alphonso1

I'm MD-11F Type Rated....with time in Type, MNPS/NAT tracks experience...and a willingness to go to ANC.....but...I'm with a Bottom Feeder...Based in MIA...I don't know any Fed Ex Crewmembers that I could ask for a Recommendation or Sponsorship...

I know Fed Ex Pilots who are members of OBAP and they will NOT Sponsor me because they want to act like they are Judge, Jury, and Executioner with respect to HOW they select who will be Sponsored by them....

Many that they select are underqualified and don't get through the process......They seem to base their decision on weither, or not, they like you....not straight up experience, hours, and type ratings.

If you don't agree with their views..they try to blackball you and KEEP you out of the Fed Ex Process....which is unfair.....and I AM African American...

I therefore have never wanted to participate in OBAP because of HOW they determine who they will help and why...and they have held it against me for quite sometime....and I'm MD-11 PIC Type Rated and experienced...

Life goes on and I'm just trying to find out how to develop a REAL friendship with someone at Fed Ex and maybe have half of a chance of of success in at least earning an interview with them...

Any input is appreciated.

F15andMD11

Join the club. If I had to guess there are probably over a couple hundred MD-11 type rated pilots, with time in type, MNPS/NAT experience, willing to go to ANC, that have applied or are waiting to apply. We're a "dime a dozen."
ANC...please, that's easy, would you go to HKG?
Good Luck!

BlueMoon

What about going to the WIA conference next week?

MaxKts

Is that the Whiners in Aviation conference.

MaydayMark

Please tell me ... has "playing the race card" ever worked for you in the past? I'd like to think you got hired because of your professional qualifications and not because of your ethnic heritage?

Silly me?

Adlerdriver

In my experience, pilots unwilling to help other pilots are rare. That makes me step back a little and scratch my head. In light of that and also the tone of your post, you may want to do some critical self-evaluation. Is their reluctance to help a problem with them or you? Only you can tell for sure.

It sounds like you've had some bridges burned for you or you burned them yourself. Hard to tell which it is since I have no knowledge of the situation other than your tale. Either way, you're coming across as a victim and that's never a good way to portray yourself. By the end of your post, you sound like you're ready to stop whining and take charge of the situation yourself - a good thing.

This OBAP organization seems to be a hindrance to you and you don't even belong to the group. Perhaps your view of their role in the hiring process and ability to influence the hiring at Fedex is inaccurate. Good or bad, they can only do so much.

Get your application in when you can (if you haven't already). You sound capable and qualified - the MD-11 type is a huge bonus. Although, with World Airways in bankruptcy and ~100 of their F/Os looking at time on the street, you're less unique than you were a couple of weeks ago.

There have been several candidates with MD-11 types called for interviews WITHOUT sponsors. "Eff" these OBAP guys if they won't help you.

Don't assume you don't know anyone here. There may actually be someone here you've flown with and just lost track of. Making "friends" with a current pilot is okay, but a recommendation/sponsor that you've flown with is better. Maybe jumpseating to MEM for the sort and stepping out of the comfort zone to get to know some folks might open some doors.

Good luck to you.

HDawg

"Any input is appreciated."

You could try calling an OB/GYN, I think you have something that hurts.

skypig

Hmmmm....simply amazing. OBAP, selecting underqualified individuals? I can believe that, but them not getting through the process? I imagine OBAP would make sure that they did, simply by threat of using the race card.

Your post is amazingly disjointed, but after reading it several times one thing does stand out...you seem to be inclined to reach out to Fedex Pilots who are members of OBAP or would like to.

Additionally, I am curious to find out specifically "what thier views" are...what views do OBAP pilot members uniquely hold that; 1) distinguish them as African American pilots. 2) Why those views warrant them not wanting to sponsor you as an African American? I'm curious...personally as a regular old American pilot.

In any event, most sponsors and pilots recommending other pilots actually do like those candidates...it used to be how we kept the tools out of being hired here. The experience and quals were a given...for most applicants.

Why not just reach out to a Fedex Pilot...You have the quals and the experience, (which I hope you have being typed as a PIC in the A/C). Why mention your RACE? It shouldn't really have any bearing on the situation should it? Again, amazing...just put in your app, like everyone else is.

And do yourself a favor, like everyone else does...take the time to do the leg work and ACTUALLY see if you know someone or, have better yet successfully worked with someone willing to sponsor you (out of the nearly 5000 PILOTS that work at Fedex). You never know.

This post killed me...what a piece of work...

jungle

Strange, most of the real african-americans I know who have actually lived in Africa and the US are Rhodesians or South Africans and white.

1stCivDiv

Let me guess, you feel you are somehow ENTITLED to something...Please... And you wonder why no one wants to sponsor you...