True, but to his question, he was asking about out and backs, which I took meaning leaving EWR and returning back, thus laying over at EWR.

Only thing I gotta add is we don’t fly many US holidays, unless you’re flying international. And not much weekend flying to boot. I have yet to work a holiday in my 3 years here (all on the MD)

Ooookay.
I don’t like THAT schedule. Is that all FedEx has? I don’t want to spend my career doing 40 minute flights to IND and back. That sounds awful, so I shouldn’t go to FedEx??

I like international long haul flights, transcons, long layovers... Have flown years of heavy freight and have four internal LORs, I think I have a grip on the schedules and lifestyle.

I feel like your penis is bigger than mine. Or is it just me...?

Well, he can just skip to the lines that the top 50% can hold, since he doesn't like that stuff.

That's how it works, right?

Ha! My record was just over 5 hours from my front door back to my front door...morning out and back to KTYS. Widebody pay and didn't even leave the state of TN.

New hires get the 777 sometimes. That does what you’re you’re looking for tho I have no idea what the bottom guys end up with ? Reserve A? VTOs with nothing but Reserve A? No idea.

Apply, interview, get hired. Then worry about if it’s better here than your current gig

If he has flown heavy freight for several years and doesn't understand by now that FedEx has many long international flights, and not just 40 minute hub turns to Indy, I'd say he hasn't done any research. And if he's that disinterested, why bother to apply?

This is like basic stuff right? Triple, -Ocho, you don’t see them doing hub sorts. Basic stuff...

3,019 posts later - some leg pulling going on. I think Chip has a grip on the schedules - unless this site counts Facebook logging perhaps. I don’t know, I have no FB account. $, Cargo, Pax, legs, Reserve, Flying you enjoy - Everyone has their lifestyle requirements/wants. No outfit is perfect, but I’m pretty sure the upper portions (seniority) have a great or decent life comparatively speaking.

i.e. - I’m not a HuB turn type, nor domestic hopper at this time of my life. When I get my hover round and First Alert, I’ll probably stay closer to home. To each their own, everyone knows what they prefer, but many have greater responsibilities than others - such is life!

I’ll bite. In my experience, there’s a schedule for everyone relatively soon after you’re here. I live in base and prefer day flying. I had afternoon out and backs after a little over half a year on property.

I’ve tried AMs and hated them. I could hold weekend layovers after 6ish months as well and they are a fun change of pace...I pretty much could hold the type of schedule I wanted to hold after 6-8 mos in on the 75. If you want specific trips (a particular layover/out and back)you need to stay on the 75 for over a year and you will be able to get a top 20 choice in a typical month (generally speaking). You sacrifice the WB $$$ but at FedEx, you get to choose $$$ vs QOL.

I believe we have the most options out there when it come to QOLvs$$$.

What aircraft are based in LAX and how long does it currently take to bid reserve there?

LAX reserve goes senior.
Junior pilot holding r24 in July is 75%. My guess is 4-5 years minimum.

LAX is MD-11 only.

Do folks that bid hub turns typically bid the same turn locations? I’m trying to figure out realistically how long it would take for me to be able to hold lines that would allow me to consistently “turn” at my home airport (Columbus and/or Dayton, OH) and what platform would best facilitate this. Obviously after QOL vice big paycheck based off of this question. Any insight is greatly appreciated.

This is a difficult question to answer. Some cities you may have to wait 20 years to “hold” it, some it may be months. Some lines have city purity and some don’t.

It simply boils down to this:
1) you only have to be junior once
2) almost everyone that I’ve ever talked with has found some niche that suits them just fine.

Get hired and something will work out. If you are shooting for a unicorn perfect schedule, that’s a huge unknown.

I believe the #1 757FO lives in DAY and flies that line quite regularly. However, there are one or two more DAY lines as well that tend to trickle down to ~50% I'd guess.

Not sure about C'bus.

Where are y'all coming from??
I said I didn't like one particular type of schedule, and that FedEx is known for having tons of options. That one comment leads to all of this??

I've been applying to FedEx for six years. I know the schedules. I know many pilots there. I don't like 40 minute flights to IND. Jesus.

I sure hope this isn't how you treat your FO's for asking a question or having an opinion.

Jumpseat and ask.

