QOL is the most important thing to consider when you pick aviation as a career. In the long run, I think our single scale is better for UPS flying, because it give me better control over my QOL.

Our equipment types and routes are very different from the typical legacy carrier: mostly wide-body, mostly GLOBAL international (around the world, intra-europe, intra-asia), middle of the night domestic ops, domicile turns (AM and PM), and some daytime transcon. Variety is the spice of life, right? But one mans treasure is always someone else's trash.

During my 20+ years here at brown (I have 14 years to go), I've made choices based upon what aircraft, what domicile, or what type of flying I want to do (NOT chasing the almighty $$). When I was in my mid 30's, I was lucky enough to be at the front of the wave and enjoy a few years as a senior 747 classic FO where I fell in love with the international schedules. As I get older, I'll probably choose to fly something a little closer to home, with fewer time zone changes. Right now, I'm doing a mix of international and domestic on the MD11. Unlike the typical legacy captain, I won't be stuck in a junior position on an international widebody to jack up my final 5/10 years average earnings (for those who still have A Plans). I hope to be flying out of a warm weather domicile, during the day.....


Now, all of this is fine and dandy when your airline is growing plus you have attrition due to retirements. Then you get to make choices. Unfortunately, we've tightened our belts, have 109 on furlough, retirement has changed to 65, we've delayed aircraft purchases, and have gone through numerous realignment and displacement system bids, so everyone is just trying to hang on until the economy turns around.