Originally Posted by
collegedropout9
Single Pilot freight flying without a autopilot in twin Cessnas OR a Turboprop is one of the most challenging type of environments a pilot can fly in. It rates up there with NVG flying or vertical reference in a helicopter in my personal opinion. I found that once I moved into Jets with autopilots and flight guidance systems, I thought that my background of single
Pilot 135/freight made flying a Jet with an autopilot seem relatively easy. I am not sure why UPS/ FEDEX hiring departments do not value that experience, but they should. The 121 carrier I work at did value it on my application many years ago.
I don’t think anyone would argue they single pilot freight is the most challenging type of flying you can do professionally. It made me a really good pilot, that is for sure. Don’t get UPS confised with flying flying freight in a Metro. Having your first jet be a heavy 76/77/74/A300 is a big jump and they have probably found it easier to hire those with considerable jet experience for that reason. If you’ve never done real international, never flown a jet, never trained and flown in a real multi crew environment, never flown ETOPS etc it can be totally overwhelming to have to put that all together by the time IOE comes around.
As always, when the well runs dry of their ideal candidate, they will have to readjust their thinking. That’s how the rest of the industry has adjusted and will continue to adjust.