Originally Posted by
Tumbleweed
I know FedEx won't be hiring too soon but would it be prudent for a captain at a regional to go to Omni as a stepping stone for FedEx to get a DC10/757 type? Are there any ex-Omni guys at FedEx that could vouch for that. A buddy of mine just got hired there but I know nothing about Omni except what little is available on APC. Any insider info would be greatly appreciated.
Tumbleweed,
I was a senior pilot at Omni who left for UPS. I would not recommend leaving a Captain job at at regional for Omni, unless you think you will be forced to leave. However, I would not have left Omni for anyone but UPS, Fedex, or Southwest.
The best thing you can do to get a job a Fedex is build PIC turbine time and make friends with as many Fedex pilots and/or military pilots as you can. I didn't know any, so I couldn't even get an interview there. It will be a while before they start hiring again.
For a short time, it was advantageous to have heavy, international experience to get a job at UPS (probably what got me hired.) I don't think that will be a major factor if they start hiring again.
Omni is one of the most profitable airlines out there now. Unfortunately for the employees, the profits mostly go to the private owners. Your paycheck may be small, but it won't bounce. They have never furloughed, (they have fired the senior 727 pilots and selectively recalled to the DC10, but it wasn't technically a furlough). If they think they need to furlough, they will in a heartbeat. The only really good thing about Omni is being home based. There is currently no contract, but the pilots voted in the teamsters last year and they are negotiating. They ought to have something in a couple of years. The guarantee is 60 hours / 18 days including travel to and from home. 95 percent of the lines are reserve, and if you get a line there is no guarantee you will actually fly it. There is no duty rig, no trip rig, nothing. You can expect to fly 58 hours in 11 days, and then spend the next 7 days sitting reserve in Atlanta for per diem. They can force you to work 4 extra overtime days anytime without regard to seniority. So as a junior pilot, you can expect to work the last 18 days of this month, the first 18 days of next month, and 4 extra days for a total of 40 days straight. Not good for a quality family life.
Omni is kind of like Uhaul - an adventure in flying for not a lot of money. However in the current airline environment, they don't look too bad.