Led Zep

I just wanted to add a few more $0.02 to the conversation.

As I stated before, with few exceptions, just about anyone can be taught international procedures AND be successful at practicing it. With that being said.....

The classroom is where the procedures and regs are taught, studied and reviewed.

The cockpit is where the experience is gained where one learns all of that stuff that isn't covered in the classroom.

It is simple supply and demand. The current market has a good supply of people who have a lot of that experience and these are the pilots who are currently being sought after. Are they any better of an aviator than one who hasn't crossed the oceans? No, but on paper they are more qualified than most others, and right now that is what the people behind the help wanted sign are looking for.

Always look at the glass half-full instead of half-empty. On the bright side, there will be openings at the heavy-cargo carriers as they lose part of their workforce to other opportunities. Try to be the person that replaces them, and as each hour of flight time passes by you are becoming more and more qualified. Before too long, you can check off that box and say you are one of the folks they are looking for.

Led Zep

Stick,

We were all just a lowly something at one point in our careers.

flyfish

Redeye...thanks for the valuable info... I actually learned something today! Thank You.

I've often wondered if flying a plane built in the 50s would eventually be a benefit for us lowly tanker guys. I'll never forget the first time I stepped foot on the -135..."holy crap...it has wood floors!" But I got to say, my first lead of a three ship cell formation over the pond with 12 fighters in tow towards Kurplakistan......SUCKED! But finally I am "qualified" for something other than "*****ing about not being qualified." I feel somewhat fortunate now that I can say I know where Mauritania is and how to get to Ulan Ude....the long way around?

Some of us may fly a plane with wood floors but we know what CPDLC means.

"NAT Alpha, Gander next...."

CE750

Having been an RJ pilot in and out of ATL, and having flown FAR 135 Charter in Citation V's and X's all over the US, Canada, Mexico and other areas in North America, I can tell you without a shadow doubt in my mind, that you are wrong.

In my meager 70 hours or so of MD-11 experience at Gemini doing a 3 NAT crossings, and a few Milan Italy to Madras India runs and back, that there is about as much in common with those trips as there was between my days as a CFI and days as a 121 PIC at the "regionals"

The incredible reliance on charts for example vs how we did things in the domestic route structure is night and day... you HAVE to keep up with your charts, routings and reporting points.. there is little or no radar in most of the world, and there are controllers that hardly understand you much less you them.. There are no nice cordial ATC handoffs between various centers.. No, you are to call the different FIR's in advance and if you forget to call the Iranian "Defense Radar" you might find yourself dodging a SAM.

You are not reading the news papers like on the domestic runs.. on the contrary, the few times so far that I've flown this type of "most challenging" flying, we've been busy with all kinds of cockpit tasks, not the least of which is ATC (or the lack thereof). Departures and Arrivals into strange airports with VERY different ways to deal with you; for example most airports don't give you nice speed/alt/vectors to get to the final approach fix... no, you get yourself there with them making it only more difficult by changing the instructions on you 5 times in 5 minutes.. Think.. HI WORKLOAD.

I can see where 200 or 300 hours of this can make you 100% more desirable at UPS than without it..

Shaggy1970

[quote=RedeyeAV8r;147479]For 1S1E and the rest of you Airline wannabees
...........A little education in history.

Just wanted to say that this response was one of the best I have read on this site, eventhough it came from a FEDEX guy! lol

Redeye> Please continue to educate the new guys like myself.

varrin

Thanks for the info. Similar situation I'm in. Them's the breaks. Best of luck to all of you...

V-

ERJ Jay

Ok, what do you guys think:
How about NE US to Bermuda?
Or perhaps NE US to South America over the Caribbean?

Radial Song

I was trying to use the same angle earlier in the thread. After all, you're using the HF, position reports etc. A post or two and a dictionary reference convinced me that this would be a stretch. I won't risk the proverbial scarlet letter from UPS because I was trying to slide by on a technicality. I'd rather wait until they lift the criteria.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/transoceanic

Tigerpilot1995

Took the assessment on 2/2. Buzz called yesterday while I was flying. Said he wanted to "discuss my resume". I hope the heck that means, "get you in here for an interview."

FYI, no pond crossing experience.

14LEDs

Congrats Tiger.. yeah thats what it means... he will ask you some questions about your experience you have listed on your resume and then ask you when a good time is for you to come in.
Good Luck, I don't think the trans-oceanic applies to those who got into the first "window"