for making it to both ONT and LAX? Are guys commuting in?

Don't worry I bet I'm junior to everybody here....

 

[NightFlyer]

Reserve in LAX is a three hour callout and you do have to cover both ONT and LAX. I've been there a few months now and haven't been called out to do an ONT trip yet. I live in Dallas and the commute is a piece of cake from here. I usually just jumpseat on FedEx from AFW, but a few times I've had to use American from DFW.

Take care,
NightFlyer

 

[General Lee]

Thanks Active Herk. I have always wondered about those FEDEX planes and where they go. Sounds like living in ANC would be fun. (I have flown there nonstop from ATL once or twice in the Summer---Humpy's was fun) I have read somewhere that some of your Asian trips were a little rough---like going form ANC to SEL, and then ONTO Osaka without resting....Any truth to that? I am sure all pax airlines/Cargo airlines have some bad trips. Were those hawaii trips from LAX turn arounds? It would be nice to relax a bit on the beach. I think UPS does turns from ONT. Take care...

Bye Bye--General Lee