FEDEX treatment of feeder guys

[ATRCAPT]

Maybe some of you MAC folks can shed some light here. Do you feel like a lot of the FEDEX pilots treat us (Empire/MAC) like second class citizens? I was just down at AFW (big FEDEX base), and was dissed at every turn by these guys. I'm not asking for them to be my best buddies, but a little freakin' common curtesy would be nice! I've run into this EVERYWHERE! There are a few FEDEX guys I've met who seemed to be nice people, but for the most part they seem to be rude and arrogant especially in their attitudes toward the ATR/F27 pilots. Any thoughts?

 

[Purple Haze]

I hope it is unintentional. We are usually in a hurry and "not at our best" (read: fatigued). I have caught myself being pretty focused on my objective, be it getting ready to go fly or getting to the crew bus. Seems we are usually in a hurry and too focused to be very social. No excuse -- just my observation.

Can't speak for the masses, but as for me, I admire the heck out of what you guys do. The only feeder guys I regularly come into contact with are in MIA, and I am continually impressed by this great group of guys.

This will change nothing. We are self-absorbed and type-A (just like you, most likely). Most of us are much easier to get along with at the pub than pre or post flight. Keep fighting the good fight and don't let our ignorance of social graces get you down. Remember where you came from when you get where you're going.

 

[ATRCAPT]

Hey Purple -

Thanx for the response. I can certainly understand being a little short after being up all night. I know a lot of our guys would like to come to your company one day but figured their chances were nil because of the treatment they have received.

 

[mudflap]

Prima Donnas....... they have no idea what they have or where they came from! Too many military pilots at Federal Distress, if the military was so good why did they leave.

If you think Alliance is bad, you should try being a feeder pilot in Subic!

cargopod, flyinyourshorts, and vascoflier can attest to that.

Since this thread is about FedEx, shouldn't it be in the majors board?! I think they forgot they DO haul CARGO.

 

[cargopod]

I have nothing but good to say about the way i was treated in subic by the fedex pilot group.. i was treated with respect and kindness by the pilots and their families while over there..
A great group of pilots.. a couple of us had christmas dinner at a pilots house on his invatation. a welcome touch durring the holiday season..
Hey shorts lets go back and have a couple cold ones..

 

[Mamma]

Sounds like Mudflap has a chip on his shoulder about military folks. No need to lump this group of pilots together because you ran into a few bad ones or were rejected at some time in the past. From experience, most of these folks would give you the shirt off their back...even when you make comments like this.

 

[FearlessFreep]

ATRCAPT,

When I was flying feeders (the lowly C-208) the behavior of the mainline pilots was the exactly the same that you have experienced. I was based out of KOAK and it was not unheard of that we would be thrown off the crew van (back then the Caravans were parked on the Fedex ramp) when the mainline guys would come on. Pretty much all of us feeder pilots would experience is looking up the nostrils of all the mainline guys - you know, their constant looking down on us. Well at least you now know that they are consistent in their attitude.

I would occasionally meet some nice people there. Nine times out of ten any of the mainline guys that would talk to me in other than a derogatory manner turned out to be all ex-Flying Tiger personnel. The Tiger guys are a nice group.

On the few occasions that we (feeder pilots) were on the crew van simulataneously with the mainline guys I noticed that they wouldn't even talk amongst themselves - not even an utterance of being fatigued after a long night/day.

I have since moved on and found a camaraderie among fellow non-sked freight dawgs that is certainly much different that what was evidenced with my exposure to the mainline purple tailed gang.

You should see how the mainline pilots treat the feeder pilots at the Pan Am training center in Memphis!

Just so you know a lot of regional pilots feel the same way about the treatment they get from the Trunk Line pilots.

Before I get flamed to a crisp let me just say that I hold no resentment against any Fedex pilot. I am just relating my experiences in an un-biased manner.

Good Luck To Us All!

 

[T-REX]

Same deal at UPS. Almost comical, does anyone know if the pilots lounge at CAE still has the "Mainline Pilots Only" sign up.

 

[flyinyourShorts]

The FedEx guys I met in Subic were all pretty cool, they were more like outcasts like us. One of them even let us crash his wedding party!! I don't think any of the ones over there were too bad, but I have had bad expirences with a few here in the states. But then again i've expirenced the same with UPS, DHL, ABX, ect.... There are bad apples in every bunch.

Our old POI at Tahoma had a good stuck-up FedEx crew story, but it's way to long to post on here.

There will ALWAYS be that kind of treatment of feeder pilots, and there's nothing to do but suck it up and try to be the better person.

Look like cargopod and myself are long overdue a San Miguel at Vasco's!

 

[Purple Haze]

I am a human sacrifice. Aim here.

I know a lot of our guys would like to come to your company one day but figured their chances were nil because of the treatment they have received.

