Caravan pilots

[crticalaoa]

Ok here is my 2 cents. I work for fedex as a part time ramp agent while I put my self trough school. Im always picking the brains of the pilots that fly in and out. We have 12 caravans based here and 1 ATR. What the pilots tell me and what I heard from corporate is that even if you work for a feeder flying the caravans and the atr they want to see time in something bigger. Most people that I know that made from the caravans to fedex had to go to jetblue or spirit or allegiant for a few years.

 

[CrimsonEclipse]

No one has gone from the Fedex Feeder directly to Fedex.
None, ZERO, zip.
People stay in the Van because some routes are stupid easy and you can stay on those routes for the rest of your life.
I know more than a few who fly 1.5 hours a day and either study or operate a business on the down time.
Think of it as a nice paying part time job.

 

[Apophis]

No one has gone from the Fedex Feeder directly to Fedex.
None, ZERO, zip.
People stay in the Van because some routes are stupid easy and you can stay on those routes for the rest of your life.
I know more than a few who fly 1.5 hours a day and either study or operate a business on the down time.
Think of it as a nice paying part time job.

You're probably right when it comes to the Caravan side of things, but my company operates 17 ATR-42/72 aircraft under part 121. It would probably take awhile, but it isn't a stretch to believe a guy could go from flying ATRs to FedEx. It would be like any regional pilot getting hired at FedEx in that regard.

But straight to FedEx from the van? Nope.

 

[alaskadrifter]

I want to say base pay for our Van CAs is $300/day plus $35/hr if you fly more than 60 hours in a month. Pay goes up with seniority too. From what I've heard if you aren't breaking 100k in 5 years you are doing something wrong.

 

[jmre]

I flew the caravan about 15 years ago and what many pilots don't understand or realize you can use your past experience flying at a FedEx feeder as a huge recommendation when you get your other qualifications in order to challenge other applicants for the FedEx job. I went on the fly charter jets and went back to FedEx first in management and then as a pilot. I know many pilots who have jet time and no connections in which means no job!

 

[SpiraMirabilis]

Ok here is my 2 cents. I work for fedex as a part time ramp agent while I put my self trough school. Im always picking the brains of the pilots that fly in and out. We have 12 caravans based here and 1 ATR. What the pilots tell me and what I heard from corporate is that even if you work for a feeder flying the caravans and the atr they want to see time in something bigger. Most people that I know that made from the caravans to fedex had to go to jetblue or spirit or allegiant for a few years.

ATR time is good enough, so it is not that FedEx wants to see something bigger necessarily. Here is their thinking on it: FedEx pays for training at the feeders. To hire a feeder pilot they would not only pay to train them at FedEx but also pay again to train their replacement at the feeder. However, if they hire an external applicant they only pay training once.

 

[jmre]

ATR time is good enough, so it is not that FedEx wants to see something bigger necessarily. Here is their thinking on it: FedEx pays for training at the feeders. To hire a feeder pilot they would not only pay to train them at FedEx but also pay again to train their replacement at the feeder. However, if they hire an external applicant they only pay training once.

I can say the same thing about promoting anyone in any type of business and then having to replace them. This is a part of everyday business.

 

[SpiraMirabilis]

I can say the same thing about promoting anyone in any type of business and then having to replace them. This is a part of everyday business.

Promoting from within from general business jobs or technical specialties has the added benefit of the promoted party understanding the business, technical process, unique technology, etc. Pilots are fungible, replacable cogs. There is no added benefit from "promoting within" except making the feeder pilots happier, which is clearly not a priority.

 

[Apophis]

ATR time is good enough, so it is not that FedEx wants to see something bigger necessarily. Here is their thinking on it: FedEx pays for training at the feeders. To hire a feeder pilot they would not only pay to train them at FedEx but also pay again to train their replacement at the feeder. However, if they hire an external applicant they only pay training once.

How do you know this is FedEx' thinking on the subject? Have you ever worked for FedEx? Have you worked for any of their feeders?

It sounds to me like you're speaking from a position of ignorance.

 

[alaskadrifter]

How do you know this is FedEx' thinking on the subject? Have you ever worked for FedEx? Have you worked for any of their feeders?

