http://www.airlinepilotforums.com/sh...ad.php?t=25527

This thread might give some of you clue how pathetic this business is... And on the side note most of us will never work for UPS, Fedex or Southwest therefore we won't any money that will pay off all the sacrifices that we took to remain in this business.

 

"I am sure that your last new hire classes were populated with military heroes and astronauts."

My last F/O was a Dash 8/Twotter check airman from ERA. No jet time until the right seat of a 757. He has been at UPS just over a year....

 

I got hired at UPS in 2007.

I interviewed in 1995 and got turned down.

Anything is possible.

No military experience or moon landings either.

FF

 

Best of luck to you, I'm hoping to do the same at some point. The regionals have sucked the life out of me and it's affecting those I care about - my family. It kills me to miss out on so much of their lives. There's too much personal, time, and financial sacrifice involved for what is received in return - in my opinion. It's interesting how what can be one's hog heaven is another's personal hell.

 

uhm no Mr. Bitter and Negative, actually, you're not a professional pilot, not anymore. you gave up on your career, remember?

now, stop trying to degrade a professional aviation career just because you couldn't hack it and gave up. it is still a viable and rewarding career path as any other profession. yes, times are tough. but many of us decided to stick it out and follow through. don't try to bring everyone down just because you didn't cut the mustard.

 

I spent nearly 20 years total in the attempt. It was a lot of mustard. Many of my friends are still out there awaiting their third lay off. At some point it becomes stupid to continue. By 36 years of age I was laid off just after 9-11 and had eaten enough mustard. By then it was time to taste a better life.

The fact is that there just isn't enough room for everyone and most of it is totally out of your hands.


SkyHigh

 

I know of a guy who got hired at UPS without a degree and only a small amount of airline experience. His father was well connected in the industry. As I understand it the next wave will have to have Atlantic crossings in their logbook. Most here I am sure do not have that kind of background. UPS is the golden fortress and to date I do not know of a single peer or colleague who has succeeded in getting hired there.

I am sure that there are a few regular guys who slip through the cracks. Anything is possible. I could also win the lottery; however, I am just not comfortable placing so much of my security and future into the hands of fate. The odds are that most will fall short and will have to face a heavily discounted version of their dream.

We all need to be our own advocates. Eventually it becomes obvious that our chances are slipping away. Some will choose not to see the writing on the wall and will wake up one day as a lonely 54 year old captain of a turboprop sitting next to an FO who is silently wondering "how badly did this guy screw up?". Others will choose to take action and find their place in the sun elsewhere. Open ended sacrifice is not possible without it exacting a high personal price. It is essential to reach a plateau of success before it begins to take its toll. I am not interested in martyrdom. I have a life to live.

SkyHigh

 

Here is another way of looking at it:

UPS has 2,945 pilots total.

Average career length 30 years.

Divide 2945 pilots /30 years = 98.1 average new hires per year.

I read here on the forum some place that at any time UPS has over 14,000 applications on file from current and qualified pilots.

Divide the number of applications on file by the average annual hire amount 14,000/98.1 and you get odds of 142.7 to one of getting hired at UPS.

Like any company they hire the best and the brightest that are available at the time. If you miss the window and have to wait another couple of years then your odds have reduced a bit. Now you are an aging captain who looks a bit like an underachiever if you are still the pilot of an RJ four years later. Wait another 4 years and you are nearly out of the running.

We all fight and sacrifice for our brief moment in the hiring spotlight. HR departments like young enthusiastic early achievers with positive attitudes and few attachments. Miss the cycle or gain a little weight and it could be over for you. Anyone who has been in this industry for a decade or more has a resume that my have a lay off or furlough on it. As time drags on it becomes difficult to avoid having some kind of career blemish or hardship. Just more questions for the HR department to dwell on and your odds slip a bit further.

And the price of oil just keeps going up.

SKyHigh

 

"to date I do not know of a single peer or colleague who has succeeded in getting hired there. (UPS)."

Maybe that was your problem?

"I am sure that there are a few regular guys who slip through the cracks. Anything is possible."

He knew somebody who was willing to recommend him?

And yet you bash the industry you walked away from cause it didn't meet your needs? SWA didn't meet your needs so you didn't apply there? And yet we are all idiots for staying in the career?

You would like to believe every pilot who has a good job and is happy staying in the biz slipped through the cracks and was far more qualified than you. I don't think that's the case, but whatever helps you sleep at night.....

 

Holy bananas, you just put the smack down on the Co-Owner of APC. In fairness he does say how much luck does play into this, he was turned down by CAL, I don't think UPS was his first choice.