Just curious here...I know pilots at American Airlines, United etc. (People haulers) tend to be away from home most of the time when they're working, but what's it like for those of you flying the big UPS/FedEx jets? Are your layovers simmilar, or would you say you're home more often than most airline pilots?
Question for the UPS/FedEx pilots about scheduling
- Thread starter BrianH
- Start date
DE727UPS
Well-Known Member
I'm in a lucky position in that I can either bid to be home or not. For the most part, though, your average pilot is going to be away from home 12 days a month. That would be for someone who chooses not to live in base. If you live at your base, and bid reserve, you can be home a lot more.
For me, I live in Spokane WA. We have two day trips out of Spokane on my plane (757), though one is going to da Bus (A300-600R) in April. Since I'm senior in my seat (5 out of 120), I can get one of the Spokane day trips if I want. It's not all Spokane flying in those schedules, but I'd only be away from home 4 days a month if I do a mostly Spokane schedule. They don't build trips with just flying out of one city that much.
I don't really like the cold winters in Spokane, so right now I'm in Guadalajara doing LAX turns. It's a day trip, too, and I get a company paid ticket to and from work. I'm away from home about 12 days a month when I do this trip.
I've rambled on....
To answer your question simply, I'd say a freight guys number of days away from home is similar to a pax carrier.
For me, I live in Spokane WA. We have two day trips out of Spokane on my plane (757), though one is going to da Bus (A300-600R) in April. Since I'm senior in my seat (5 out of 120), I can get one of the Spokane day trips if I want. It's not all Spokane flying in those schedules, but I'd only be away from home 4 days a month if I do a mostly Spokane schedule. They don't build trips with just flying out of one city that much.
I don't really like the cold winters in Spokane, so right now I'm in Guadalajara doing LAX turns. It's a day trip, too, and I get a company paid ticket to and from work. I'm away from home about 12 days a month when I do this trip.
I've rambled on....
To answer your question simply, I'd say a freight guys number of days away from home is similar to a pax carrier.
A300Capt
Freight Dawg
[ QUOTE ]
How hard is it to start flights from your home town.
[/ QUOTE ]
Well, it just all depends on where your hometown is and how senior you are in the seat you fly.
[ QUOTE ]
Also do they have out and backs?And what are most schedules like and reserves.
[/ QUOTE ]
Yes, we have out and backs called "turns" out of SDF and a few turn lines out of selected gateways. Afternoon turns go very senior as you might imagine. I currently have a turn line and sleep in my own bed every night. The rest of the schedules run the full spectrum from week on/week off to 2 wk on/2 wk off and everything in between. Some folks may just fly between two cities while others fly all over the place. Some people have to commercial into and out of trips while others begin and end at home. Seniority rules your quality of line and quality of life.
Reserve lines vary from long block (16 days on/off) to short block(6-8 days on/off). Some reserve line cover the front side of the clock while others cover the backside flying.
How hard is it to start flights from your home town.
[/ QUOTE ]
Well, it just all depends on where your hometown is and how senior you are in the seat you fly.
[ QUOTE ]
Also do they have out and backs?And what are most schedules like and reserves.
[/ QUOTE ]
Yes, we have out and backs called "turns" out of SDF and a few turn lines out of selected gateways. Afternoon turns go very senior as you might imagine. I currently have a turn line and sleep in my own bed every night. The rest of the schedules run the full spectrum from week on/week off to 2 wk on/2 wk off and everything in between. Some folks may just fly between two cities while others fly all over the place. Some people have to commercial into and out of trips while others begin and end at home. Seniority rules your quality of line and quality of life.
Reserve lines vary from long block (16 days on/off) to short block(6-8 days on/off). Some reserve line cover the front side of the clock while others cover the backside flying.
DE727UPS
Well-Known Member
It's pretty hard to describe a typical sked. UPS is gonna get at least 12 days out of 28 from you. It's rare that you don't get a full week off once during those 28 days. Beyond that...there is just about whatever you want. International is often 14 on and the rest of the month off, but those go senior. Sometimes they are broken up. Europe has always been senior. The 8 does all domestic. I hear there is one day trip left...ONT-DSM-ONT. The 8 has some nice lines, kinda like the 727 used to. For example...they took over the STL-RFD-STL trip we used to do on the 727.
Keysersoce
New Member
Do most freight carriers run this type of schedule (1wk on/off, 2wk on/off, etc.)?
FlightOpsDude
New Member
[ QUOTE ]
Do most freight carriers run this type of schedule (1wk on/off, 2wk on/off, etc.)?
[/ QUOTE ]
I used to be a lead crew sked at atlas. We had crews who were on base standby in MIA for more variable schedules out of there down to south america, and in ANC to pick up the pacific flying. Most of the other crews were on Resident Standby, which basically means you are at home waiting for that call, and if you do not return the call in 15 mins, you usually get written up. A lot of pilots are tired from having to deadhead all over the world... I remember a few instances where a crewmember had to be commercial'd from his home somewhere in the Midwest to DXB to back up a sick pilot or something in the vein. The -200 pilots did a whole lot more flying than the -400 guys, while hte -400 guys were complaining that they just spent day sitting on stanby without doing any flying.
Do most freight carriers run this type of schedule (1wk on/off, 2wk on/off, etc.)?
[/ QUOTE ]
I used to be a lead crew sked at atlas. We had crews who were on base standby in MIA for more variable schedules out of there down to south america, and in ANC to pick up the pacific flying. Most of the other crews were on Resident Standby, which basically means you are at home waiting for that call, and if you do not return the call in 15 mins, you usually get written up. A lot of pilots are tired from having to deadhead all over the world... I remember a few instances where a crewmember had to be commercial'd from his home somewhere in the Midwest to DXB to back up a sick pilot or something in the vein. The -200 pilots did a whole lot more flying than the -400 guys, while hte -400 guys were complaining that they just spent day sitting on stanby without doing any flying.
slamma1906
New Member
Did u ever fly pax, and if so, do u miss or desire the glamour of pax behind u in the skies?
seagull
Well-Known Member
Our show time is normally 1 hr prior, although we are currently doing a 115 show in MEM for two crew aircraft.
I did fly pax at the regional, and also flew a few charters in my earlier days when we were doing them, had a couple of pax 747s and a few hundred flight attendants. Glamour? What glamour would that be?
Do I miss it? No, not really. Especially don't miss the hassles of dealing with the F/A's assorted problems, not to mention getting through customs with 17 flight attendants!
I did fly pax at the regional, and also flew a few charters in my earlier days when we were doing them, had a couple of pax 747s and a few hundred flight attendants. Glamour? What glamour would that be?
Do I miss it? No, not really. Especially don't miss the hassles of dealing with the F/A's assorted problems, not to mention getting through customs with 17 flight attendants!
seagull
Well-Known Member
Well, we do get some benefits, it's not great, ours are better than any of the other freight carriers (primarily because we give all of the other carriers interline discounts on shipping).
As for doing that same duty time, well, no specific rule against that, but a very bad idea. I think that a lot of the capt's would ask for you to be replaced if you did that. We can go same duty time to Memphis and be covered with no penalty if the duty meets the contractual requirements.
As for doing that same duty time, well, no specific rule against that, but a very bad idea. I think that a lot of the capt's would ask for you to be replaced if you did that. We can go same duty time to Memphis and be covered with no penalty if the duty meets the contractual requirements.
slamma1906
New Member
We see whats happened at UAL, and in light of that how would a freight pilot plan for his or her retirement? Does Federal Express have a good plan or do most folk invest outside or FedEx??