AlbieF15
F15 Ret/FDX/InterviewPrep
- Joined
- Nov 25, 2001
- Posts
- 1,764
I don’t normally jump on rumor bandwagons but I thought I’d pass on a little info and thoughts from inside the purple walls.
First…hiring. Yep…it seems to be continuing unabated. I heard two “make me giggle with glee” numbers recently, although both could be simply bad rumors or the truth stretched a bit out of proportion. The first was retirements this December in the 250+ range. That would be mind-boggling if true. Second, a flex captain I flew with said “500” next year….expecting 300 on-site and about 200 off-site. I certainly hope both rumors are correct, but time will tell…
Next—training. Its tough. Right now attrition in upgrades on 727 is about 25%. Several guys have busted rides in the FO upgrade, and I know of one guy who did not make it through and went back to the panel. Quite a few guys (captains too!) have been needing additional training. The S/O seat is also tough—the training is a bit of a “hazing” or “rite of passage” depending on your perspective, but the fact is a few guys have busted their checks. So…standard ROE…show up prepared, with a smile, and don’t expect the instructor cadre to just pour knowledge into your skull. This applies to new hires and you guys who are finally heading towards an overdue upgrade. Talk to your bros, get the gouge, and study! Personally, I was getting pretty frustrated with myself in the sim phase with my landings, but a hard night of gambling and drinking at Tunica and 4 hours sleep finally seemed to do the trick. As I (miraculously) landed the sim that day much better than the previous attempts, my instructor commented “whatever you did last night…you need to keep doing it…” Well…if you say so boss… Tongue in cheek aside, training was tough but the instructors were good and were working as hard as I was, and if you put forth a solid effort they give you their very best too.
Interview calls---December calls went out with as little as 7 days notice! I think perhaps they were “filling” in unfilled interview slots. I had folks who called me in Oct/Nov saying “I’ll call you when I get the call…” only to find there was little or no time to prep or get help. I’m not trying to sound like an insurance commercial, but if you want help and you think you might be called I urge you to go ahead and get ready early. The last minute rush only adds to your stress, and trying to synch up schedules with someone who has less than 2 weeks to interview is often just not possible.
Final note—attitude check. For you new hires or wannabes, you might just find out your first month or two at FedEx isn’t fun. Training is hard, and nobody grows up saying “when I grow up I want to sit sideways, do preflights, run around the airplane in the freezing cold, and be the coffee Beatach for some grumpy pilots in the middle of the night…” Keep repeating this to yourself: “Training IS NOT the line, training IS NOT the line…” It does get better. I ran into a bro who is also in the SWA pool, and he’s tempted to jump. Now…I don’t care where he goes, as long as he is happy. I have yet to hear a SWA pilot complain about his company. However, FedEx is an “old school” airline, and you are going to pay some dues…for a while. However, if you can stomach some temporary pain (for me it was 2.5 years…for new hires it will likely be much less) you can find yourself making 6 figures flying a 727, A 300, or MD 11 within just a couple years, and perhaps doing international flying that you’d never see at a LCC. I’m not saying one is better than the other, but rather not to judge this company by your first three months (or even first year).
Good luck everyone. Now go ship your holiday gifts FedEx! (please…)
First…hiring. Yep…it seems to be continuing unabated. I heard two “make me giggle with glee” numbers recently, although both could be simply bad rumors or the truth stretched a bit out of proportion. The first was retirements this December in the 250+ range. That would be mind-boggling if true. Second, a flex captain I flew with said “500” next year….expecting 300 on-site and about 200 off-site. I certainly hope both rumors are correct, but time will tell…
Next—training. Its tough. Right now attrition in upgrades on 727 is about 25%. Several guys have busted rides in the FO upgrade, and I know of one guy who did not make it through and went back to the panel. Quite a few guys (captains too!) have been needing additional training. The S/O seat is also tough—the training is a bit of a “hazing” or “rite of passage” depending on your perspective, but the fact is a few guys have busted their checks. So…standard ROE…show up prepared, with a smile, and don’t expect the instructor cadre to just pour knowledge into your skull. This applies to new hires and you guys who are finally heading towards an overdue upgrade. Talk to your bros, get the gouge, and study! Personally, I was getting pretty frustrated with myself in the sim phase with my landings, but a hard night of gambling and drinking at Tunica and 4 hours sleep finally seemed to do the trick. As I (miraculously) landed the sim that day much better than the previous attempts, my instructor commented “whatever you did last night…you need to keep doing it…” Well…if you say so boss… Tongue in cheek aside, training was tough but the instructors were good and were working as hard as I was, and if you put forth a solid effort they give you their very best too.
Interview calls---December calls went out with as little as 7 days notice! I think perhaps they were “filling” in unfilled interview slots. I had folks who called me in Oct/Nov saying “I’ll call you when I get the call…” only to find there was little or no time to prep or get help. I’m not trying to sound like an insurance commercial, but if you want help and you think you might be called I urge you to go ahead and get ready early. The last minute rush only adds to your stress, and trying to synch up schedules with someone who has less than 2 weeks to interview is often just not possible.
Final note—attitude check. For you new hires or wannabes, you might just find out your first month or two at FedEx isn’t fun. Training is hard, and nobody grows up saying “when I grow up I want to sit sideways, do preflights, run around the airplane in the freezing cold, and be the coffee Beatach for some grumpy pilots in the middle of the night…” Keep repeating this to yourself: “Training IS NOT the line, training IS NOT the line…” It does get better. I ran into a bro who is also in the SWA pool, and he’s tempted to jump. Now…I don’t care where he goes, as long as he is happy. I have yet to hear a SWA pilot complain about his company. However, FedEx is an “old school” airline, and you are going to pay some dues…for a while. However, if you can stomach some temporary pain (for me it was 2.5 years…for new hires it will likely be much less) you can find yourself making 6 figures flying a 727, A 300, or MD 11 within just a couple years, and perhaps doing international flying that you’d never see at a LCC. I’m not saying one is better than the other, but rather not to judge this company by your first three months (or even first year).
Good luck everyone. Now go ship your holiday gifts FedEx! (please…)
