CactusCrew

ANOTHER 2 cents worth ... from the outside looking in ... FWIW

The majority of these FOs at other majors (at least my classmates & friends), are only there because AA, DAL, UAL, CAL, NWA, etc ... were the FIRST one to offer them employment. Some have even been applying to FedEx for longer than they have been working at their major ...

My first choice was and still is FedEx ... but it wasn't the first job offer. Most take the first chance and go from there, why should that be a scarlet letter ?

But if FedEx will only hire furloughed guys, aren't you actually "giving a guy a second chance at a major airline career" and only getting FOs ? Contradictory information maybe ? I don't really understand hiring a furloughed FO but not an active list FO ... maybe it is just me ? Maybe the info is wrong ...

At least I figured out why after 10 years in the regional puppy mills and 7 years at a "major" ... my qualifications haven't met the criteria for an interview at FedEx.

I think I have a scarlet letter ....

Back to the original topic of improving the meet & greet process ...

Hope this perspective was enlightening ...

Ranger

Your points about hiring pilots from other airlines are good ones. Furloughed or not. I had that discussion with Capt. Lewis over a year ago. I asked him why he was so hesitant to hire even furloughed guys. His response was that he viewed it as "piling on", or words to that effect. The pax carriers were/are already having problems and for FedEx to hire away their flight crews didn't seem right to him. Since he's the boss you really can't debate the logic with him. But there will be a new chief pilot in a few months. There could be dramatic changes made in the hiring practices.

Overnitefr8

I thought part of the reason not to hire legacy pilots was also due to the fact that back in the 90īs and possibly 80īs, we had a lot of people hired here from the legacies and later quit and went back to the legacies. Of course, itīs a different ballgame now.

CactusCrew

Thanks for the insights ... logical or not

kwri10s

Yeah it's painful but if you want to help your bud, and he/she wants the job you can make it happen. It is one more hoop to jump through but not a particularly difficult one. If it is worth a day out of your life to JS in and out and your buddy wants it bad enough to drive/fly to MEM, then together the two of you have shown dedication and desire to the ACPs. Also, it allows the ACPs to tie the two of you together, make sure your sponsoree knows that if they screw up or cause problems it will fall back on you. You will lose your right to sponsor for "X" amount of time, etc.

I'd like to see a last look cut list posted on-line. Everyone who has been through the wickets and is waiting for Jack's blessing should have their names posted on the last look list so the fellows can QC for "tools". It's not particularly difficult for tools to slip under the door (see I'm here ). Guys should have the perverbial "black ball" to use. If you feel strongly that someone should not be here then you can go personally to the ACP and voice your opinion. Usually the first time you know someone is applying is when you see their picture on the new hires page. While there probably would not be many weeded out, but it might save us the same 5 or 6 problem children every year.

billb

Are you guys missing out on other qualified pilots? I don't know anyone at Fed EX, so I have no shot, even though I am a B757 captain who's airline no longer flys.

RedeyeAV8r

If you were at FDX during negotitations of 95-98, Remember all the FCIF's and emails from ACP's back then? Remember how adamant they all were telling us that we weren't losing anyone and no one was going back to the former carriers? Oh I do remember one specific email siting one pilot who quit in 98 and wanted to return...............

KnightFlyer

It makes no sense to me as to why you wouldn't hire a pilot from another airline that's been a Captain in a glass/FMS airplane. A 737NG Capt that took early retirement from DAL at 50, for example, would be an excellent newhire 757/300/11 F/O and eventually Capt during the next 10+ years. If you truly cared about flight safety, wouldn't you want to hire someone with that kind of experience?

RedeyeAV8r

You are correct.........unfortunately.

When we announced we were hiring directly into the Right seat of the MD-11, (purple Nugget program, whatever that was suppose to mean)................it baffled me that we weren't interviewing UPS, World or Gemni Pilots Pilots who were current in the MD-11.......followed by current United ,Delta, American, NWA or CAL Pilots who were current on INTL Heavy equipment.................Who better?

A pilot I know got hired directly into the roght seat of the MD11 and I am glad for him, but he had no part 121 experience and NO Heavy experience and NO International experience and apparently struggled somewhat through training. I have heard we hired a few RJ pilots directly into the MD-11 because they had Glass and FMS experience. I am sure they were good guys too but if I was doing the hiring..........the guys/gals with 121, Heavy, INTL
experience would be on the top on the list, but that is just me........

FDX Right seaters in the MD-11 (especially INTL) do not get many landings each month, due to RFO pairings, High Min Captains etc........Not a place for a new pilot (with little Heavy INTL time) to get a plethora of App/landing experience.
The bulk of our accidents/incidents on the MD-11 have been on landing.
You would think that we would hire NEWBies with the absolute most Heavy INTL experience to go to the MD-11...............especailly since we have over 10,000 applications to pick from, ie we have the PICK of the litter so to speak.

I just re-read my Capts "chastising letter" from the SCP............I guess I'm still the problem......

fecav8r

My opinion only... A guy who jumped ship and took the bonus, now wants another career. That's even worse than hiring a guy on furlough or currently still working for a legacy. Atleast the other 2 have to give up something to work for us. This guy just puts his 1.2 mil lump sum in the bank and comes to work for us. Not gonna happen.....