Flight Engineer
 

Does anyone have any opinions on whether taking the FE written is a good/bad worthy/worthless endevour. Already have the ATP written done, didnt know if a FE written did any good or just took up space on the resume.
Thank

FedEx and UPS reguire it, other than that it's almost a waist of time and money at this stage, but if you must then knock yourself out.

Do you know if being with a 121 will keep the FE written active? Would hate to do a retake.

Depends on who you are trying to get on with. If the company requires it, by all means go take it. FedEx (and I think) UPS require it to be current, and its only good for 2 years (I understand about the extension for continuously employed pilots, but neither company recognizes it), so you might want to wait until you are within a two year window or so of actually getting looked at by one of them. Nothing wrong with taking it and keeping it current just in case they or another company you are interested in that requires it starts accepting apps. Just keep in mind that you might have to retake it down the line to keep it "current".

If you're at the regional entry-level, there's not much point. Nobody else is doing it, so there's no lemming precedent.

As long as you STAY employed by a part 121 carrier it will stay current. UPS will look at it as being current even if you took it 8 years ago, again as long as you stay employed by a 121 carrier.

Most carriers have been burned by the guy who shows up to ground school with a FEw that is over 2 years old. The only way your FEw won't expire is if you've been "continuously employed" in 121. If you have just one minute of time that is unemployed between your 121 jobs, then you're going to have to redo the FEw.

Make sense?

At FedEx, the 727's will be around the property until 2013 or later. I would imagine we'll still require the FEw until they leave the yard. ;)

That isnt the case with the ATP is it?? I know that it doesnt expire while your working as a pilot but I just took it and am waiting for class....therefore "time not being employed with a 121". It (ATP) shouldnt expire then, right?

I had a Fed tell me that a soon as you quit one carrier and go to another it would render the written invalid. Now if you remained at that carrier and they needed f/es, then you would be good to go. Most training depts will make you re-take the written.