Timberdux

Ironically, one of the big reasons FedEx was my first choice is because I feel they still value aviation experience. I was very turned off by Delta/United and their practice of quota-hiring FO’s with zero TPIC, and would have been very sour about being junior to those people for the rest of my career. There was not a single civilian in my class (last year) that had not spent multiple years in the left seat of a jet at a 121 carrier. Not sure how some are getting the idea that we’re not hiring “captain material”. And FWIW, I don’t recall anyone (military included, which was around half) in my class having their application in less than a year. I’d be leery of a pilot candidate that is offended by not getting an interview invite after only having his/her app on file for 9 months, as it would come off as a bit arrogant.

JollyF15

You guys still don’t get it. If you wanna make this a mil vs civilian fight, then we can do that elsewhere.

Do you want pilots choosing which pilots we interview or lawyers?

Shaman

This thread was begun with someone asserting that because pilot recommendations don't seem to carry much weight the hiring process is broken. This same assertion has been made in other recent threads .

I would submit that pilot recommendations DO NOT yield the most qualified applicants and further that it is a can make for an extremely biased process. Recommendations are almost entirely subjective.

In today's data driven world it doesn't make much sense not to apply that to the pilot selection process. Things change and sometimes they change for the better, sometimes not so much, but what is certain is that change can be difficult.

All that being said I'm a snowflake, I love Kale, and you can get your own meal bigshot!!

Shaman

To answer your question more directly. I think the computer probably should do the initial candidate selection. Once at the interview that's when subjective criteria such as pilot recommendations should be evaluated. Nothing about that process seems at all unfair to me.

Timberdux

My reading comprehension is just fine, I am responding to points that have been made by others in this thread.

Typhoonpilot

Warning, thread drift.

I just can't get over this statement.

Are there really large widebody captains and instructors who still think this is the best technique?

Ever read the B777 FCTM?

HIFLYR

Nope do not fly the 777, not sure if the FCTM is the same as the FCOM for Airbus but we do not fly under a specific companies flight manual. We fly under our approved FedEx flight manuals.

Typhoonpilot

I picked the B777 since it is a FedEx aircraft and both the Boeing FCOM and Boeing Flight Crew Training Manual state that sideslip only (zero crab) landings are not recommended with crosswind components in excess of 28 knots. The aircraft has a maximum demonstrated crosswind components of 38 knots. Some operators go up to the Boeing FCTM guidance of 45 knots on a dry runway.

Another large widebody is the 747, which FedEx does not operate, but is still a good example to use. It has a maximum crosswind landing component of 36 knots on a dry runway (30 is the demonstrated number in the FCOM). The FCTM states sideslip only (zero crab) landings are not recommended with a crosswind component in excess of 20 knots.

The reason for these limitations is to prevent engine pods, flaps, or wingtips from striking the runway. This was not normally an issue in the early DC-9s, 727s, and 737-200s so many American pilots tended to use the sideslip technique quite effectively. But once you get into larger aircraft with wing mounted engines the sideslip technique becomes less desirable. A transition to de-crab in the flare is preferred so as to prevent parts of the airplane (other than the wheels) touching the runway in strong crosswinds.

HIFLYR

All depends on your companies approved flight manuals instruction, I know the A300 widebody and some others at my company use the slideslip limited to a certain bank angle, not sure about the 777. Many manufactures do x-wind certification in a complete crab.

FXLAX

A software program assigns points to applicants. The top ones that update regularly are chosen to interview. Two retired pilots conduct the panel interview and two current pilots conduct the SBI. Both are graded by the four Fedex pilots and the ones who do good are offered a job.

Seems to me that if there was a place where you would have non-pilots do any choosing, it would be selecting pilots who are invited to interview. That part is done as objectively as possible with a pre-programmed algorithm. At that point, it’s up to each individual pilot to successfully pass muster with four FedEx pilots. If those FedEx pilots feel the interviewee is not a good fit for FedEx, they won’t recommend him/her be offered a job. As far as I know, there are no quotas. If they interview 10 people and none pass the interview, none are hired.

It seems to me that FedEx pilots are the only ones who choose who becomes a pilot here. In fact, there is a fifth FedEx pilot involved in the interview process. He is the pilot who briefs the candidates on the process for day two. He specifically stated during his brief to us when I interviewed that no HR person is involved in the selection process and won’t be in the interview room with us. That is far different from United, American, Delta, and Southwest. As far as I know, only FedEx does it this way where there are no HR people present and evaluating candidates during the interview. I came away from the interview feeling that I wanted to work for FedEx even more so than I did coming in specifically because of the interview process and how it’s pilots taking with pilots only.

Lastly, as another data point, my class of around two dozen had about half who were prior military.