Actually, most of the FDX International is daytime flying. There is usually a couple of "backside" legs, either starting out at 3AM or doing the same heading out of Asia, but those are not that bad when you can get a couple hours (or more) nap during the flight. I usually arrive into Europe feeling pretty good, it's around 6-8PM local, time to go out for a few hours and then crash and get a nice sleep on local time.

That is not the whole story. Sure the flying may be all daytime, but lately many of the trips have a 24 hour layover. Tie that into the multiple timezones you just crossed, and you are really doing multiple day/night body clock swaps in a row. You are right though, it is daytime flying.

The biggest surprise to folks is usually the 24 hour layovers. Coming off domestic they look like no sweat. But look at some of those disputed pairings on the toolbox - we had one that went MEM - Osaka - Singapore - Osaka - MEM with nothing but 24 hour layovers. 40 hours of flying in less than five days, two 6-hour legs with no RFO, and every time you laid over you were going to work just about the time your body wanted to go to sleep. Trips like that take years off your life.....

Just had a MEM-ANC (29); ANC-HKG (26); HKG-CDG (18) then a hotel STBY in CDG. Horrible, horrible pairing. Layovers are shrinking and shrinking.

Yes, I agree.

Even with the rapid growth of years past it was a long time. Now....Who knows.

If you get hired over 40 I would say never.

Day turns
 

25th year Airbus captain and I cannot hold day flights consistently, but I bid for commutable lines and double deadheads. Three legs a night with a hub turn is life at 38% widebody captain. Once I accept that, the schedules are workable but not great. The Bus doesn't have the range to cross too many time zones so deadhead over to Europe to do our three legs a night with a hub turn through Charles DeGaulle.

Thx again guys.

Yeah, I'd be a complete basket case as a FDX/UPS pilot. Reason being, 1) I absolutely CANNOT sleep on a plane no matter how comfy the seat/bunk is, and b) I have many problems trying to sleep when not on my body clock.

The combination of those two factors have made my limited time flying Europe trips, ahem, interesting. I think my record for going with no sleep is around 58hrs. :eek:

Hence my current schedule of only MIA-Caibbean trips with 3 on, 3 off. Life is good. :cool:

Sorry, just woke up at 1pm somewhere, very confused, what is this thread about?:D

You're kidding right? At UPS I'd be worried about holding onto a seniority number and not getting furloughed.