DE727UPS
Well-Known Member
Yesterday I did my last flight at UPS. It was supposed to be BFI-GEG-SDF but we got dinged on the ACARS over central Montana to divert to BIL for a broken Airbus. I turned 60 this month and enough in enough. I was number 138 out of over 3000 guys but it's not the job it used to be. Schedules have degraded due to more flying crammed into the same duty day. Looking forward to doing some traveling and getting back into general aviation. Looking at an LSA that I could do some instructing in and also have a Redbird desktop sim I can use for some IFR training. Also hope to do some side gig's doing some contract flying. We'll see. Want to get a motorhome and roam about the west a bit. Visit some of the places that were the better layovers and explore the pubs I wasn't able to enjoy while at work. Since 1998 I have only flown 4600 hours, which sort of blew my mind. That's a little over 200 hours a year. Can be explained by the fact I was on the 727 for the first 13 years and it always did very short legs. Also, did reserve back in the heyday when we worked 5 days a month, and the last 4 years did airport standby out of RFD where we didn't work much. Max pay, min work, has always been my motto. Takes a lot of seniority in the seat to make that happen and I did bypass upgrades for several years. I did 4 years in the F/E seat being number 2 in seniority at the end. 9 years in the right seat 72. Then went to the right seat of the 75 for 3 years and the Capt on the 75 for 15 years. I really had a charmed life and career at Brown but, again, seniority made it possible. DOH 2/19/90 and last day on the list is Monday. First pension check Tuesday. It's definitely going to be weird and an big adjustment to being an EX-airline pilot but I came much farther in the career than I figured I would. Good Lord had a hand in that. I couldn't have planned it. Happy for all the UPS pilots here who moved up a number, except for A300Capt, who is senior to me...haha.
