Predictions for the Purple Poolies
 

To all my future pilot comrades...

Any ideas or predictions on when they may call those of us in the pool? I went in the pool in February.

Whale:)

Also in the pool in Feb. and very curious about the possible call date and possible domicile assignment/offer :eek:

According to practice bid results, from what I understand, there is a real possibility of open FO slots in both FDA's. If the final bid results are similar to the practice bids, I would imagine the call for newhires would be for a January/February class date!

We'll see... lots of answers coming up in about 10 days.

Good luck Whale, hopefully we get an option... and you get what/where you want to fly :)

How many other poolies on APC?

Chatted with a 3 poolies today....all working at other airlines.

One guy is leaning towards going to HKG if offered--but still looking hard at tradeoffs. Major concern is tax ramifications and ability to come home to see family--what kind of limits.

Another guy at an LCC is on verge of captain upgrade. Doing math at LCC in cheap COLA area and having q of life verses joining team of a lifetime--BUT not sure when he can get back home. On the fence...leaning towards a pass...

Yet another is now at UPS. Really likes FDX. He'll stick it out at UPS vice going purple, however...no reason to move to China right now.

My hope is guys who get the call can stay in the pool for a MEM class down the road (maybe waaaay down the road) if they pass. Most didn't apply thinking they'd be facing 2-5 years overseas...they applied in good faith to join the company all their buddies have joined so happily the last few years.

Update from this weeks union meeting ...

It appears that the "practice bids" still take into account the fact that some people technically have "lock-ins" in their present positions (I assume training lock-ins for example). The company can (the union feels likely they will) waive those lock-ins for people bidding to go to an FDA.

So ... there may not be nearly as many vacancies after the bid as it appears from the practice bids. Sorry about the bad news for those in the pool.

Mark

Mark,

Good Point but if I may add.....

If the company waives the lock-ins, wouldn't that create two training events to fill a slot vs. placing a "nugget" in an FDA?

Being a businessman myself, I would choose the path of least resistance; meaning, I would do what is least expensive. Put in a nugget....

Just my opinion.

Whale

Another Question....
 

Say a "nugget" is placed in an FDA. Obviously a financial burden vs. stateside. What is the policy of "outside employment"

Example, would the company permit a new hire to provide simulator instruction outside of FedEx?

Thanks....

Whale

Any commercial flying other than FedEx Express, if that commercial flying would count toward FAR regulated block hours or duty time limitations of FAR 121.503 through 121.525, is not allowed. I can't see how they could prohibit you from other non-flying employment like that in a simulator. Plenty of guys have all kinds of side jobs.

Hi Whale,
Something to consider, if you elect to go to a FDA you will have to sign up for "Tax Equalization", one of the benefits of the LOA. I recommend you take a look at that concept very closely. You will find that Fedex will only pay taxes on the money you earn at Fedex. Through Price Waterhouse Cooper you can find some interesting information. One such nugget, pardon the term, is that income obtained outside of your primary employment "may", I repeat "may" be taxed by the host country. Married persons filing jointly, military retirees, reservists, and persons with outside income "may" be in for a shock at tax time. Why have I put quotations around may? Because our dilligent union did not think such trivial matters needed addressing before advocating the merits of the LOA. Fedex is a very good place to work and if you can get here without having to do the FDA assignment I would say that's a no-brainer. If your only recourse is to take an FDA assignment, that's a much harder decision. Some are walking into these FDA assignments blindly, mainly due to the lack of tangable information, or with the misconception that it will be similar to a military overseas assignment, nothing could be further from the truth. I have lived on the local economy abroad, your protection against unscrepulous landlords, foreign utility companies, insurance brokers, etc., is limited to local authorities and at your own expense. Good Luck.:rolleyes:

So where do I find this document? My "other" compensation of course is directed to an "off shore" account thus is invisible....

Whale

You could start here but it's just a beginning ...

http://www.pwchk.com/home/eng/ias_cn...al_policy.html