FDX- MD Training
 

Training Letter recently changed for a number of us upgrading to Captain from 3-week Upgrade Courses to 9-week Initial Courses being paired with New Hires.

Extra 6 weeks in MEM is pretty harsh for a commuter to essentially become seat support for someone.

Am I missing the big picture here? The extra training is always a good thing but I'll probably be on suicide watch the last 4 weeks...

Is this the best way to utilize pilots or make the training work for everybody? I just feel I was kind of jacked out of a pay raise and asked to work harder while not getting it...

Fly FDX,

I think you underestimate a good deal; yes, more time in "The Magic Kingdom" and in a crashpad if you are a commuter, but more non-jeopardy events to practice your new role as a captain! Plus, you can exploit seniority by bidding "Highest Paying Line" for an extra month, and depending on your training date, maybe a vacation bid or two for next year.

Bull$hit. That sux.

I will never never understand why we do this.

At the commuters, going from the right seat to the left was three sims and a checkride. It's taking me four months and 88 hours of sim time....

I got a bud in the training dept. Rumor had it, the short course didn't go so well last time around. right seat to left seat wasn't the "seat support" that some would think...... Talk to a couple of folks that went through it, I heard they were some of the biggest critics.

Back when I upgraded from MD-11 f/o to MD-11 Captain I had the privilege (not optional) of doing the ENTIRE LONG COURSE that assumes you have never seen or flown an MD-11 before? I received no credit for bring current and qualified in the aircraft (with a type rating & thousands of hours in the airplane)?

We were our instructor's very first students. He would sometimes ask, "Hey Mark, can you make the FMS do XYZ?" I guess I didn't understand that it was my job to teach him how to fly the airplane?

It was VERY EASY but it seemed kind of dumb?


:confused:

Last summer, MD-11 FO upgrade to MD-11 Capt was the short course as part of the cost savings and safety improvements made by JG. Several had training failures/delays, significant problems, or didn't finish the program. Almost every student critiqued the program as being too short. I'm pretty confidant that the upgrading FOs from last spring and summer would have appreciated the extra non-jeperdy time.

I think I will appreciate the extra time as well being a "slow-learner"...

What's interesting is that the course isn't necessarily being tailored to what is safe and effective training, but tailored on the on how to best save money. Granted the "short" course is probably too short placing the burden on the pilot, while the "long" course also puts the cost savings of seat support on the pilot as well... Maybe a course designed around effectively training a pilot in a time frame where good learning could take place instead of worrying about the costs saving extremes of 3 or 9 weeks... Maybe splitting the difference at 6 weeks or a time frame where training failures wouldn't occur...