Any UPS pilots?
- Thread starter cole
- Start date
EatSleepFly
Well-Known Member
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Air being smoother? Maybe down low, other than that, I wouldn't say so.
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I don't know about that even. I've gotten the crap kicked out of me in the middle of the night below 11,000 ("oh hello floating approach plates...") on plenty of occasions. No Clear Air Turbulence of course, but just because it's dark doesn't mean it's smooth.
Air being smoother? Maybe down low, other than that, I wouldn't say so.
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I don't know about that even. I've gotten the crap kicked out of me in the middle of the night below 11,000 ("oh hello floating approach plates...") on plenty of occasions. No Clear Air Turbulence of course, but just because it's dark doesn't mean it's smooth.
DE727UPS
Well-Known Member
"Are DH lines senior since you don't have to commute?"
What? Can you say that a different way?
"Also I heard the domestic lines on the 57/67 are the ones that will kill you slowly is this true"
Yeah...we have a lot of really bad trips. I'm able to avoid it with my seniority. Hopefully, the new contract will fix some of the worst trips.
What? Can you say that a different way?
"Also I heard the domestic lines on the 57/67 are the ones that will kill you slowly is this true"
Yeah...we have a lot of really bad trips. I'm able to avoid it with my seniority. Hopefully, the new contract will fix some of the worst trips.
I could be off my hinges from what I know about DH lines.I thought since they airline you to the plane you don't have to commute to your base.That way you can live anywhere and not worry about commuting.Please correct if I'm wrong.Also why are the domestic lines so bad?And why don't they change them?
DE727UPS
Well-Known Member
Okay. If I'm reading you correctly, you are asking if schedules with deadheads are popular. Sometimes, they build the schedule with commercial deadheads, which means you get a company paid commercial ticket to get to work. If you are a commuter, those sort of schedules are a better deal than company deadheads or no deadhead. At the same time, you only get the amount of money to buy the ticket as it is from your base to where you are starting your trip. For example, I'm about to have a commercial deadhead to PHX. It's only $100 for a ticket from ONT to PHX, so if it's more from GEG to PHX, I gotta pay the difference. Unlike, Fedex, where the company just buys you a ticket from where you live.
As a commuter, I look closely at whether a schedule has a commercial ticket at the beginnng and ending of a trip.
The best deal, though, is if you live in the city that has positioning and depositioning deadheads. For example, I live in Spokane and there is a day flight to and from DSM. You only work three days a week, but with the deadheads added on, it's five days a week, on paper. It's a great deal if you live in Spokane. It's still a fairly senior trip cause it's day flying, but I can easily hold it. Problem is, you work three weeks in a row on that deal and I'd rather work a week on, week off, rotation, even if I can't be home every night. Honestly, I'm home enough as it is.
Why don't they change the awful 757 schedules? Hummm....cause they comply with the contract. Until they don't comply with the contract, it will never change. It's all about productivity....how long you live and quality of life isn't an issue with corporate america. See why unions are so important?
As a commuter, I look closely at whether a schedule has a commercial ticket at the beginnng and ending of a trip.
The best deal, though, is if you live in the city that has positioning and depositioning deadheads. For example, I live in Spokane and there is a day flight to and from DSM. You only work three days a week, but with the deadheads added on, it's five days a week, on paper. It's a great deal if you live in Spokane. It's still a fairly senior trip cause it's day flying, but I can easily hold it. Problem is, you work three weeks in a row on that deal and I'd rather work a week on, week off, rotation, even if I can't be home every night. Honestly, I'm home enough as it is.
Why don't they change the awful 757 schedules? Hummm....cause they comply with the contract. Until they don't comply with the contract, it will never change. It's all about productivity....how long you live and quality of life isn't an issue with corporate america. See why unions are so important?
DE727UPS
Well-Known Member
Best schedules? That would vary from what you like to see in a schedule. The 727 used to be considered the best because we had the shortest trips but that plane will be gone soon. The DC8 and Airbus have taken over the 727 flying. I really think, at the moment, the DC8 has the best schedules if you want to work as little as possible. But that could change at any time. If you like International flying, you'd say the 757/767 and MD11 have the best schedules. If you like day flying, you'd say the 757/767 and Airbus have the best schedules. At the same time, I'd say if you are junior on ANY fleet, you're gonna get some pretty bad lines or be stuck on reserve....but some people like reserve, so it really all depends. I heard the next class is going to have 16 F/E's and 9 F/O's. What you get should be determined by seniority which is by age, within the class. It's typical to sit reserve for at least six months.