Dude...you're the one who said,"I don’t like THAT schedule. Is that all FedEx has? I don’t want to spend my career doing 40 minute flights to IND and back. That sounds awful, so I shouldn’t go to FedEx??"

Apparently you were being sarcastic, but the way that it read was that you are uninformed. Obviously it did not come across as you intended.

I’m holding a full month of reserve in LAX, 3 years on property, and everyone below me has reserve via VTO lines.

Please don’t apply to work here until you have that chip removed from your shoulder. Plenty of jobs elsewhere, just apply.

I’m sorry but if they haven’t called after 6 years....

For a guy with a user name of IHateAMR talking about chips on a shoulder should come natural. :rolleyes: I'm glad we make everyone feel so welcome applying to Fedex. We have no issues with contract, schedules or personality's; so we can be arrogant about other peoples demeanor.

I yield. How is reserve life on the 11 out west?

I’ve searched and done a lot of research, but can’t seem to find any recent information on typical trips for the Bus. Anybody willing to chime in?

Generally hub turns of some kind, be it day or night. Only a couple trips have multiple legs into the hub or Out of the hub. Decent amount of out and back lines if you live in Memphis. Some lines have DH’s some don’t.

It’s the junior widebody. So you are probably are off reserve faster than other widebodies, but not as fast as the 757.

People rarely bid into the FO seat from other planes (my experience in the limited time I’ve been here). So if you are newhire On it, not many people come in on top of you from the other fleets. They usually go to the 767 or 777 from the 757.

Thanks, Blue Moon! I'm a mom trying to balance a military gig for a few more years until retirement and look for best QOL (at least until the kids get out of the house). I live about a 3 hour drive away and don't mind multiple commutes, but sitting on reserve and not getting called would not be a good thing for me now like it is for the local guys. I appreciate everyone who has taken the time to offer input. I am excited and grateful!

MD11. Last bid someone got it at around 1.5 yrs on property.

Commute from Little Rock
 

Pardon my ignorance. I have been on the corporate side for 10 years.

And sorry if this isn't in the right place...

I live in the Little Rock area and have had FedEx in my sights for some time now. I have read through the posts regarding scheduling am curious what the best schedule would be for driving from Little Rock. Its only a couple of hours so I would be willing to commute multiple times per month. QOL is most important to me so the 757 I assume would be my #1 choice. I don't care about touring the world at this point in my life.

Ultimately I am just curious if this is something that can be reasonably done and still maintain a good QOL with a lot of home time.

Thanks ahead of time for the responses!

Yes, it can be done.

Week on, week off on the 757 or 767 if you don't want to see the world.

Little Rock is an easy commute, even by car.

Had a guy in our new hire class a little over 3 years ago who is a Little Rock resident and is enjoying life as best I can tell on the 767. Said the commute was no big deal. What Nightflyer said.

Yes, you can easily have a great QOL on the 757 and line in a LIT.

Two questions: is there any one plane that traditionally has more day flying than the other? Also, with the reduced weekend flying, does that mean it’s not that hard to hold a schedule with weekends off? Having weekends off is a bit over rated, until your kids go to school.

The 76 probably has the most domestic day flying. Yes it is easy to get weekends off, particularly living n MEM. Commuting you could find yourself operating early Saturday morning to an outstation with a DH home.

Sure you can have weekends off. You'll just be in a layover city somewhere for @52 hours.

Nearly three years on property, in that time I’ve only worked a handful of weekends, the most common being a Sunday deadhead to an outstation to fly back Monday evening.

Day flying is plentiful for all domestic fleets (though the 757 seems to have the least). It’s been mentioned a lot here, but if you want to avoid flying at 3am it’s pretty easy to do.

I appreciate the responses!
 

Thanks everyone for the kind replies. To confirm what I have read earlier, do the 767 and 757 both have roughly the same schedule? By that, I am asking is will it be just as possible to do 2 or 3 commutes on the 767 just as it is on the 757? I would prefer not to have unnecessarily long periods of time away from home at one time. I would prefer to make several commutes (drives from Little Rock) than stay out for a longer period of time.

Yes.

Some 767 lines are 2 commutes.

Some are up to 5.

It depends on the trips, and how the lines are built.

Like they say "there is something for everyone, you just have to find your niche".

What is upgrade on 767 vs 757?