Originally Posted by
Thunder1
Wally F4
Good post -- sorry to hear that change has taken place at FedEx. I'm 23 yr retired AF and at Southwest -- life is good.
On another note....seriously asking your opinion on this.
My take is that NO pilot under the age of 40 should consider FedEx or UPS. Not sure a pilot that is under the age of 40 will make it to completion at FedEx or UPS because whether you believe it or not the drones are coming. Within 20 years the majority of cargo will be flown by remotely piloted drones. The technology is there and the integration within the WorldWide airspace system is slowly happening.
The commercial airline sector will eventually go that way but it is much further off than the air freight industry.
Thoughts... do guys at FedEx discuss this much. Again not a concern in my opinion for the over 40 years old pilot but I would not hang my hat on being able to finish my career at FedEx or UPS if I were a 30 year old new hire.
Cheers and enjoy your remaining great years at FedEx.
Nobody under age 4 should consider FDX/UPS. I think 80-100 years is a good swag.
First they need all the technical pieces in place to do it at an acceptable level of safety. That does not exist yet... the DoD doesn't really care if a bunch of prop-job drones crash in the desert. But if people are going to be on or under the plane, that's a whole 'nother ball game.
Then it needs to be cheap enough to make economic sense.
Then they have get the regulatory structure in place.
Then ATC and ground support needs to be adjusted. ATC alone might be $$$$$$$$$$$$$$.
Then the transition needs to occur, and it will proceed slowly and carefully at first.