Gunter

good info from many. I would add "or at all" to the above statement. In reference to an award from THIS bid.

Cloudsailer,

you need to figure out what's the highest priority. Off reserve the fastest or reserve at widebody pay. I think your bidding should be different choosing one or the other. Have you thought about how fast you want off the panel?

Everyone is justifiably happy with the training letter but it will likely last 18 months. Those going to training to one airplane/domicile may significantly trail those going to another. I also anticipate LOTS of folks being trained out of order. Both of those depend on need in the airplane you're going to and coming from.

There could be a situation where they post an excess out of the 727 in 2012.

Specifically -

727 FO award may result in being held in current seat. When and if you get there you will likely stay very junior.

777 FO is best all around for time to training and pay.

The rest of the FO seats will see various times to training. But you can be sure of being more senior in the 757 near the end of the training letter. In MEM. ANC FO may be the exception to that rule and may be the best for seniority for a recent newhire for the next 2 years....Maybe

CloudSailor

Thanks for the different perspectives offered, I appreciate it.

It is definitely great to be here and I feel fortunate to have this debate over where and how to bid.

It will be interesting to see just how different the real bid comes out compared to the two practice ones.

Fishfreighter

Never bid anything you don't really want or don't feel like commuting for. That's a cardinal rule of airline life in general.

fdx727pilot

Probably only 3-5 in the near future, as there are already 5 in Europe, being flown by MEM crews. Just did a week and a half flying BSL-CDG. The flying will just slowly transfer to CGN crews as the base there stands up. There are 13 757s scheduled for delivery by this years peak, and almost all of those will go to MEM.
If you don't want to be on reserve, 757 FO is my recommendation. To put the NB fleet in perspective, the 727 only has 81 flying lines with a 68 airplane fleet, while the 757 has 75 lines (with a higher avg BLG) for a 32 airplane fleet. As previously mentioned, WB FO will put you on reserve for a long time.

TheBaron

So that doesn't apply to anyone bidding out of the S/O seat, or narrow F/O to Wide F/O...unless they recently went 727 F/O to 757 F/O or something similar.

Wildmanny

Lots of great comments here to consider. I'd just throw my two cents in the mix as well. As great as being a line holder on the 727 or 757 would be (even if you could hold a WB in MEM), consider the effect that hub turning will have on the quality of life and your body.

The best thing we have here at FedEx is that there is something for everyone. IF you want to fly in the middle of the night, perhaps as many as 4 legs a night, then maybe that works for you. It doesn't for me. I found that flying to be so painful that I never want to do it again. I never want to hub turn again. If you can hack long haul, WB, pay and flying across multiple time zones, then that's for you. Our flying INTL is so different than what you did in the military, it doesn't seem like the same thing, in my opinion. Seniority is great, it really is, but when you take a look around at what these types of flying do to your body, you just need to be ready to be tired, therefore...no hub turns for me.

I'm of the opinion that QOL vs Money isn't as much of a factor here as it is at some other places. Conclusion: Bid ANC as long as you can make your commute manageable (ie, not more than one leg). You'll make more money sooner and your seniority will grow faster over the long term than it will in MEM.

My .02,

WM

CloudSailor

Thanks again.

Great insight.

Yeah, I love ANC. But with a 2 leg commute 7 months out of the year, the only way to do it, enjoyably, is to move there. My wife happens to love it too, so I'll be chatting with her later today about that possibility.

Maybe I'll just do a last-minute bid change on Tuesday at 1357Z... heheee

Good luck on the bid guys. May we live in interesting times!

matty

Speaking of crazy people that bid to the back of the slave ship after they turn 65...

What will happen when we have 13 727's left and only need 60 S/O's, but have greater than 60 ND's...er, over 65 bubbas...currently holding that seat? Can they (FedEx) force the extra guys into retirement? Or do they get to hang on until the plane is totally gone?

I couldn't find anything in the contract that talked about this...

Wildmanny

It'll be fight club. Nightly UFC in the AOC and TKOs for who gets to fly! Hahaha! We could have popcorn, too! Certainly liven up that place...almost make it exciting to come into work there.

WildestManny

Sluggo_63

You mean like this?
OLD MAN FIGHT!!!!! - CollegeHumor Video