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The new airline thread


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On 11/29/2018 at 10:21 PM, soupafly06 said:

This is probably a totally newb question but F it anyways.  I want to continue a post-AF career flying something but I'm an RPA driver and all of those hours in the container won't count for squat with the FAA or airlines.  Assuming I have my civilian certs (CFI, MEL, etc) but relatively low hours, what's the best path forward to the airlines?  I'm assuming the basics are build up to 1500 hours and then slog up through regionals and eventually to the majors just like everybody else but what has the timeline been like for those of you that have started at a regional to get picked up by a major carrier?  Would my RPA and military experience be a bit of a discriminator when it comes to hiring (assuming all other boxes are checked) or do they really mean nothing when it comes to the airlines?

 

You will be eligible for a Restricted ATP at 750 hours assuming you went to SUPT.

From there the Regionals will take you where you need and want to go.  They’ll even take you non-current and non-recent.

Edited by Hacker
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11 hours ago, ImNotARobot said:

The new website is totally stupid. You applicants are in for a firestorm of bvllsh!t trying to refine your details. I'm speechless at what a lackluster job the company did in taking control of the app process. Hope you had a recent pdf print of your PC app, since nobody told you that your entire old app would be deleted and "synced" to the new system. 

Good luck NT, and anyone else enduring the pain of transferring their entire app. The flying job is worth it...but this sh!tty website is ridiculous. Previously the smoke/mirrors of UPS's website was the cryptic winner of worst airline app. Nice job FDX...your app is now officially the worst POS of all the majors. I'm sure with AAL's highly agile hiring practices (no sarcasm), we won't lose great guys who freakin give up on this BS.

I hope they all bail.  Fewer people standing between me and my dream job.  I would do unspeakable things for a job at FDX.

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I hope they all bail.  Fewer people standing between me and my dream job.  I would do unspeakable things for a job at FDX.

That’s a good attitude. The job is an apex predator. It needs no introduction.

This HR goatrope makes it look like amateur hour. Stay the course man, and good luck.
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2 hours ago, ImNotARobot said:


That’s a good attitude. The job is an apex predator. It needs no introduction.

This HR goatrope makes it look like amateur hour. Stay the course man, and good luck.

Definitely didn't mean that in a screw-my-bros sort of way, if that's how it came across.  I've been chasing this job aggressively for going on two years now and would be glad if those who lacked tenacity to deal with inconveniences like a temporarily broken app system or maybe saw FDX as a hedge for another job elsewhere would step aside and give others the opportunity.

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Definitely didn't mean that in a screw-my-bros sort of way, if that's how it came across.  I've been chasing this job aggressively for going on two years now and would be glad if those who lacked tenacity to deal with inconveniences like a temporarily broken app system or maybe saw FDX as a hedge for another job elsewhere would step aside and give others the opportunity.

My lack of sensing tone on the internet aside...I did not perceive you as being a d!ck. My good luck wishes to you and all is genuine.

I updated 6 apps for 2.5 years in the black vacuum of the airline app websites. I watched younger less qualed dudes getting called, hired, and starting dream careers.

I chose to live vicariously through their triumph instead of being a whiny b!tch. It was the only sane choice. I helped guys were I could, and it was reciprocated when able.

All I mean is...good luck. Once you break through the HR electron war, the job on the other side is TOTALLY 100% WORTH IT.
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Thanks for the advice so far guys.  Unfortunately for me I’m a pipeline RPA bubba so no hours of any sort count for me except for what I claw out through civilian flying.  I’m also a bit long in the tooth for trying the UPT path so it Looks like the best bet is getting the commercial and CFI done and then grinding out the hours while I can.  I think I may look in to see if I could still apply for a restricted ATP assuming I met all other criteria though, didn’t see any language forbidding it and it never hurts to ask.

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1 hour ago, soupafly06 said:

Thanks for the advice so far guys.  Unfortunately for me I’m a pipeline RPA bubba so no hours of any sort count for me except for what I claw out through civilian flying.  I’m also a bit long in the tooth for trying the UPT path so it Looks like the best bet is getting the commercial and CFI done and then grinding out the hours while I can.  I think I may look in to see if I could still apply for a restricted ATP assuming I met all other criteria though, didn’t see any language forbidding it and it never hurts to ask.

