Leaving a major to another?

I remember the story of the youngest 747 captain at the time....some guy working for a contractor which got absorbed into UPS when they bought the certificate, and poof, 747 captain at like 28.

These days they can come much younger, but at the time, it was a wow "what a lucky dude" moment. I'm sure there are way more details behind that than what was "heard".
 
Just about everything back then had an engineer (727, 747, DC8) except the Atari Ferrari (757). Sorry your dad missed out on what eventually became a good career choice but completely understand why he left back then.
All good, there were a few rough years in there but it worked out in the end for him. My folks are retired now and living the good life.

If anything those bad years taught me to be really good with money.
 
I remember the story of the youngest 747 captain at the time....some guy working for a contractor which got absorbed into UPS when they bought the certificate, and poof, 747 captain at like 28.

These days they can come much younger, but at the time, it was a wow "what a lucky dude" moment. I'm sure there are way more details behind that than what was "heard".

That would be Ed Maxwell. Great guy….great pilot! Long story short….He came from one of the UPS contract carriers (IPX). That’s the carrier that UPS also acquired their “operating certificate“ from to start their own airline in 88’. Ed was one the pilots from that carrier. For a while he was known as the “Boy Captain” cause he looked and was very young for the position. Supposedly, he made it to the right seat of a DC8 there when his friend’s father was the chief pilot. Ed asked if he could get hired to fly DC8’s for the carrier. The chief pilot said (jokingly) if you could pass the check ride. He passed and the rest is history. When IPX was acquired by UPS, Ed and the other pilots from there were stacked at the top of the seniority list with a 86’ hire date. Everyone else back then got a 88’ hire date at the earliest. Ed is now seniority #1 overall and flies the 747. I think he’s now flown every variant of the 747. I believe he’s 58 or 59 now.

I’ve know Ed for decades. I can’t say enough good things about him. His abilities and how much of a leader he’s been by example to the whole pilot group are things books are written about. He’s been a thorn to the company his entire career and asset to the union. All the stories are true and legendary! He became a B747 Capt at 24 or 25 even though the company didn’t want him to be one saying he was too young. Seniority is seniority and he could hold the seat so he did.

I believe some aviation rag mag wanted to do a story on him but he refused. He is humble to a fault but you never want to go toe to toe with him. The guy is a walking wikipedia of knowledge on aviation. I could tell countless stories of him and the company but it’s best to keep them in the bar over a beer.
 
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That would be Ed Maxwell. Great guy….great pilot! Long story short….He came from one of the UPS contract carriers (IPX). That’s the carrier that UPS also acquired their “operating certificate“ from to start their own airline in 88’. Ed was one the pilots from that carrier. For a while he was known as the “Boy Captain” cause he looked and was very young for the position. Supposedly, he made it to the right seat of a DC8 there when his friend’s father was the chief pilot. Ed asked if he could get hired to fly DC8’s for the carrier. The chief pilot said (jokingly) if you could pass the check ride. He passed and the rest is history. When IPX was acquired by UPS, Ed and the other pilots from there were stacked at the top of the seniority list with a 86’ hire date. Everyone else back then got a 88’ hire date at the earliest. Ed is now seniority #1 overall and flies the 747. I think he’s now flown every variant of the 747. I believe he’s 58 or 59 now.

I’ve know Ed for decades. I can’t say enough good things about him. His abilities and how much of a leader he’s been by example to the whole pilot group are things books are written about. He’s been a thorn to the company his entire career and asset to the union. All the stories are true and legendary! He became a B747 Capt at 24 or 25 even though the company didn’t want him to be one saying he was too young. Seniority is seniority and he could hold the seat so he did.

I believe some aviation rag mag wanted to do a story on him but he refused. He is humble to a fault but you never want to go toe to toe with him. The guy is a walking wikipedia of knowledge on aviation. I could tell countless stories of him and the company but it’s best to keep them in the bar over a beer.
Didn’t Flying (or some aviation mag) do a cover story in him?
 



Most people envision a Boeing 747 captain as a person with gray hair and half-rim glasses — someone who is old enough to have a recollection of where he was when JFK was assassinated. Ed Maxwell has jet black hair and perfect vision, and he wasn't yet born on November 22, 1963. How did Maxwell, 32 years old and a 747 captain for 7 years, become probably the youngest 747 captain in the world?

Maxwell's introduction to airplanes came through model aircraft. As a youngster, he flew control-line models near his San Francisco Bay area home. Later, a World War II B-17 pilot taught him to fly radio-controlled models.

