UPS Debrief?
 

Did anyone go to today's long range planning briefing at the Training Center? Anything worthy come out of it?

Yep, I went for the lunch. Which was pretty good, actually. Nothing earth shattering to report from the long-range planning department. Yes, we will in fact buy airplanes in the future. We will most likely purchase medium wide-body aircraft for the 09-11 time frame. We will most likely purchase additional large scale aircraft, but not sure which type. Wouldn't speculate on the future of the 380. Said they hadn't decided on when the 727 would be gone, maybe this year, maybe 3 more years. ( I don't buy that..) Sounds like the 767-200, 300, or ER is the ideal aircraft ( He did say that). 5 more MD-11's in 08 along with the 7 new 400's. Hiring between 150 and 300 this year, depends on the 727 and age 60. Dat's about it.

UPS Debrief
 

Here's a snippet from the IPNN:
---
UPS Air Long Range Planning topped the agenda at today's UPS-IPA
Debrief. More than 120 IPA pilots and managers attended the briefing
with UPS's Long Range Planning Manager Bill Simpson. Crews were
also briefed at the end of the meeting by UPS Flight District
Manager Rick Barr who fielded a host of questions from crewmembers
on a variety of topics from the future of the B727 to hiring
and the ANC Domicile.

Barr told crewmembers UPS will cut back on the use of the 727
but no decision has been made yet to "scrap" those airplanes.
He also added that, "There are some schemes floating around
that toward mid-summer we won't need all of this lift for the
volume we have," but to say that "we're scrapping the 727 is
premature."

On the hiring front, Barr estimates the Company will hire between
200 and 300 pilots this year.

Barr said UPS is looking at a building 1.5 miles from the ANC
airport to potentially house the 747-400 sim as well as an MD-11
sim. If it comes together, he says it would make a great training
center.

As for ANC totals, Barr predicts the Domicile will grow to between
500 and 600 crewmembers on both the MD-11 and 747-400.

Bill Simpson briefed crews on the Company's plans for aircraft
acquisition. UPS is scheduled to receive ten MD-11s this year
and three 747-400s. Five MD-11s and seven 747s are scheduled
for delivery in 2008 and three A380s in 2009. Both Barr and Simpson
will only say that the Company has contracts for the A380 and
that it is an "unresolved" issue. The 747-400s and MD-11s will
help bridge the gap should the A380 freighter fall through.

UPS, according to Simpson, is also looking at medium widebody
freighters such as the 767-300 or 200, preferably used and the
A300-600 for use beginning in 2009. That amount would be determined
by the retirement of the DC-8.

For additional information on today's Debrief, please make sure
to read the next issue of the IPA Flight Times. The next UPS-IPA
Debrief will be held March 2 at the UPS Flight Training Center's
Welcome Center.

Hum scrap the 27 or the DC-8? I choose the DC-8. It is a work horse and can fly pretty well while on fire but its time for it to go.

Scrap the 747-200 and -100s, what hunks of crap they are. Reliability suffers every week we keep these in our fleet.

Hope it doesn't dissappoint, but the 8 is going to be around another 10 years or more. From another of my recent posts: " I started at UPS in 96. At that time, the legacy fleets were supposed to all be gone by early 2000's. Each year, the legacy fleets kept being extended. The only reduction in the size of these fleets is expense to maintain. An expensive heavy check that exceeds the value of the airframe parks the jet.
As it stands, the 727-100 AD at UPS appears to be the driving factor, not pilot age. DC-8's are listed to be on the property till 2016. Next year, it will probably be 2018+. UPS could probably build a new DC-8 in their machine shops by now <g> They are looking for DC-8 replacements, likely 767-200 or 300's or maybe even A300's. They don't really know."
The DC-8 has competitive dispatch rates with the glass fleets. Carries more than a 757. UPS doesn't have the replacements anywhere on the horizon,
Negatives are takes alot of ground support (no APU) Is only Cat II and has high crew costs (3 crewmembers). But, they know how to fix all the mice that run the thing, and it is a strong airframe that can take a real beating (at least mine for 10 years:D )

Do you fly a DC8? I do, and I have to admit, it is a fabulous a/c!!!! When I think about it, the -8 fills its niche as a cargo a/c without any problem. The thing is a tank, hauls a good load, goes far and fast, and did I say, it is built like a tank? :D I like the glass of the 75/76, FMC and APU, but let me tell you, I LOVE the -8. It's an airplane that is definitely NOT long in tooth.

Debrief
 

What does this sentence mean? Anyone who was there care to elaborate? Thanks.

2018? holy smokes

Supposedly those fU#$%ing teamsters are hoping to get more team drivers, which would allow UPS to truck a lot more stuff rather than airlift. The contract is being negotiated now.