dojetdriver

I don't think you got the full point of his post. His corp department pays about the same as a UAL 737/A320 position with better destinations. After looking at the UAL SFO Airbus bid pack on a commute home, he's probably right. The destinations are OK, but certainly not as fun as what a wide body/intl gets to do.

Now, if he said that his corp job pays as much as a UAL 744/777/767 gig and goes to neater places, you might be able to call BS.

No go back to your "spacious new terminals, and serving meals at meal time." Just kidding.

2dotslow

See Rio more than I like, actually. Last 5 months have taken us to Monaco (me), UAE, Kailua Kona (me), Nadi (Fiji) (me), Cabo (me), Rio (me), Stockholm, London, Dublin, and the usual assortment of nice US destinations...Scottsdale, Augusta, Monterey, Vail, Naples, etc. Tomorrow I'm off to Calgary, Sunday to my hometown of Tampa, 6 days. Guess my point was we usually have a bit more than an 18 hour layover at these places. Get lots of golf, eating and drinking in. We ain't flyin' Citation 2s. FWIW, also get our share of HTS, PIT, MSY, IAH, etc...

Andy

In the AF Guard, it can be a problem; it's unlikely unless you're in AGR status. In the AF Reserve, it's not a huge problem ... you just apply for and get granted sanctuary waivers after 18 yrs active duty.

I would suggest getting on with an airline, and then returning to active duty (vice trying to do it in the Guard/reserve system). Bang out the six years and get back with your airline.

757Driver

Obviously you've seen my mug on the safety demo along with my lispy speech

757Driver

My apologies, you do have some great destinations. The thing I've noticed about Corporate though is it seems to be the first thing they cut out when times are bad. Sounds like you work for a place that does very well though.

dojetdriver

Twice a week on my commutes, as well as any dead heading I do. When I'm bored in cruise and it's quiet I start that whole speech in, what I think, is a pretty damn good impression of Kellners's voice. Usually the other guy laughs. Somtimes he's anal and doesn't get it.

2dotslow

No apology needed. Fortunately, or unfortunately for the younger guys with kids, we have several execs who not only travel for business, but really like to golf, ski, fish, etc., so we keep busy. Planes anyway, pilots average about 10-12 flying days a month. The company has had a flight department for over 50 years, and we are doing very well. We fly Falcon 900EXs and 50EXs. Nice planes, miniature 72s...no bad habits, stay right where you put 'em.

p3pilot

I look it like this. Would you swim 3/4 of the way across the lake and just because you are now tired turn away and swim back to the shore you just came from. Please, I think not. The grass is always green on the other lawn until you have the other lawn along with all the expenses that come with it. I recently had a P-3 buddy that got out and got hired by FEDEX, and in the 1 yr he has been there he has been home for maybe 1 month. I've been on the long deployemnts away from my family and was sick of the time away, but think of the time away once you are out of the navy. We tend not to think of it but it is there. I am 7 years in the P-3 Navy and recently got into the FTS community. I made the decision long ago that a retirement at 40 is well worth the time that I will put in the Navy vise not haveing one when my airline takes all my retirement at 60. my .02 cents.

captain_drew

Having flown for FredEx for nearly 30 years, I just could not let this pass. There is certainly more to the ‘story’ than just flatly laying out a statement like this. I would wager a large retirement check that the guy is trying to ‘commute’ while being junior . .which is NOT conducive to a home life. That is one of the reasons commuter folks at FredEx tend to stay an inordinate length of time in each seat.

Of course, P-3 guys were never known for being too swift <g> . . BUT . . if he had moved to his Domicle . . .however painful living in MEM might be, he COULD be home for more than half of each month. There is a price to be paid for commuting and being junior just exacerbates it.

NOW. . to the LCDR. . I guess I am the rare contrarian in this thread, but having ‘walked in the shoes’ somewhat, I would make plans to bail, if the right job came along. If you got a buddy at FredEx, get him to do some groundwork for you, as they love to hire friends of friends who already work there.

I did 6 on Active Duty and 22 in the Reserves. If you bail at this point, the only thing is that you don’t get that nice Gummint check until you turn 60, instead of having it in your early 40’s, to supplement your junior airline paycheck. Look into VR flying! I did it with two squadrons and it was great.

The entire issue, for me, is SENORITY. . .and you don’t start building it until the day you show up for new hire school. Having juggled airline flying and a billet in the Reserves for many years, it seems like a no-brainer to me. You can retire out of the Reserves too. . . and you might get to spend a few more years operating military hardware than you might otherwise have had the chance by staying on Active. Quite frankly, given world events, you COULD spend a lot of time on Military Leave of Abscence, doing what you love to do . . AFTER attaining that invaluable seniority #!

If you wait for 20, you will be pretty old to attain the seniority and seat position to give you the best lifestyle you could otherwise have, if you start post haste. Not to mention, you won’t have enough time until Age 60. . to get fully vested in your airline pension. PLUS. and THIS is a BIGGIE!! . . .get someone to show you the retirement ‘charts’ . . with the Baby Boomers pressing Age 60, there are going to be MASSIVE retirements in the next few years. You would be MUCH better off getting the earliest ‘hire date’ and enjoying the advance in seniority those departures are going to give people already on a seniority list.

I seems a lot of advice givers are on the outside, looking in, thinking you got the world by the cajones by being more than halfway to a military retirement. You HAVE the credentials AND perhaps some ‘pull’ to get a job at FredEx. I might not do it for another outfit, but I think ‘freight’ is going to be the best job in the next 20-30 years. Of course, this is just one Nasal Radiator’s highly inflated 2 cents worth. BT. .DT.

Andy

Capt Drew, I'm glad to see that someone agrees with me.
I walked away from active duty Air Force at 14 yrs 11 mos. Flew for a cheap vacation carrier for a bit, then got picked up at United.
Went straight from Active Duty to the Guard.
Got furloughed from United in early '02, but was already on orders with my Guard unit so never missed a paycheck.
When things continued downhill for the airlines (and here's one bad thing about being in the Guard) and my squadron started to fill up with furloughees looking for a paycheck, I made the transition to a desk job in the Reserves for a full time job. I now have to get sanctuary waivers (I'm over 18 yrs active duty) to work, but they are no big deal.
I will be able to get an active duty retirement within the next two years. I will likely continue with the Reserves on military leave for as long as possible (even after hitting 20 active duty) so that I can get a higher military retirement and build more seniority at United.