Regionals are a grind for sure, but if you end up at a decent one it's bearable.  Beats flying droids from a shipping container in the middle of nowhere.

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I’ve got about 3 years left on my commitment. Previous heavy jet IP and current UPT IP, around 1100 PIC and 2300TT. Looking at some potential guard/reserve options and making the jump to airlines. Am considering trying to crossflow to a new (crew) MWS as a potential 3rd assignment (or in the guard/reserves as a PC option). 

My question is, does it raise any sort of red flags with the majors if they see a dude with decent time in different aircraft, but not quite as much overall PIC time? (I assume I would upgrade to AC a little faster than a younger/less experienced guy, but I’d still only be logging SIC for a period of time). 

I know things will look different in 3 years than they do now at the airlines, but just curious what current airline guys think...

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As long as you can answer any Why questions, it will not matter.  I had lots of breadth, less depth, and they let me sneak in.  They did ask about my bouncing around so much, so I told them how cool it was to fly all these different airplanes doing different missions.  They smiled, nodded, and moved on.

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13 hours ago, Napoleon_Tanerite said:

Regionals are a grind for sure, but if you end up at a decent one it's bearable.  Beats flying droids from a shipping container in the middle of nowhere.

I guess I agree with you (hoping to build my hours in the guard or reserve), but there are definitely a lot of $200k+ stateside drone jobs.

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11 hours ago, WheelsOff said:

I’ve got about 3 years left on my commitment. Previous heavy jet IP and current UPT IP, around 1100 PIC and 2300TT. Looking at some potential guard/reserve options and making the jump to airlines. Am considering trying to crossflow to a new (crew) MWS as a potential 3rd assignment (or in the guard/reserves as a PC option). 

My question is, does it raise any sort of red flags with the majors if they see a dude with decent time in different aircraft, but not quite as much overall PIC time? (I assume I would upgrade to AC a little faster than a younger/less experienced guy, but I’d still only be logging SIC for a period of time). 

I know things will look different in 3 years than they do now at the airlines, but just curious what current airline guys think...

Both my interviewers were civilian guys and I’m pretty sure all they saw was “oh another military dude.” Wasn’t asked a single thing.

 

Also I know not all my months will be like this, but if you live locally and bid reserve, there are ways to minimize work. That Chicago snow storm really screwed me. 10 months on property, and I alternate between a line and reserve at my choice. Do not commute!

D0131FDC-581A-4D2B-88C2-BD6836A65A77.jpeg

 

Edit: half those days were deadheads only

Edited by xaarman
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23 hours ago, soupafly06 said:

Thanks for the advice so far guys.  Unfortunately for me I’m a pipeline RPA bubba so no hours of any sort count for me except for what I claw out through civilian flying.  I’m also a bit long in the tooth for trying the UPT path so it Looks like the best bet is getting the commercial and CFI done and then grinding out the hours while I can.  I think I may look in to see if I could still apply for a restricted ATP assuming I met all other criteria though, didn’t see any language forbidding it and it never hurts to ask.

You may be tracking this, but if you don't have any mil time other than RPAs, you're gonna need 1,500 hours. The 750 is only for mil flight time. 

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Dumb question but need the info...
My wife is an ER nurse working a fairly demanding schedule that is made a month plus ahead of time. If I jump the sinking AD ship and somehow land an airline gig how far out are the schedules posted? Just trying to figure the future out.
United FO schedules posted on the 17th for the following bid period which starts on the 1st +/- (usually -) 1- 3 days so not alot of advance notice

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3 hours ago, okawner said:

United FO schedules posted on the 17th for the following bid period which starts on the 1st +/- (usually -) 1- 3 days so not alot of advance notice

True but the bid closes around the 10-11th, right?  If you have enough seniority you’ll have a good idea of what days you’ll get off (sts) before the schedule is released.

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On 11/30/2018 at 11:47 PM, AlphaMikeFoxtrot said:

If I jump the sinking AD ship and somehow land an airline gig how far out are the schedules posted? Just trying to figure the future out.

