Makes perfect sense except it's illegal. Think about it dude. Why would ANY employer put up with Guard/Reserve comittments if they didn't have to?

 

The change with sortie time is actually beneficial to us military guys. If you look at the bottom they are now adding .2/.3 per HOUR, as opposed to per sortie (since they don't ask you how many sorties) which about doubles my conversion as a Herk guy.

Also, do you guys think this means I can just use my military physical now? You think I still need to shell out for a FAA physical every year while I'm waiting?

If you look at the first page when your app is published it says "You are in the FedEx Pool"....sweet didn't even have to interview!!

 

YGTBSM...teachable? Activities/interests that will cause you to call in sick?! How about the ability to fly an airplane?! This process is as effed up as a football bat....who is running this?
Im sorry guys...Im glad I got on when I did with a paper resume and a handshake...

 

How would FedEx know if an applicant had outside "activities" that made it more likely that he/she would call in sick? Do they plan to start asking people about hobbies on the application and/or in the interview?

 

Well...some carriers seem to have shied away a bit from some groups in the post 9/11 high ops tempo environment. I'm not convinced that some units are unofficially "blacklisted" by certain airlines for a pattern of what they perceive as abuse of military leave. Thats a sensitive topic and one I don't want to even open, but overall I think most airlines understand that Guard and Reserve commitments are largely temporary. Fact is, at SWA or FedEx by year 2 or 3 you are making more in the airline than at drill, and most guys find a way at that point to make sure they don't miss out on too many airline opportunities. At lower paying carriers--well--probably a different story.

That said, the kind of employee that sucks it up to do 2 jobs and is (largely) a team player/patriotic type will (usually) be a pretty much productive, team oriented company guy on the back side when the Guard/Reserve gig is done.

It also "familiar" to many interviewers, who were ex-military and perhaps did a stint in the reserves too. Human nature is to like folks who are similar to us, and the Guard time lends a familiarity and bond with the candidate.

Also--the thing that I was always proud of was that the Guard and Reseve SELECT their people. It was one thing to be an Eagle driver...and I was proud of it. However, luck, timing, and the needs of the AF all contributed to me getting that slot. However, when a unit "selects" you--many times in a competitive environment--you know that you have won the respect of the group and are someone that A) probably is a decent operator and B) works well with others in a unit environment. Therefore--the Guard/Reserve stamp is another proof to the potential employer that this particular pilot seem to have solid skills, a good work ethic, and reasonable social skills. Those skills are all valuable to potential employers.

I know several guys who rushed Guard units--not bad drivers either--who never ended up getting hired. Therefore, I appreciated and tried to honor my unit by never begin the "LIMFAC". Guess what--its different now flying MD11s and not Eagles, but I still try to fly with pride and do my very best, and I love my job. I do a different job now than in the past, but most of my traits are still about the same. So--I think airlines look for traits they like, and it just so happens many good traits are evident in those Guardsmen and Reservists.

And please don't roll into mil/civ debate on this--good folks from lots of sources. I'm just answering why I think the part-timers still get hired, even though they can be a more "complicated" employee to supervise for the first few years.

 

And don't forget that a lot of Reserve/Guard pilots took long term Mil Leave during 4a2b--saving the company money and freeing up more flying hours for the pilots. Killing terrorists was a bonus.

 

Albie,

Excellent rebuttal as usual, i didn't consider the short term vs long term productivity gains as the company must be doing. Yet you gotta see the fumes rising from the crew staffing offices when they receive the monthly list of unavailable pilots.

 

Hire more pilots then.

 

Or maybe the company just considers it part of their civic duty (don't forget that Fred was a Marine and we get military charters) and accepts it as a cost of doing business ... I hope they see it that way?

 

Not to mention it has been documented that Fred was seriously looked at in 2000 & 04 to become Secretary of Defense if not for personal tragedy he might very well have left the company he started years ago. Military runs strong at FedEx.