I like being senior but I'm getting to the point where there are a couple niche situations I could see myself being a Capt in, even though I'd be fairly junior. One is if they bring all Airbusi into GEG for the two day turns, and if I could hold those lines as a Capt, I'd be stupid not to take that. I should be able to make a decision on that by this fall. The other is Hot PHX, where we crew a plane week on, week off, in the evenings. You only fly when another airplane breaks down in your area. I hear they only launch you two or three times a week. This duty goes fairly junior, as most guys don't like sitting around the airport for 8 hours waiting for a phone call to launch within 30 minites. Personally, I don't think I'd mind it so much as long as I had an internet connection. In the past, I could have held Hot PHX as a Capt. My decision on that will depend on if the schedules keep getting worse and worse as an F/O. Right now, because I'm very senior, I'm still able to do some easy day flying. If I even get in a situation, though, where my seniority doesn't buy me a very nice schedule, there is no point in NOT making the jump to the left seat. I think, for sure, I'll wait until this fall before making a decision.
I like being senior but I'm getting to the point where there are a couple niche situations I could see myself being a Capt in, even though I'd be fairly junior. One is if they bring all Airbusi into GEG for the two day turns, and if I could hold those lines as a Capt, I'd be stupid not to take that. I should be able to make a decision on that by this fall. The other is Hot PHX, where we crew a plane week on, week off, in the evenings. You only fly when another airplane breaks down in your area. I hear they only launch you two or three times a week. This duty goes fairly junior, as most guys don't like sitting around the airport for 8 hours waiting for a phone call to launch within 30 minites. Personally, I don't think I'd mind it so much as long as I had an internet connection. In the past, I could have held Hot PHX as a Capt. My decision on that will depend on if the schedules keep getting worse and worse as an F/O. Right now, because I'm very senior, I'm still able to do some easy day flying. If I even get in a situation, though, where my seniority doesn't buy me a very nice schedule, there is no point in NOT making the jump to the left seat. I think, for sure, I'll wait until this fall before making a decision.
I_Money
Moderator
Oh I see - I remember going back school was much more challanging then you thought, and I thought you would stay out of the classroom for a few more years. If you do it right - this upgrade could be your last one.
I still think you are the man - you balance work/life so well. I will never forget shortly after 9/11 where you said if there were lay offs at UPS, you would look into the feasibility of volunteering to keep someone in more need in a job.
Now we just need to find you a women - I did a seach
Click Here
She is a 26 year old Christian, that is down with balding men! She is fine with any job, including ones with crap schedules! She sounds perfect!
I still think you are the man - you balance work/life so well. I will never forget shortly after 9/11 where you said if there were lay offs at UPS, you would look into the feasibility of volunteering to keep someone in more need in a job.
Now we just need to find you a women - I did a seach
Click Here
She is a 26 year old Christian, that is down with balding men! She is fine with any job, including ones with crap schedules! She sounds perfect!
I_Money
Moderator
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HAHA...I'm almost old enough to be her father.
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I choose them well - and she is into balding men. If you want one slightly older Click Here
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Nice try Iain, but I'm not interested in being married.
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You looked! As a salesman, I know that is a buying sign!! You are shopping, but the market in Spokane must just be bad!
HAHA...I'm almost old enough to be her father.
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I choose them well - and she is into balding men. If you want one slightly older Click Here
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Nice try Iain, but I'm not interested in being married.
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You looked! As a salesman, I know that is a buying sign!! You are shopping, but the market in Spokane must just be bad!
Tim
New Member
DE have you heard of UPS changing its min PIC time. A buddy who flies RJ's had applied recently. with the help of a very high senority guy there and 6 recommendations, told me the other day that for insurance reasons the amount of PIC time changed. Any word on that. His big connection has been flying for UPS since day one of air operations.
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Check out the Air guard/reserves.They will pay for your ratings then you can decide.I am about to enlist as a loadmaster with hopes of going to UPT.If you like it build time and go to the airlines or corporate outfits.Or get a full time slot with you unit and have the best of both worlds.And in todays world there isn't much job stability.
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The Guard/Reserve isn't the easy life it used to be. If one is using it as a timebuilder, they're gonna be very disappointed when they find themselves in Iraq. Flying is but a small part of being a military pilot. The AF doesn't want pilots, they want future pencil pushers.
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A VERY good family friend of ours is a C-5 Pilot in the full active AF and is now a colonel (managed to make colonel by the age of 35-36, IIRC. He may be a higher rank now, it's been a few years since we spoke to him). About a year or two after making colonel, his flying was cut so far back that he is now almost only maintaining currency. He is pretty disappointed and misses the flying. 1st or 2nd in his class at the Air Force Academy, stunning career, and now he doesn't even really get to fly that much any longer. The funny part is that there isn't even any politics involved. He gets along with everybody great and has had NO issues with any of his superiors that I know of. "This is just how it goes. Now I get to fly a desk", he said.
I aksed him about a career flying in the Air Force (before he got his hours cut back) and he used to say, "Do me favor and exercise all your options before deciding to come here. There are "better" avenues out there. It isn't all it's cracked up to be." He used to have a Delta application in the top center drawer of his desk he would take out every once in a while to look at.
I also read a book about Navy/Marine pilots and the section pertaining to the Marines talked about how once they start to get up there in rank (Major, IIRC), only about 17% of their time is actually flying. After that, their hours go down more and more and more. They become "administrative workers" in a sense and pilots second.
