fdxdispatchguy

Hey - she jumpseated home with me last week!

Gunter

I distilled your post and will hopefully give you some information to help.

Move to MEM. The most junior family friendly lines are B reserve. That's noon to midnight. B reserve covers day flying. Commuters typically bid night hub turn, or better, flying. FedEx has 60%+ commuters.

Why do commuters do that? So they can work fewer days away from home. Reserve pays 4:30 to 4:45 hrs/ day vs. at least 6:00 hrs/day for hub turns or other trips. More senior commuters bid lines with airline tickets to/from the outstations. That reduces the days away from home for many commuters. In domicile pilots trying to maximize pay also prefer trips. We have lots of those guys. But many are retiring. No per diem on reserve. You may laugh but I've heard some add up and seriously brag about their per diem.

B reserve is used less often so you will actually be at home more. You will be on day trips when you fly, generally. You can get assigned a trip, sometimes a week long, that starts in the B reserve window that is almost all night flying. That won't happen to you every week.

The promise of international flying is working the fewest days, if you hold can hold a decent international line. The MD11 has a lot of domestic lines, the worst of which go junior. The 777 is even more senior. International trips often pay much more than 6 hrs/day.

You can be a widebody FO on B reserve while much more senior bubbas are hanging out on the 727 and 757.

Huck

I've been almost exclusively flying long haul international for 13 years. It's worth pointing out that even though daddy might be away from home for long stretches, we are paid enough that momma can stay home with the kids if she wants to.

I've got friends in my small town that work regular jobs and are home every night, but unless they're a doctor or lawyer, their wives also have to leave the house every day.

I work about 12 days a month. My wife stays home. Not a bad environment, kid-wise, if you ask me.

HankHill

Just wanted to post something so I can look at my avatar.

My wife stays at home also. I know I have to much time at home because occasionally either my wife wants me to go to work cause I'm driving her nuts or she can't believe the scheduling is calling me into work(although it is near the end of the month and I have 15hrs of leveling) just depends on the time of the month, I mean her mood.

finedavefine

Hank,

Post as often as you'd like, regardless of what you have to say.

NoHaz

Skip MEM..... buy a truck, a gun, and mukluks and head north to ANC

Dakota

Hankhill,
Must be your wife in the avatar -- NICE!

FXDX

Hank: Thanks for the new avatar. Your old one was very scary.

vagabond

So beatupsuitcase, after 10 years at FedEx, you too can look forward to changing your APC avatar to that of a scantily dressed woman with a round butt or large boobies.

galaxy flyer

Not FDX, my airline career folded up when Lorenzo took over, but a FDX friend has it down, home every night, has been for sometime. Lives in SAN, bids hub turns back to SAN. Then again, a 20 year guy flying A300 F/O.

GF