If this will be a show-stopper for you, then I'd steer clear of FedEx.  There's been a pretty significant shift in the makeup of our schedules.  The junior-most pilots now typically get secondary lines instead of reserve lines.  Secondary lines now comprise around 20% or more of the total schedules available.  The very junior secondaries will still have reserve, so they're not avoiding it - they just get it another way.  But the main thing is that secondary line schedules aren't published until 5 days before the month starts.  Wednesday night you get your schedule and you could be leaving that coming Monday for your first trip (maybe Sunday if you commute and need to leave early).

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3 hours ago, JeremiahWeed said:

But the main thing is that secondary line schedules aren't published until 5 days before the month starts.  Wednesday night you get your schedule and you could be leaving that coming Monday for your first trip (maybe Sunday if you commute and need to leave early).

Wow...dudes over here absolutely lose their minds when schedules aren't published by the 15th (2 days earlier than contractually required).  I'd be ok with it if it meant having some of the contractual items that allow for your secondary lines.

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Southwest publishes on the 10th. You can then start trading/giving away trips with other pilots and picking up new trips to improve your schedule. You can also trade trips with the company starting on the 25th. Most people don’t fly the schedule they receive on the 10th, but it’s up to you. There is a lot of scheduling flexibility in our contract.


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True but the bid closes around the 10-11th, right?  If you have enough seniority you’ll have a good idea of what days you’ll get off (sts) before the schedule is released.
Well it opens on the 6th and bid packs are available prior to that (not sure how much prior as I'm a line donor) so if you want to look at it that way then, sure, you know your schedule farther out. But not really.

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11 hours ago, SocialD said:

Wow...dudes over here absolutely lose their minds when schedules aren't published by the 15th (2 days earlier than contractually required).  I'd be ok with it if it meant having some of the contractual items that allow for your secondary lines.

Agreed.  The fact that we have a secondary process means we don't have PBS which is worth far more to most of our pilots than some having to get their schedules late. 

FedEx doesn't use a strict calendar month - rather, 28 and 35 day cycles (Monday to Monday) that may result in the month in question containing a few days of an adjacent month or months.  This December is a 5-week month and goes from 26 Nov to 30 Dec.  So, it's not possible to say we get our schedules on the "15th of each month" or any other specific date.  Lineholders, including reserve lines, (about 80% of pilots in any particular seat) get their schedules 19 days before the start of the month, so I guess that would be the pax equivalent of getting them on the 11th or 12th of the month.  The "cats and dogs" process that occurs due to conflicts are resolved over the next week with the last of those notifications happening 13 days out.  The final one is the secondaries which I already mentioned.

Obviously some people's lifestyles require early information about their schedules, like our OP.  They would most likely avoid our secondary lines if they have the option.  I'm in the top 40% of my seat and I still bid secondary lines routinely.  I can live with the late notification because I get a huge bump in seniority in exchange.  I'm usually in the top 5 of secondary lines which gives me a very good shot at getting what I want, when I want it and much higher quality trips than if I simply bid a line.  I guess maybe that's why I'm okay with the late notification.  Knowing I'll get what I want probably makes not knowing exactly what that is a bit easier to handle than someone at the middle or back of the secondary pack rolling the dice and have zero clue until 5 days prior. 

Which was the whole point of my caution to the OP - not scheduling 101 for FedEx, but I took the time to type it now, so here it is.

Edited by JeremiahWeed
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^ what he said:

actual conversation with a CA:

CA: I hate PBS and the optimizer. It makes me work 4 on 3 off and I always get min time 11 hour layovers. 

Me: You're 30% in seniority, you can do line bidding and get most of the sequences you want. I brought my GF to my 28 hour layover at a Miami Beach hotel.

CA: I’m too lazy to look through all the bid sequence 

Me: You can set standing bid preferences in PBS so you can set it and forget it. 

CA: I don’t know how to do that

Me: The company has CBTs they pay you extra to do 

CA: I’m too lazy to do that

 

¯\_(ツ)_/¯ some people just want to be miserable.

 

 

Edited by xaarman
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