Can someone please explain the mini bases, OAK in particular. What type of flying should I expect and how senior does it bid? Thanks in advance

 

Must have missed the memo on Oakland mini bases. I have no idea what you're talking about. Maybe you're thinking of a different airline....or many, many years ago.

 

Should probably brush up on current topic and info in regards to FedEx.

only bases MEM, ANC, LAX, IND, HKG, CGN

 

Oakland is a hub, not a pilot base, like Newark and AFW. That said there is a pretty good variety of flying out of Oakland, some of which starts with a DH to Oakland. Commuting out of Oakland would be a breeze.

 

These are places you fly out of when you get Mini-Snacks instead of a meal.

Otherwise known as:

Snaque a'la Squoob

 

Jetdog, the Fedex crew-basing structure is (Jan 2018):

MEM - (Memphis) -
Only B777 base with vast majority of flying international (313 Capt/517 F/O).
Only A300/310 base with mainly domestic flying (353 Capt/312 F/O).
Largest MD11/10 base with mainly domestic MD11/10 flying and some MD11/10 international flying (539 Capt/445 F/O).
Largest B757 base with mainly domestic flying (284 Capt/231 F/O).
Largest B767 base (277 Capt/279 F/O) with mainly domestic flying.

767 and 757 pilots can and do fly both the 757 and the 767.

ANC (Anchorage) - small MD11-only base with mainly international Asia flying, with a little domestic MD-11/10 flying (86 Capt/95 F/O).

HKG (Hong Kong) - small B767-only base with some B757 flying - the vast majority of flying stays in Asia and is out of CAN - (Guangzhou, China) - (74 Capt/74 F/O).

LAX (Los Angeles) - small MD11-only base with about 60% international MD11 flying and 40% domestic MD11/10 flying (50 Capt/64 F/O).

CGN (Cologne, Germany) - small B757-only base with a little 767 flying, with much of the flying through CDG (Paris) - (59 Capt/59 F/O).

IND (Indianapolis) - small B767-only base with some B757 flying (39 Capt/38 F/O).

New hires in the last two years have been getting assigned to any of the Memphis F/O seats, HKG B767, CGN 757, IND 767, and ANC MD11. LAX is by far the most senior base, and no new hires have gone there in about 10 years.

OAK, AFW (Forth Worth Alliance), and EWR (Newark) are major sort facilities that flights hub turn through, but are not crew bases. There are a lot of pairing that start with deadheads to these facilities.

The B777 has a larger number of F/O's than Captains because the longer international flights require additional crew members (RFO's) (>8 hours require 3 pilots, and >12 requires 4). Fedex primarily uses F/O's for those extra crew members, so that means the B777 F/O seat has higher manning levels. The MD11 has traditionally had the same manning, but as the growing number of B777's has replaced the MD11 on the longer international routes, that manning requirement has diminished.

Hope this helps you understand the Fedex crew-basing system a little better.

 

Good base summary but I thought the 76/75 was a one way street. You said some 75 Mem crew flying 76 and some 76 flying in EUR?

 

76 crew members are also required to maintain currency in the 75.

Hard rumor is that is changing and the bid packs will be split by next August.

75 crew members are not qualified to fly the 76, at least in MEM.

I think the Europe 75 guys only fly the 75. They do have some Airbus trips that deadhead to EUR to fly around, but not many.

 

Some 75 crew members do fly the 76..

 

OK, 757 check airman probably fly the 767.

Anyone else?