Take Hornet Drvr off the SWA list

[Switch Monkey]

Folks, I've had a hard time deciding, but after two years of deliberation, I've decided to stay as a "Switch Monkey" at FEDEX. I wish I could have worked with the folks at SWA, and hope that my vacancy will open a door for someone who wants to be there. Best of luck to all of the poolies!

PS my former name was Hornet Drvr!

 

[LiveFreeorDie]

Must have been tough choice

Good luck with your career. Thanx for the info.

 

[raiders#1]

Hey, good luck to you hope everthing workout for you.. thanks for the info this will help guys like me in the pool for planning purposes...

Oakland rules, im out

 

[klhoard]

Hey Switch Monkey. . . .

I bet you're a joy to crawl into the Boeing cockpit with at 3 am. . . . .

 

[Falconjet]

?

Keith: I'm not sure, but I hope you meant that in a good way. It reads kind of sarcastic though, or maybe that is just me.

FJ

 

[KTHornet]

Say it isn't so...

Good luck brother...I'm sure you've gotten used to a little seniority. It was an easier decision for me to leave FedEx for SWA when I had only been there for 4 months. Can't go wrong either way unless you are still staying in Hank's crash pad!

Fight's On!

KT

 

[SWAbigdaddy]

Too bad we can't trade seats and keep our senority!!

I think you'll have a more rewarding career at FedEx.

Good Luck!

 

[canyonblue]

Too bad we can't trade pilots. I'd trade SWAbigdaddy for a couple of Snickers bars and a can of YooHoo!

 

[Bake]

Too bad we can't trade seats and keep our senority!!

I think you'll have a more rewarding career at FedEx.

Good Luck!



SWAbigdaddy, just wondering what would make it more rewarding? MONEY, you probably would make more money flying a career at FedEx. However, if is a challenge you are looking for I think you are mistaken. Neither SWA nor FedEx flying is challenging. Yes, you can go international and fly bigger planes but that ain't no big deal. Just curious what you think is rewarding.


Bake

 

[Falconjet]

Seniority?

I don't think seniority is the issue for Switch Monkey. He is only about 100 numbers from the bottom at FedEx, (since we haven't hired in almost a year and a half) and at best it looks like we MIGHT hire 100 or so this year. That would leave him 200 from the bottom of about 4400 pilots.

If he took his impending class date at SW he would be in front of about 150 other poolies and 143 or so who have yet to interview, assuming the 393 new hires for 2004 is a good number. It could actually be more, could be a few less. But for argument sake, lets say its about 400, so he would have about 300 pilots below him in a pilot group of about 4400-4500.

Seniority is only as good as the number of pilots behind you (ask a 16 year veteran of USAirways) (not a slam or flame, just an example to illustrate my point) so in just under a year with projected hiring at SW and optimistic, rumored hiring projections at FedEx, he would actually be more "senior" more quickly by going to SW.

SW is also positioned favorably in their marketplace for continued growth (and thus more hiring) in the near future (future downturns or attacks notwithstanding) so there will almost certainly be a steady stream of new hires to continue to push him up the seniority ladder in the next few years.

I don't see any rapid growth in the marketplace for FedEx (international being a big exception - but as the old timers at FedEx love to say that if management could find a way to build a bridge to China all of our international freight would go by truck) so there will likely be less hiring in the next few years than there will be at SW.

This is one situation where an individual has the rare opportunity to make a lateral or maybe even an upward mobility type move between major airlines. This is one of the many things that keeps me up at night as I wrestle with the exact same decision, and has for almost exactly 2 years. You can be sure its not an easy decision, and if you are fortunate enough to have the option you owe it to yourself and your family to make the best decision you can and then move ahead.

The scenario reminds me of an old Chinese proverb that goes something like this: A man with many clocks never knows what time it is. A man with one clock ALWAYS knows what time it is. If you have only one option, its easy to make the right choice. If you have many (or 2) options, you will never know which was the right one (until you retire).


Anybody with a watch feel like telling me what time it is?

Thanks, FJ