Career Path for Major Cargo Airliners

[Maurus]

I would love to return to the days of bottom feeders like me getting hired at UPS. Bottom feeders are low maintenance and usually have experienced more variety on their way up the food chain of aviation. This variety provides a broader aviation background as opposed to, say, a space shuttle pilot. The space shuttle guy is great in a Sully scenario, but does he know how to turn the lights on in Maui at night? I'd rather have the low maintenance guy who knows what a cruise clearance is than the space shuttle guy, any day.

You would think HR would ask the pilot group what type of experience backgrounds would work best to mold with the company and pilots. So far you and A300Capt seem to have differing opinions from what HR thinks.

If only insurance companies weren't as controlling as they are now.

 

[Boris Badenov]

Well, insurance companies aren't stupid. Yeah, I'd love to don the Brown (that came out wrong), but if they prefer 121 regional guys, they probably have a reason. Whatever the case, as someone pointed out above, the world spins along in some dust-mite sized piece of the cosmos and we get maybe 60 years of adult life to make sense of it all. I'm not going to spend my little chunk of time worrying about the size of the aviation appliance or even the size of the paycheck attached to it. I'm glad I have a steady gig that gives me a good office view and enough money and time to enjoy all the beer, books, and brown liquor God gave us. Everything else is gravy.

 

[DE727UPS]

I don't disagree with A300's post at all. Based on the most recent hires (now some furloughed) the company wanted "overwater experience". The junior airplane/base was 747-400/ANC. The rumor was the FAA threatened additional supervision of the ANC base if we didn't hire guys with overwater time. When we start to hire again, who knows what the quals will be. Both A300 and I got hired at a very different time at UPS. It was truly a time when freight guys were looked down on as bottom feeders and UPS was not a destination but a stepping stone. The airline was growing like crazy and they needed to do a lot of hiring. You won't see that again. They key is to figure out who the next UPS is going to be...

 

[SteveC]

....Whatever the case, as someone pointed out above, the world spins along in some dust-mite sized piece of the cosmos and we get maybe 60 years of adult life to make sense of it all. I'm not going to spend my little chunk of time worrying about the size of the aviation appliance or even the size of the paycheck attached to it. I'm glad I have a steady gig that gives me a good office view and enough money and time to enjoy all the beer, books, and brown liquor God gave us. Everything else is gravy.

Quoted for emphasis - this is worth reading twice people.

 

[bunk22]

Why the stated preference for UPS though. I've heard almost all the other way - FedEx as the choice, but would be thrilled with UPS. You seem the opposite. And outlier. You're dangerous. But seriously - do you just like brown suits, or is there a family/personal tie to UPS?

I didn't mean to imply I wanted UPS over the others...actually, I will take whoever takes me lol One is as good as the other. I do know our FedEx guys down here are all extremely happy and make good money for a just an employee.