I won't make excuses for a lot of A-holes – I believe you – I simply haven't observed it, tho I can't see too well when I'm looking down my nose !

As for your concern about getting hired, who cares what the line pilots think – except for a small handful of interview captains and the ACPs, pilots are not part of the hiring process. No one seems to know the real hiring formula. I have flown with many pilots who have no military experience and one former corporate guy, but no former feeder pilots (at least, not that I know of). I don’t think this means FedEx doesn’t hire feeder pilots, but it does indicate (to me) that a more competitive résumé (according to the geniuses in HR) would also include time with a regional. It seems the all-civilian pilots I have flown with ALL have regional experience. Don’t try to make sense of it – just acknowledge it and move forward. Build as much turbine PIC as you can and get on with a regional (my thinking only, and what do I know?!) – if FedEx is your goal.

I don’t know if this applies to civilian pilots or just the military guys, but it appears the company looks for “leadership” experience on your résumé. In other words, if you went “above and beyond” just doing the minimum required, you are a step ahead of the vanilla “line pilot.” This could be any of a multitude of additional duties (flight standards, training dept, safety, whatever). Remember, they desire what they perceive as a polished professional, not a freight dawg. I’m not poking you in the eye – my military experience was freight dawg experience. No PC here, just calling it as I see it. You gotta give the man what he wants....and nobody knows exactly what he wants.

When you get called for the interview, leave the chip “mudflap” has on his shoulder at home. Also, get the full meal deal at Men’s Warehouse, including shiny new shoes. And a fresh hair cut. Get crazy and even button the top button. All the stuff in Cheryl Cage’s book, “Checklist for Success.” Image and perception count. An ounce of humble is worth a pound of swagger.

You seem to have a great attitude. Don’t let us “Prima Donnas” get you down. By the way, if you have a total disdain for pilots with military backgrounds, you will hate life here or at any other major (yes major) airline. See you on the line.

Freight dawgs rock.

 

[Rook]

Haze you sure went above and beyond with your replies. I'm hoping to end up at FedEx one day and hope to get a chance to fly with people like you. A lot of individuals do have that prima donna attitude but that's at every level. I remember a conversation I was overhearing between a woman and one of our big headed Captains. This guy was foaming out the mouth about going to the majors blah blah blah. When the woman asked "why don't you try UPS?" He replied with "Well I was talking about the major airlines." Best part of the story was when she said he had no idea what he was talking about. Asked his name, and it turns out this woman is a 767 CA for UPS in MIA jumpseating from MEM plainclothes. I'm sure his resume will go straight to the shredder.

Rook
Looks like a high overcast.
Better ask for Type IV.

 

[Rattler71]

I fly a fedex feeder(G1) out of Miami and have probably met Purple Haze, just don't know who he is. Most of the Fedex guys there in Mia have been very nice. There are a few though who will see us in there on the computers and make rude comments, even when we offer our seat to them.

Rattler71

 

[seefive]

C'mon feeder group. the vast majority of guys are great people (whether mil or civ............mudflap......your comment about military is just uninformed) Everyone is often tired and may not say much, but no one is looking down on you. why would we? we are all just doing our jobs and look forward to our time off. There's no offense intended and to think differently may show a little chip on your shoulder.

 

[VaB]

if the military was so good why did they leave.

Thanks, that one cracked me up.

It's funny. A Captain I was flying with just the other day and I were talking about this. We were in MIA and we were treated like the pariahs. Maybe there have been a few mainline guys come through there and be rude and now everyone is paying the price. The several times I've been there (MIA) it's just grunts and if I'm lucky, a one word answer to a question. I try to be friendly but I guess it's to late. A couple of months ago, the captain and I were sitting there eating our delicious company bought catering, and we offered up our spare meal to the one guy that was there and he barely mumbled "thanks" and didn't talk to us anymore. It was the same way in OAK. Oh well, I'll keep trying.

Can't we all just get along?

 

[FearlessFreep]

Did you hear that out in KLAX a Fedex MD-11 ended up on it's tail trapping the crew?

Turns out the left-hand cockpit window was open and the Captain accidentally dropped his wallet out of it!

 

[Clyde]

Thanks, that one cracked me up.

It's funny. A Captain I was flying with just the other day and I were talking about this. We were in MIA and we were treated like the pariahs. Maybe there have been a few mainline guys come through there and be rude and now everyone is paying the price. The several times I've been there (MIA) it's just grunts and if I'm lucky, a one word answer to a question. I try to be friendly but I guess it's to late. A couple of months ago, the captain and I were sitting there eating our delicious company bought catering, and we offered up our spare meal to the one guy that was there and he barely mumbled "thanks" and didn't talk to us anymore. It was the same way in OAK. Oh well, I'll keep trying.

