Originally Posted by cl65
hello!!! how its going?. Well, i am new to this site and i wanted some info on becoming a FE and eventually work as a pilot for ups, fed, dhl. I was thinking that maybe i could get my foot in the door as a Flight engineer and work my way up as a pilot.
I am sorry to be the one to have to disillusion you, but, being politically correct, it is surprising that someone in and around the ‘flying bidness’ would seemingly not know how ‘things’ work.
There may be one or two 2nd/3rd tier flying outfits who still only hire FE’s (non pilots) as FE’s (and they are getting fewer as the world converts to 2-place cockpits), but I doubt you would want one of those jobs, as you would not be building ‘pilot time’. The ones you mentioned above hire the individual as a ‘pilot’ (one of the 12,000 also mentioned) and they slip into a seat, where needed, after initial training.
Historically, the entry level pilot job at most Majors (Braniff excepted) was as a Boeing or Douglas FE, but FedEx has had a couple periods where the lucky new-hire jumped right into a right window seat. I had the good fortune of being hired as a DA-20 F/O -but subsequently ‘upgraded’ to FE, for quality of life issues.
I am afraid, if I am reading your query correctly, that you will have to queue up behind those 12,000 aforementioned pilot applicants and take your chances, as the definition of ‘new hire pilot’ IS as an FE -for the requisite ‘dues paying’ time. It is called seniority progression. . and there is no back door of which I am aware.
Airline Transport Pilot 29,000+ hours
Airplane Multi-engine Land
B727 / DC-10 / DC-9 / DA-20 / DC-6 / DC-7
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Airplane Single Engine Land
Rotocraft-Helecopter
Instrument Helecopter SK-58 SK-61 BV-107 G-SA-16