He must have been laying over in DXB.....;)

RGS last week, MD of training said 18 month before any hiring, except to fill the FDAs. They've got enough Airbus/757 guys in the pool to cover it. Expect an Asia MD-10 domicile in the next few years. Company is neutral on Age 60, they're going to be reactive on it when the law changes, which won't be for at least another year. Growth is flat, we're parking 5 jets after peak for extended MX b/c it's cheaper than continuing to fly them. Only positive thing he said was that the company has no plans to fill the FDA with STVs, the purpose of the STVs were to fly any excess cargo that a fully manned FDA couldn't handle. We'll see about that.

It is my understanding they won't...both the Union and Mgt have repeatedly said that if the law changes and allows retroactivity, they will have to wait for a bid to come out to regain a window seat.

Not to high jack the thread, but I agree with this guy big time. In my new hire class, everybody (nearly) was "required" to have 1 sponsor who had flown with you, + 2 additional LOR's, one of which had flown with you. Then, one of the ACPs was standing in the corner chatting with our class during a break, and people were asking him how to get their buddy's hired. He went on to reiterate the whole sponsor thing and said, and I QUOTE, "3 to 5 letters of recommendation."

This process in NO way ensures quality pilots or even decent people or smart union members. It just ensures friends of friends get hired.

Hopefully with HKG going unfilled, they'll be a change in this process. I can't imagine, in good consciousness, telling my bud in his mid 30's with a wife and 2 children that I'd do everything possible to get him hired so he can go to HKG on 52 an hour. I'd tell him "aren't SWA, CAL, DAL, UAL, etc hiring? They definitely pay a little less for the first couple of years, but weigh that with going to Hong Kong for 3+ years on our expoop package, well, then, uhhh... Maybe try to get a job with one of them first while we see what shakes out around here..."

Now, if I was back in my previous life at the commuters where all my bud's were all 24, no wife / no kids / everything they owned fit in their car, then yeah, I'd probably tell them to come to FedEx and try out HKG.

Contrary to popular belief, it's not the number of letters you have on file, it's the tenaciousness of your sponsor. That coupled with timing and the tiniest amount of luck is what will succeed in getting someone hired. Hopefully you have picked your sponsor wisely. Good luck.

JJ

Not "probably"...it's a "definitely"!!

These type of guys will have the experience of a lifetime in either FDA.

...and if they have a serious girlfriend, she can come visit.....maybe;)







(p.s. The LOA is still substandard for the avg FDX pilot and I wish everyone could realistically have the same opportunity to experience an FDA as the young, unattached, single folks)

How does this equate to a fair hiring policy that favors the good old boy network filled with mostly "squadron buddies" when a sponsor can only sponsor 1 applicant at a time? And in what fantasy airline world does one get 5 LORs from guys you have actually flown with? How do single seat fighter guys get past this one when they have not actually flown with someone?

2, 3, 4 ships plus

So how long can all the over 60 guys stay on LOA awaiting the change?

I just heard that the over 60 guys will need five letters of recommendation plus one current front seat sponsor to come back to the front seat.