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Originally Posted by Windsor
(Post 1175906)
Dont get me wrong, the pool is full for the next few years at least. Smart pilots looking for a stable job in an unstable industry will still flock to purple, but history has shown that not all pilots are smart. I've flown with hundreds of Captains at my airline. 99% of all trips involve the inevitable discussion of where do you want to go next. Of the numerous guys I've had that discussion with, maby 40% of them want to go to FedEx, myself included. I filled out my first app 12 years ago when I was still in college before I ever landed my first flying job. Sadly I dont have the 1500tpic and therefore not qualified, but will keep plugging away in hopes that someday I'll be able to land in MEM sitting in a purple tail instead of a red one.
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Originally Posted by Windsor
(Post 1175814)
In a few years the bar will lower. There is a limited number of pilots meeting their stringent req's at the moment. Once the "cream" of the top is gone, they are going to have to start opening the gates a little more. Not everyone I fly with wants to do the night cargo thing. When the majors open the flood gates, the mighty purple is going to be a tough sell (as it was back in the 90's). While I do not believe they will revert to the red headed stepchildren of aviation (as they were known back then), I think they will have to compete to get people in the door.
However, I agree that the standards will have to drop sooner or later if FedEx is going to continue to replace all its retiring pilots and also account for modest expansion. Remember one of my last posts. We are all bus drivers. If you don't want to fly it, there is someone else who can and will do it for you. They can do it safely, and they will do it for less money. The "second tier" of college graduates can fly airplanes just as safely as the ivy/service academy guy, and we are all just warm bodies that fill seats. College degree and past experience are pretty negligible above 3500 quality hours. |
Originally Posted by birdeater
(Post 1177690)
all the legacy carriers has to concede to a 50%+ pay increase to approach FedEx and UPS narrow body FO pay. Unlikely.
Its not about pay with the guys I hear say they dont want to go to FedEx/UPS. They just dont want to do the back side of the clock flying. There are a lot of guys out there like that. |
We are all bus drivers. Bus drivers don't do stuff like that. |
Originally Posted by Huck
(Post 1177873)
You ever fly L888 at night? Shot an ILS in QFE meters in Almaty? Landed an MD11 on a gusty night in winter in Anchorage?
Bus drivers don't do stuff like that. Man, it really strikes a nerve when I hear that particular phrase "we are just bus drivers". What we are sometimes, is our own worst enemy, in terms of downgrading our profession. |
Originally Posted by Huck
(Post 1177873)
You ever fly L888 at night? Shot an ILS in QFE meters in Almaty? Landed an MD11 on a gusty night in winter in Anchorage?
Bus drivers don't do stuff like that. The pool is anything but full. People are testing, interviewing and being hired as we speak. Friend started basic indoc this month, tested late last year, interviewed two months ago and now has his seniority number. |
Ghostrider the pattern is full!
Originally Posted by Huck
(Post 1177873)
You ever fly L888 at night? Shot an ILS in QFE meters in Almaty? Landed an MD11 on a gusty night in winter in Anchorage?
Bus drivers don't do stuff like that. |
Originally Posted by Huck
(Post 1177873)
You ever fly L888 at night? Shot an ILS in QFE meters in Almaty? Landed an MD11 on a gusty night in winter in Anchorage?
Bus drivers don't do stuff like that. |
Originally Posted by tripleplay
(Post 1177883)
...And it can be some of the most challenging flying a person can do (if doing it right matters to you)...
When pilots say "we are just bus drivers", it is said in a way that implies that bus drivers are less than we are, and that we actually demand too much respect for what we do. Every time I've heard that from a pilot I've flown with, it really seems to have been from someone who approaches his job (on which other people's lives and safety depend on), with a very casual, unprofessional, unprepared demeanor. I could go on, but... enough said :o |
Originally Posted by CloudSailor
(Post 1177933)
"If doing it right matters to you" is precisely worded. It is more about how we choose to do things, as compared to what it is we do. I know there are many bus drivers who are very proud of performing their job in a professional manner. That pride commands respect. Same goes for being a janitor, a doctor/surgeon, a teacher, etc. who performs their job to the best of their abilities.
When pilots say "we are just bus drivers", it is said in a way that implies that bus drivers are less than we are, and that we actually demand too much respect for what we do. Every time I've heard that from a pilot I've flown with, it really seems to have been from someone who approaches his job (on which other people's lives and safety depend on), with a very casual, unprofessional, unprepared demeanor. I could go on, but... enough said :o |
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