PW305

Hi All,
I'm looking for guidance from FedEx and UPS crews regarding career moves to better position myself for a job with one of these carriers down the road.

I'm a LR60 captain/check airman and current Chief Pilot of a small 135 operation with 3000TT and 2000 jet (~1000 PIC jet, all LR60). I have no 121 or heavy jet experience and am only flying about 350-400 hours per year in the downturn.

What are some stepping stones or actions I can take to make myself more attractive to these companies once hiring resumes?

Thanks for the help, it's appreciated

MaydayMark

BIG FEDEX HINT (seriously!).

You will only get hired at FedEx with a recommendation from a current FedEx pilot that you know and have actually flown with. So ... NETWORK, NETWORK, NETWORK ... AND - keep track of old friends (with at least Xmas cards).

MARK

PW305

Thanks for the response Mark,
That is a very valid point, and something I definitely need to work on. I have no network or contacts in 121 cargo period.

I'm not sure how to work on that short of hanging out at bars around airports with FDX/UPS bases .

box-hauler

If you are buying you will get a lot of friends, real quick

pwdrhound

I'd get a part time job at a local FEDEX ramp throwing boxes. I believe that after 2 or 3 years (don't know exactly which) you are guaranteed an interview for a pilot position if the company is hiring. The big plus is that you are already a FEDEX employee at that time. I know a few guys that have been hired this way. Good luck

capt_zman

Shoot me a PM when you can or send me an email.

FDXLAG

Down here we have pilots who volunteer their time flying sick kids to hospitals, I know several Fedex and UPS pilots belong. Maybe there is something similar in your area.

Along that line; no better way to meet pilots than joining the guard.

⌐ AV8OR WANNABE

Your quals are almost identical to what one of my best friends had when he got hired here at Big Brown in 2005. He too was a check airman and a chief pilot for a small part 91/135 outfit; I think they mainly flew Gulfstreams. Either way, just like the other folks here said, recommendations from other ups pilots is what got him the interview and ultimatelly the job.

I'd imagine that international experience in heavy jets will always be a big plus here so maybe you should look at outfits that could offer you that kind of experience? Your qol will be non-existent and there are no guarantees you'll end up at FDX or UPS but I think your odds would be much higher...

Either way, good luck to you...

Ps. I agree with others here when it comes to Angel (Mercy) Flights of America. I'm a member and there are numerous FDX and UPS pilots who volunteer. UPS online recommendation is a very detailed and a long essay-type recommendation; I doubt meeting someone in a bar would help you in getting a "real" recommendation. Volunteering with other fellow pilots would be a whole different story. At the same token, you should do it because you really want to help and not just to get a recommendation...

757upspilot

The Mercy flights might be the only way to get that flown with recommendation. Our recommendation process is heavily in favor of milatary pilots due to the gaurd and reserve .

⌐ AV8OR WANNABE

I agree with you on the first part of your reply. Not sure about the second part of it... How is it "heavily in favor of military pilots" ? I and several of my buddies here at big brown wrote online recommenations for 3 of our friends and eventually all 3 got hired... None had any mil experience and from one of the job fairs I remember a recruiter talking about hiring pilots with all kinds of backgrounds. He mentioned 1/3 all mil, 1/3 all civ, and 1/3 of everything in between... I think when we opened up ANC things changed temporarily due to the pressure from the FAA on the "international experience" requirement but right before we stopped hiring that requirement was dropped so I think next time we start hiring it'll be back to normal 'a little bit of this and a little bit of that' approach.

I don't think you'll find any other major airline out there with pilots who all have so many different aviation backgrounds... Do you disagree?