I hear the fighter and attack guys get even more reductions then the transport guys regarding hours as their career progresses. Is that corect, Mike?
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Check out the Air guard/reserves.They will pay for your ratings then you can decide.I am about to enlist as a loadmaster with hopes of going to UPT.If you like it build time and go to the airlines or corporate outfits.Or get a full time slot with you unit and have the best of both worlds.And in todays world there isn't much job stability.
[/ QUOTE ]
The Guard/Reserve isn't the easy life it used to be. If one is using it as a timebuilder, they're gonna be very disappointed when they find themselves in Iraq. Flying is but a small part of being a military pilot. The AF doesn't want pilots, they want future pencil pushers.
[/ QUOTE ]
A VERY good family friend of ours is a C-5 Pilot in the full active AF and is now a colonel (managed to make colonel by the age of 35-36, IIRC. He may be a higher rank now, it's been a few years since we spoke to him). About a year or two after making colonel, his flying was cut so far back that he is now almost only maintaining currency. He is pretty disappointed and misses the flying. 1st or 2nd in his class at the Air Force Academy, stunning career, and now he doesn't even really get to fly that much any longer. The funny part is that there isn't even any politics involved. He gets along with everybody great and has had NO issues with any of his superiors that I know of. "This is just how it goes. Now I get to fly a desk", he said.
I aksed him about a career flying in the Air Force (before he got his hours cut back) and he used to say, "Do me favor and exercise all your options before deciding to come here. There are "better" avenues out there. It isn't all it's cracked up to be." He used to have a Delta application in the top center drawer of his desk he would take out every once in a while to look at.
I also read a book about Navy/Marine pilots and the section pertaining to the Marines talked about how once they start to get up there in rank (Major, IIRC), only about 17% of their time is actually flying. After that, their hours go down more and more and more. They become "administrative workers" in a sense and pilots second.
I hear the fighter and attack guys get even more reductions then the transport guys regarding hours as their career progresses. Is that corect, Mike?
DE727UPS
Well-Known Member
When I got hired at UPS, it wasn't considered one of the best places to go by a lot of guys. There was a lot of hiring going on at the majors and Delta, American, and United were THE places to work. Today, Fedex and UPS are considered by most to be the best jobs. These companies are making money and their pilot groups haven't been forced to take cuts or furlough. So...it makes getting on with UPS pretty tough cause there is a lot of competition. Has nothing to do with night flying or the type of planes we fly.
A300Capt
Freight Dawg
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Hey, UPS, I heard that UPS pilot slots are some of the hardest in the industry to obtain. Is this due to the type of flying you guys do or is it due to the type of equipment you guys use or something else (such as, why take lower time guys if you don't have too)?
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UPS is making profits of close to a BILLION dollars every quarter and double digit growth internationally. Pax carriers are bleeding red and losing 100's of millions a quarter along with an uncertain future.
I wish every airline was doing well, profitable and all pilots and employees enjoyed a secure future but the reality is that it's a dog-eat-dog business and very unstable. It's a tough career to make it to the top and it's tough to maintain that spot for an entire career. There are very few places that someone can probably still put in a 30+ yr flying career. UPS and FedEx are two of those.
The truth is...flying passengers has never been a money making proposition. Pax carriers make most of their profits from the freight carried in the belly. That being the case..imagine the profit margin of a wide body loaded to the gills with freight and next day air envelopes as opposed to $69 fares.
In this day and age, why folks put pax carriers as their number 1 choice for a flying career is beyond me. I realize we all take what we can get but to put a non-profitable pax carrier above a profitable cargo carrier on your dream sheet makes little sense.
Long term...who would you want to work for? You can then probably guess why slots are so competitive at UPS and FedEx.
Hey, UPS, I heard that UPS pilot slots are some of the hardest in the industry to obtain. Is this due to the type of flying you guys do or is it due to the type of equipment you guys use or something else (such as, why take lower time guys if you don't have too)?
[/ QUOTE ]
UPS is making profits of close to a BILLION dollars every quarter and double digit growth internationally. Pax carriers are bleeding red and losing 100's of millions a quarter along with an uncertain future.
I wish every airline was doing well, profitable and all pilots and employees enjoyed a secure future but the reality is that it's a dog-eat-dog business and very unstable. It's a tough career to make it to the top and it's tough to maintain that spot for an entire career. There are very few places that someone can probably still put in a 30+ yr flying career. UPS and FedEx are two of those.
The truth is...flying passengers has never been a money making proposition. Pax carriers make most of their profits from the freight carried in the belly. That being the case..imagine the profit margin of a wide body loaded to the gills with freight and next day air envelopes as opposed to $69 fares.
In this day and age, why folks put pax carriers as their number 1 choice for a flying career is beyond me. I realize we all take what we can get but to put a non-profitable pax carrier above a profitable cargo carrier on your dream sheet makes little sense.
Long term...who would you want to work for? You can then probably guess why slots are so competitive at UPS and FedEx.