All points are good and have merit.

Lag what was your back ground prior to short stint on CSI

 

You get yourself hired or fired in the interview. Not on the ramp managers recommendation.

I believe all the jobs at FedEx have to be posted internally before hiring off the streets. So you get a shot at the Line first as a ramper....

Can any internal guys on here comment?

Past....

 

21 Years in the USAF mostly flying fighters. Good looks aside, I am here because of the recommendation of a former chief of training and a pretty good guy. (PS, I have burned the negatives).

Lag

 

What did you fly Lag?

 

I don't think there is any disadvantage (other than having to wait 3 years) to going through the professional instructor route. In fact, if you do it in the 72 you would be ahead of the game since you would already have your FE ticket and know the jet and profiles like the back of your hand. I would think they would get through the training just fine.

 

Yea, 2 yrs of seniority is not a disadvantage.... The object is to get here as fast as you can.

Having been a sim guy in the 727 will not be a great advantage. The others guys in your class will be fresh of the street and they'll pass just fine.

If a sim job is all one has then thats great and it will work. I just think your better off as an internal with the chance of coming to the line after only 1 year.

If there is any question, ask a sim guy that started in late '94 what the 3 yr wait cost him in numbers? Or a guy that started the sim job in '02.

Past....

P.S. just looked it up. Sim guy starting in late '94 lost 1000 numbers. (3 yrs of hiring)

 

Good info. I'm a former Pro instructor. I was hired because I was current in the left seat of the 727 to teach that (727 FO and Cap.) When there was an excess of 72 guys (hiring freeze, so no new students) I was checked out and typed in the DC10, and taught that for the rest of my time. I don't think anyone took any special notice of how I did in training. I have seen instructors who could not pass a type check, and were either let go or used as ground school instructors, with no chance of going to the line. I have also seen a pro instructor who was a real jerk to students in the sim, and he was told he would not go to the line. If one guy doesn't like you, no big deal, but if all your students hate you, or can't pass a checkride, you may not get to the line. When I was there, you did your line interview after 2 years, and went to the line at 3, if Fedex was hiring, so you could spend more than 3 years if no hiring was going on.. Now, you do the line interview right away, so you know you are going at 3 years. When you get there, unless you are current in the entry position (currently 72 SO and FO,) you will go through the full newhire groundschool. If you are current in the entry position, you go through 2 weeks of basic indoc, get a PC and go to IOE. Disclaimer- Things change and it may be different for you.

Pay-wise, instructors start at just under 4K per month, with a $400 or so pay bump (next pay grade) after checkout. Yearly merit raises (1-4%) after that.
In a 4 week bid month, you will work 19 days, and 23 in a 5 week bid month. The schedules can be commutable, if your scheduler is cooperative. However (at least when I went through) Fedex will give you a paid move to Memphis, which new-hire pilots don't get. Your time in training counts towards retirement, but when you go to the line, you start fresh with newhire seniority and no time towards vacation. That's about all I can tell you.

BTW - I lost about 450 seniority numbers in the 3 1/2 years I was there. On the other hand, internal hires (rampers, couriers, etc)are just guaranteed an interview, while training people have already interviewed and are guaranteed (short of a major screwup or pesonality flaw) the job.

 

Backseat of F-4s, Onlyseat of F-15As. Pm me if I know you.

Lag

 

Either way you have to pass the interview. No pass interview, no Pro Sim job... nor line job.

If you don't pass the interview as a ramper, box thrower etc, just wait 1 yr and go try again as an internal. Much harder to get a 2nd interview if your off the street.


Past...

 

True, and no pool for internals!