10 years active duty AF, of which 700+ days were spent in the desert with 19 of my closest friends in the same tent. Details avaiable at your local recruiter, or www.airforce.com

 

Private license in high school
Part 141 pilot factory for the next several months (IFR thru CFII)
Instructed thru the summer
ERAU for 3 years (BS in Aero Science)
Instructed for several years (not much hiring in the early 90s)
Hired by Regional (NW Airlink Dornier 228)
Furloughed by Regional
Intructed for several months
Accepted into Air Force Reserves (C-141s)
Hired by TWA (flew there for 10 months)
Hired by USAir (flew there for 6 months)
Hired by UAL (flew there for 20 months)
Furloughed by UAL
AF Reserves feeds the kids for several years
Hired by CAL (flew there for 9 months)
Hired by FedEx (Last stop! This time I mean it)

Network, Network, Network and good luck

 

"I was born a poor black child............." Quick, who said that?

I started flying after I got out of the army. I thought that I wanted to go back in and flying hellicopeters. It looked a lot more fun than what I was doing. Went back to college and figured out that there were other options. Flight instructed, flew charters and corporate, commuter (before they became regionals) for five years, nonsched freight (DC-8's and 727's in UPS & Emery paint) for another five, a now deceased legacy carrier for three and my current employer for 17+.

I've been incredibly lucky. Not one furlough nor was I on any property during a bankruptcy. It's been a great ride.

 

Then I beat Buz T. in an arm wrestling match one night at a bar in Looneyville, and viola, UPS![/QUOTE]

Ok, I gotta ask. Did this really happen? You could have given him another heart attack!!!

 

"I was born a poor black child............." Quick, who said that?"

Steve Martin in the beginning of the movie "The Jerk".

 

USAF enlisted swine finishing with a tour at Phu Cat AB, Republic of Viet Nam.
Officer Candidate School in 1972
Undergraduate Pilot Training (USAF) in 1973 - T-37 & T-38
Combat Crew Training School in 1974 - F-100D/F
ANG flying the F-100D until 1979
Transitioned to the A-10A in 1979
Interviewed by FedEx - 1988 and turned down
Hired by Pan American World Airways January 1989
Hired by UPS - May 1989
Left UPS - June 1990
Interviewed and hired by FedEx - September 1990
Retired from the ANG - 20 Dec 1999
Semi-retired from FedEx - July 29th, 2007
The best years are yet to come.

 

9 years aircraft mechanic and then 5 years c-141 F/E. Best enlisted job in the Airforce. Got my civilian tickets and flew corporate jets for 5 years. Hired in 2001 with Airborne Express with no college and 4000 total time. Furloughed in 2001. Back to corporate for another 6 years and here we are today back in DC-9 school for ABX Air (Airborne Express, DHL etc etc...whatever you want to call us) Get your college whatever you do, Lots of recommends for ups and fedex but no college so they wont look at me. I hope this one sticks. Not sure my way is the way to go. I guess I am one of the 1% that gets hired without a degree. Go to college if you want to fly for a major carrier!!

 

Son of a Fighter Pilot/Airline Pilot (PanAm then TWA)

4 year overpriced College in Daytona Beach 85-88'

Dispatcher Black & Decker Corp Aviation Martin State Baltimore 88'
Flew Traffic Patrol in Baltimore-Pretty Easy since it was a Beltway City
Flew for a Piper Dealer-Sky Tech Martin State Airport
Flew a Mooney for the former owner of Chesapeake Cadillac

Flew for Hinson Airways-Part 135 Capt, Single Engine and F/O Twin Cessna 91'
Flew for Allegheny USAir Express F/O Shorts 330/360 and DASH 8 91'
Flew For TWA-727 F/E and F/E Chk Airman, 767/757 F/O 95'
Flew for American 767 and MD 80 F/O 01'-03'
Flew for TransMeridian 757 F/O and Capt 04'-05'
Flew for Focus Air Cargo 747 Classic Capt 05-07'

Interviewed for the 2nd time with UPS (1995 and then 2006) and then finally hired to fly the MD 11 out of ANC in 2007. Airline #7. Only furloughed 4 times.

13,100 TT hours.

Good Luck if trying to join UPS or the good folks at FDX.

Flifast

 

No, I didn't really win the UPS gig in an arm wrestling match against Buz.

 

You'll see a variety of backgrounds on this forum. As an interview coach, I'll tell you (generally) FedEx likes a pure-blood mil guy, and UPS appreciates a guy who bounced around a bit and has seen the civilian trenches. There are pros/cons to both approaches, and exceptions to both generalizations.

That said...here's my trek...

CFI for Part 91 flying club
CFI for Auburn University...
Jump pilot for commercial sky-dive operation...
UPT student
OV10 Driver/Ground FAC Gulf I
F-15 driver 92-02....
Hired by FDX/Jetblue....went with FedEX...in training at FDX on terminal leave
ANG F-15 instructor 02-07....

Mil worked great for me, but got some stink on me too from other jobs and know its no easy road either way. Big thing is thing 5 years down the road, enjoy what you are doing, and keep a smile on your face.

Persistence is Waaaaay more important than talent. Just look at me....

Good luck to all...