It sounds to me like you're speaking from a position of ignorance.

I talked with an ATR pilot for Empire in anc a couple years back and he said FedEx didn't hire Empire pilots.

 

[ppragman]

How do you know this is FedEx' thinking on the subject? Have you ever worked for FedEx? Have you worked for any of their feeders?

It sounds to me like you're speaking from a position of ignorance.

He did work for a FedEx feeder.

 

[jspeed87]

Dose anyone know if MAC will follow Empire Airlines pay increase? ATR captains max out around 90k now which sounds like a good place to be for a long time.

 

[SpiraMirabilis]

How do you know this is FedEx' thinking on the subject? Have you ever worked for FedEx? Have you worked for any of their feeders?

It sounds to me like you're speaking from a position of ignorance.

I have worked for FedEx feeders, yes, and this is what the chief pilot mentioned to me at the time, as well as many other feeder pilots. Could be a common piece of apocryphal lore, but that was the general impression among feeder pilots.

 

[jspeed87]

I have worked for FedEx feeders, yes, and this is what the chief pilot mentioned to me at the time, as well as many other feeder pilots. Could be a common piece of apocryphal lore, but that was the general impression among feeder pilots.

It makes sense. Could one have a career path like this: CFI, Feeder 208 Captain, Feeder ATR FO, Feeder ATR Captain, and then UPS?

 

[SpiraMirabilis]

It makes sense. Could one have a career path like this: CFI, Feeder 208 Captain, Feeder ATR FO, Feeder ATR Captain, and then UPS?

Sure, probably.

 

[Apophis]

Dose anyone know if MAC will follow Empire Airlines pay increase? ATR captains max out around 90k now which sounds like a good place to be for a long time.

I work at MAC. We just got a company email informing us of pay increases effective June 1st. New hire Caravan Captains start at 40K per year. There are significantly increased ATR rates too.

So yes, we are getting raises at MAC as well.

 

[Apophis]

He did work for a FedEx feeder.

So do I.

 

[ILSApproach]

I work at MAC. We just got a company email informing us of pay increases effective June 1st. New hire Caravan Captains start at 40K per year. There are significantly increased ATR rates too.

So yes, we are getting raises at MAC as well.

Any idea on why MAC requires a First Class medical to fly a Caravan?

MAC often advertises on the orange site for "Floater Pilots" and indicates "Pilots must be willing to float for extended periods of time." Any inside info on that? Sounds like a MAC Caravan pilot wouldn't be home very often.

 

[Apophis]

Any idea on why MAC requires a First Class medical to fly a Caravan?

MAC often advertises on the orange site for "Floater Pilots" and indicates "Pilots must be willing to float for extended periods of time." Any inside info on that? Sounds like a MAC Caravan pilot wouldn't be home very often.

I'm pretty sure we would accept you with just a second class medical. For the Van at least.

And I am a floater. The travel isn't that bad. As a floater, you usually are flown out of your floater base to your run on Monday, and are back home Friday evening. The company pays for an airline ticket, so you don't have to jumpseat. Also, in a 5 week period, you are only doing this for 3 of those 5 weeks. 1 week is home reserve, and 1 week is paid time off. I go home this Friday, and don't go back to work until June 1st.....and that week afterwards is home reserve anyway so I probably won't fly for 2 weeks.

 

[Bamaaviator]

I'm pretty sure we would accept you with just a second class medical. For the Van at least.

And I am a floater. The travel isn't that bad. As a floater, you usually are flown out of your floater base to your run on Monday, and are back home Friday evening. The company pays for an airline ticket, so you don't have to jumpseat. Also, in a 5 week period, you are only doing this for 3 of those 5 weeks. 1 week is home reserve, and 1 week is paid time off. I go home this Friday, and don't go back to work until June 1st.....and that week afterwards is home reserve anyway so I probably won't fly for 2 weeks.

Do you like working for MAC? Can you see yourself staying put there for awhile, or even a career? I'm thinking about going to a feeder once I meet minimums simply because the job seems so laid back and easy. And there seems to be job security at the feeders compared to 90 percent of other jobs in this industry