Originally Posted by
AsianPilot
They promise big thing and undeliver. They (AirT,CSA, MAC) never furloughed in 40+ years, yet I was let go due to base closure. Then, I was given an interview with no intent to hire, per inside source of MAC. To add fuel to that, 6 guys below me was never let go and I wasn't offer a displacement base, so seniority means ******* at this company. Mind you, I had two letter of rec from the sister company, one of which is CP. This place plays heavy politics, I've seen it with my own eyes.
The pay is trash, QOL is trash unless you are in base, they'll try and offer a weekend remain pay for $500 so they don't have to buy a plane ticket for you to go home. Purple runway program candidates are being asked to defer another year due to Fedex not hiring. They are not hiring any more ATR FO for a VERY long time.
I second with you on that, sending receipts by camera, mailing in release and W&B and expense deadline by Saturday midnight when you're stuck with airline IROP, total hostile enviroment. What's more annoying is you can't cancel a flight, you can only take weather hold, they don't want that to reflect their record of reliability.
If you want 121 time, this isn't the place, you're averaging 350 hours a year here and 3 months in initial. Ride it out and wait for regionals or NJ to pick you up, you'll get more hours there and better pay and QOL.
How were you let go due to base closure then interviewed with no intent to hire? Were you on the 208 and interviewed for the ATR? From your post, it sounds like maybe there's a reason you weren't offered a position and let go. Also- what is this Purple Runway deferment? I had not heard that at all. As a matter of fact, FDX took two pilots last fall even though they weren't hiring. I won't argue with the taking pics of documents - that is definitely old school. As to the hostile environment? I don't know what your talking about. I've only ever been offered remain over pay ($500) if it was going to be an issue getting home for my 1 in 7 days off. Even then, they asked - didn't force me.
Overall, flying at MAC really depends on if you're based or a floater and which base. MEM has the shortest duty days but its all back of the clock flying (showtime ~1am). Upgrade will take ~2 yrs in MEM. Puerto Rico is faster, but they work 12 hour days, flying 4 days, standby 1 day every week. All leaving late morning and returning around 8pm. Other bases usually have shorter runs where there's usually a sit of a few hours. Seniority matters in base, so yes a based pilot will always get their preference over a floater, no matter how long the floater's been with the company. Floaters float to wherever they're needed. If you're a floater and are complaining about seniority, maybe you should think about moving to base or a new company. The beauty is that you know before you start day 1 if you'll be a floater or a based pilot. HOWEVER, if they close your base (Fedex makes that decision, not MAC) then you become a floater or you can move or quit.