A pair of Hughes Air West pilots provided his first ride in a general aviation airplane. "These guys would build radio-controlled models and go out and crash 'em," says Maxwell. "I was teaching them how not to crash, and they took me for a ride in a Cherokee of some kind."

Maxwell started flying lessons before he turned 15. "I didn't know where I was going," he says. "I was just going up and boring holes in the sky." Evidently he figured out where he wanted to go. He soloed on his sixteenth birthday and got his private on his seventeenth. "I had about 200 hours when I got my private," says Maxwell. "My logbook was full of cross-country endorsements." On his eighteenth birthday, Maxwell passed his commercial certificate and multiengine rating checkride. Soon after came the flight instructor certificates and ratings.

After high school, he enrolled in the aviation program at San Jose State University. When not in class, he worked tracking flights for express package carrier DHL Airways and as a flight instructor at Bay area airports. He also got to fly a Douglas DC-8 simulator, courtesy of a family friend who worked for an airline operating that aircraft.

In 1984, 2 years out of high school, Maxwell learned that a New York-based airline operating DC-8s was looking for pilots. He passed a DC-8 simulator evaluation and, with 1,000 hours in his logbook, he was soon flying as copilot to Europe, Africa, and Asia. After a year and 800 hours of flying for the financially unstable operation, Maxwell returned to California to fly Metroliners for commuter airline Wings West.

After 5 months of the up-and-down life of a commuter pilot, he signed on as a copilot with a Detroit-based DC-8 operator. A year later, Maxwell heard from a DHL acquaintance that an airline flying DC-8s, International Parcel Express (IPX), was being formed in the Bay area by DHL Airways and United Parcel Service to bid for a cargo route to Japan. His résumé soon found its way to Alf E. (Chris) Christiansen, who was in charge of the start-up operation.

"I was curious and very interested in interviewing Maxwell after reading his résumé," says Christiansen. "I remember reviewing his application and was quite surprised to see how much DC-8 time he had accumulated." Included with his résumé was a letter from the FAA stating that Maxwell's ATP certificate with a DC-8 type rating would become valid on his twenty-third birthday, more than a year away. After flying a simulator evaluation "flawlessly," says Christiansen, Maxwell was hired as a DC-8 copilot on August 25, 1986.

The airline failed to win the Japan route, but UPS had other plans for it. At the time, UPS operated its package carrying service through a network of contract carriers that provided crew and maintenance for aircraft UPS owned. This system was becoming unwieldy as it grew, so UPS decided to bring all functions in house and form its own airline.

UPS acquired DHL's interest in the FAR Part 121 certificate held by IPX and used it to create the new UPS airline. Maxwell and the other 24 pilots at IPX came with the certificate, and they formed the very top of the UPS pilot seniority list.

Maxwell turned 23 shortly after UPS announced that it was forming an airline. He would hold pilot seniority number 9.

After some initial management reluctance to the idea of such a young captain, Maxwell checked out as a DC-8 captain in October 1989. In May 1990, at age 25, he added a B-747 type rating to his pilot certificate and has been flying the "whale" to Asia and Europe as captain since then.

Maxwell says that the 747 is a great-flying airplane. "It's easy to land once you get used to the sight picture," he says.

Glenn Cooper, a 747 first officer at UPS, has flown with Maxwell many times. "I have always found him to be the epitome of professionalism in his cockpit duties and a true joy to be with outside the cockpit, as well," Cooper says.

Remaining active in general aviation throughout his flying career, Maxwell has owned four airplanes — a Luscombe 8E; a Smith Mini Plane; a Mooney 201; and his current airplane, a Piper Twin Comanche.

The Twin Comanche, a low-time 1966 model, was an upgrade project abandoned by its former owner, who had installed remanufactured engines, a one-piece windshield, speed mods, and tip tanks. Maxwell finished the project by installing a new custom-made instrument panel with an air data computer, three-axis autopilot, HSI, and IFR GPS.

Being at the right place at the right time had a lot to do with Maxwell's aviation success, but — like a lot of fortunate people — his luck came when preparation met opportunity.
 
