Land Green said:
Since UPS has recently started interviewing and will be filling classes in the next little while, I was wondering a few things.....
If one is lucky enough to get an interview and even luckier to get hired, what can one expect for the future?
Specifically, I was wondering the following:
1) How is commuting to SDF? I live close to my work so I don't know much about "jumpseating" or "getting a ride", ie. are there agreements set up with CO, NWA, AA, etc?
2) How long could one expect to be in the FE seat? What would be the first right seat spot someone could hold, ie. a/c, base?
3) What seats are available on UPS a/c for pilots who work for UPS and those who do not? For instance, some foreign cargo carriers have extra seats in the back for commuting.
4) What are the current pilot bases? Which one could a new hire hold?
5) Finally, what is the latest on contract negotiations? Is management open to discussion, or is this a hot topic, wait and see?
I apologize if some of these questions are common knowledge. However, I also extend my thanks in advance to those who respond.
LG
LG,
I'll do the best I can to answer these, so here goes:
COMMUTING TO SDF:
I live in domicile, so I don't really deal with this too often. The times I have jumpseated around the system, it seemed hit or miss depending on where I was going. Most of the people I know who commute to and from SDF say it is possible, but it can be a big headache. I think one will find that the flights from major hubs to SDF are not as frequent or plentiful as say to other major cities.
FE SEAT AND UPGRADE:
Good question, but don't have a very definitive answer. It mostly depends on when you get hired (beginning, middle, end of a cycle), and growth. When I was hired 4 years ago, I went to the FE seat. I upgraded to the right seat after one year. People hired about 5 months after me are still on the panels, but all should be in the right seat by early next year. People in the middle seemed like they sat between 1 and 2 years in the back seat.
As far as what one could hold for a first available upgrade, I can only tell you what I see today. The most junior people will probably go to the A300 or the 757/767 domestic. 757/767 international is also another one which seems to go fairly junior. The more senior aircraft (right now) appear to be the MD-11, 747, and the DC-8. The 727 used to be very senior, but we saw some junior people on it not too long ago. Not sure how long they were able to hold it. The MD-11 looks like it is going to be the more junior of the senior airplanes. As far as domiciles, guys from my class were able to hold Miami while we were still in basic indoc and I think that might be a pretty junior base. Ontario was pretty senior at one point, but I know we have some people out there who were hired in the last half of the 2001 hiring spree. I would say they are a little more than 100 from the bottom.
SEATS:
I'm assuming you're asking about jumpseats on UPS aircraft available for UPS pilots. I'll answer it that way. 747 has seats in the cockpit as well as the upper deck. The 757 has 1 two-person bench and two jumpseats up front. The 767 has 4 jumpseats. The Airbus has (I think) 3 or 4 jumpseats behind the cockpit and one up front. The MD-11 has a row behind the cockpit and 2 up front. The DC-8 has two jumpseats opposite the FE and two courier seats in the back. Not sure about the 727, but I know it has at least two up front.
PILOT BASES:
Currently, SDF, ONT, and MIA. If you are assigned FE, you will be based in SDF, only 757/767's are currently in ONT and MIA. I would be surprised to see hiring directly into the right seat, but it happened in 2001. Then, newhire right-seaters were placed into MIA and SDF on the 757/767, a few to the 757/767 international, and a few to the right seat of the DC-8. Not sure if that would happen again this time around.
CONTRACT:
This is one I really wish I could answer. Not sure when it is going to be resolved. I just took a wait and see attitude. Not hearing much about it. It's a hot topic depending on who you talk to about it. In the cockpit, I don't chance it, so I stick to talking about sex, drugs, and rock-n-roll to be neutral.
Hey, I hope this helps. Good luck to all who are interviewing, and to those who have been hired, Congratulations!!