Can't we all just get along?

Get along? You guys keep making fun of my polyester brown suit.

Seriously, I have yet to meet a FedEx guy on the road that I didn't like. You guys are great and it's always a pleaure chatting or breaking bread with you guys.

To the feeder guys,

Keep up the good work. A lot of us paid our dues in the 135 arena, either scheduled or non-sked, and we remember what got us here. Unfortunately when you see us, the majority of the time we're tired and just want to get through the sort. Don't take it personally if we seem a little gruff. There are a few (at every airline) that might take a little pleasure in looking down at you. Remember, they are the minority around here, and the majority of us recognize that you fly airplanes just like we do, except you work harder for less pay. For that, we respect and admire your perseverence.

 

[ATRCAPT]

Thanx to all for the info. We know all about being tired, believe me. Hand flying an F27 for seven hours in the middle of the night is enough to wear anyone out! I'm sure there are some great folks working at FEDEX, sadly the ones that stick out in my mind include the capt. who told me not to use the sleep rooms in AFW because they were for FEDEX pilots only. Or the "gentleman" who rudely told me not to get get too comfortable on a new run because it would soon be coming back to the trunk crews where it belonged. Or the "lady" captain who kicked my f/o out of the OAK sleep rooms because he was "just a feeder guy". Or the B727 f/o who sarcastically said the guys in "little airplanes" sure do a good job! My favorite was the Airbus f/o who I mistook for a pilot I knew years ago at Ameriflight. When I asked if he used to work for AMF he replied, "@#%!* no! I'm Airforce!"

To quote Dennis Miller, "I didn't want to get off on a rant here, but..."
To be fair I have met some great people on the FEDEX ramps. The guys who ride our jumpseats regularly seem to be nice fellows. It's interesting, when I worked for AMF I never ran into this problem with UPS or ABX. Anyhoo, to the truely professional and courteous pilots at FEDEX I thank you. You are the guys who make us feeder guys want to work at FEDEX. And to the crew who, on the OAK ramp freq. told the ramp office to make the feeder order its own fuel....you can just catch on fire!

Cheers

 

[sandman2122]

A**holes are everywhere, 10% NOTAM unfortunately still in effect.....


Be thankful you're not one of those a**holes, they're probably on their 3rd (working on their future 4th) wife and is a non member piece of trash.......

Group hug if I offended anyone.........

 

[AAflyer]

Why is it the feeder guys are always treated like SH%T. I fly for American, you know the airline that feeds Eagle, we are always treated like SH&T by those guys.

AA

 

[flyboyzii]

I fly a feeder out of SLC and we have a few nice guys that fly into there. But, after being there for a few years I quit trying to be nice to 'em first. If they are nice to me FIRST I will gladly talk to them but if not then I don't help them with passwords on the puter or holding the door for 'em or anything. (I find it amusing when they are at the door just holding the door buzzer for 2 minutes trying to get in from the blowing snow)Back when they had to get their baggage screened this one Captain tried to make us all leave the room. I guess he didn't want everyone to see his blowup doll or something. I don't put up with their crap anymore. Like I said THEY have to be nice to me first or I don't even talk to 'em at all.

 

[Ivan]

I'm pretty new to FDX and pretty young. However, I don't see the jerk attitude the feeder bros are talking about. I'm not excusing bad behavior, I'm just saying I doubt it's that prevalent. We all know if we meet 100 pilots and one is a d***, we'll talk about him for the next 10 years. I have a very, very hard time believing any FDX pilot kicked some dude off the crew bus because he thought he was too good to ride with a feeder dude. Man, I don't care who is on the **CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED** bus as long as I get to my gate before the Captain. I think this may have one time in the past (or not) and it's reached urban legend status, the kind of story every feeder guy co-opt as his own. If was on the bus and saw some "mainline" guy kick one of ya'll off, I'd tell him he was a c***sucker. Hell, he can't fire me, and I ain't in the military no more.

 

[Daveman]

Hat's off to Purple Haze and Clyde (true gents). Maybe they will straighten out the deficient crew members.
And FD's, you have much respect in the corporate world. It's another option.

Slainte,
Daveman

 

[Ill Mitch]

I think this may have one time in the past (or not) and it's reached urban legend status, the kind of story every feeder guy co-opt as his own. /QUOTE]

Sad, but true...it happened all the time in OAK..or you see the van coming out to get you and then it turned around and went the other way to pick up a mainline crew.

The dudes at ONT are a mixed bag. I have met some really good guys there, but other days got pooped on for just using the water cooler. I said "hi" once to some mainline guys in ONT and all 3 gave me the evil eye in return.

 

[seefive]

I met these feeder guys at AFW and they didn't even say "hi" to me. I've been depressed all month!