There are a lot of reasons, tbh. I left UAL to come here in 2017 because on paper it made more sense. At the time I was commuting to UAL, living in a DL base. I really enjoyed UAL, but as a first time commuter, and looking at a career of commuting, it made me consider other options. So DL and FDX (for their DH trips) made most sense. FDX called and I went-- it was an extremely difficult decision, and I knew from the beginning here that it wasn't "my place." It's been a decent 5.5 years, but I've never truly enjoyed the flying. The culture here doesn't fit me as much as UAL's did, either. It's very auxiliary and somewhat lonely. I wanted to leave in 18'-19' but I was more concerned about what friends in the industry would think-- so I didn't pursue it. Then COVID hit, and we all know that story. Now here we are today, FDX isn't holding back about their plans to change our network structure. They plan to utilize more 3rd party lift at the expense of our own flying, their constant stalling during negotiations, activist investor groups that want the company to shed as much cost as possible, slowing hiring and possible base closures, plus the union's priorities in this negotiation cycle I feel are somewhat out of touch with the current trends in the industry. Yes, there are up's and down's, but the bigger issue is the general dislike for the flying. I can't see myself doing this for 30 more years. I've done all the flying here, short domestic, day, night, 12 day international 777. I would take me another 20 years to get the seniority to hold the best flying we have, which is daytime transcends with dead heads. Between now then, what does one do? Fly nights? 12 day around the world trips? I look at that and cringe.

I'd probably retire 1500 at UAL if I were to start today. I wouldn't be nearly as senior there as I would be here... but I grew up near LAX. I could be based there, sit reserve or fly 3-4 day trips during the day time, I could be around people again, and to me that's all that matters. I think my satisfaction in the job would increase greatly. I don't need to retire as a 78/77 CA anymore. I should still have a few years to do it, if I wanted, but it's not that important to me anymore.

I don't have a family, I don't have any debt and I have a good amount saved so I can make the jump with little stress. I know it probably sounds like I'm just complaining and am a huge eyore but I'm just being honest. And I think in this industry you have to be.

I have several friends here around my seniority that often contemplate it. Will they actually do it? Who knows. Will I do it? TBD.

You’re not in that boat alone. I’m at the other cargo airline east of Memphis and I’ve been contemplating leaving for DL. Even reached out to someone I consider a mentor to make sure I wasn’t crazy for wanting to leave a place where I keep hearing “you got the golden lottery ticket”. He asked “do you see yourself retiring from there?”which I couldn’t answer at the time but I can now.
Just like Fedex it’s a great job but I’ve come to the realization that this isn’t what I want to do for the next 30yrs. I had my “screw it” moment a few weeks ago dragging my bags down the stairs while getting rained on at 2am in the middle of a 11hr duty night. Also It just feels like work. “The thrill is gone” as BB King sang.
There’s a lot of good advice and wisdom in this post. Hopefully it works out and you do what’s best for you. I’m sure you’ll get some funny looks and criticism about leaving purple but everything isn’t for everybody. No one’s starving at the majors so you’ll be fine
 
Extremely well said!

Granted, I've only been here a short time, but I'm extremely happy here! I think the culture here is a helluva lot better from whence I came.

I haven't had nights where I sit in silence the whole flight. I can generally find something to talk about with all the guys I fly with. Everyone on my fleet (save for 1 I won't be in a hurry to pick up a trip with) has been awesome. The way the Captains treat probies here is nothing short of outstanding and I can't wait to pay that forward when I move over.

It's very easy to get wrapped up in the negativity on social media and 12 nut jobs on APC. I don't allow myself to do that.

I smile every time I see that giant purple tail when I look up. I marvel at this amazing machine I, one of a very small percentage of pilots, get to fly. I'm thrilled I don't have to deal with the chaos in the back anymore and I pee or eat whenever I want. I genuinely feel good that I'm a very small part of helping families, hospitals, companies, etc get the stuff they need.

A contract will come. The world is not ending over here. When the company you work for is a verb, I feel it's a pretty good sign they're not going anywhere. CEOs will come and ago. And who knows, we may have a familiar last name in the big chair again.
Company culture is great and all, but what really matters is the environment day to day in the cockpit. At the pax majors, the entire old guard is leaving or already left. Its now up to the newer generation to set the tone, its pretty much a blank slate.
 
The more time goes on here with banks failing and the Fed saying hold my beer and watch this! , the more I feel that people better get comfortable where they are now. It's gon' be a rough one.
The sky has fallen before, and the powers that be have made it fairly obvious they aren't going to preside over a complete meltdown.
 
The sky has fallen before, and the powers that be have made it fairly obvious they aren't going to preside over a complete meltdown.

They don't really have any options. The Fed can print more money, and as long as we yield the world reserve currency, the only cost is inflation. The problem is that inflation is still high, so there isn't much the Fed can do to backstop the economy any further. They kept rates too low for way too long and don't have any tools left.

The dollar is slowly slipping away as the world reserve currency, with the rise the Petroyuan. If that happens, it's definitely game over, as the Fed won't be able to make magic money.
 
"High" inflation is relative.

Exhibit A:

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Exhibit 2:



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