Thanks so much for all this info. How long do you think a new hire would sit reserve on the 777?
I know it’s all a wag, just curious about the averages. Thanks!

One of my buddies on the 777 told me he was off of it his first bid. It won't take you long. In fact if you don't get it right out of training and have to wait for a system bid you'd never have to sit Reserve.

My understanding of the 777 is that they rarely get used on Reserve because it's not likely someone calls in sick for a 12 day trip. Because of this it's popular to move to Memphis and bid Reserve on the 777...

If avoiding Reserve is what you want the airplane I'd avoid right now is the 767.

Why is the 767 much longer?

My month 8 was the first time I got all flying on the 777. I’m not convinced it wasn’t a fluke. I’ve found the less requirements you have on the SLG, the more likely you are to fly. I will see what happens next month.

That being said, reserve isn’t bad...as long as you don’t mind sitting in Memphis, bc that’s what you will do. Not a lot of trips available especially on RB.

Currently there are less 767 new hire spots than 757 spots because of the pay difference. Despite that it's the same type. So if you get stuck on the 757 it's important to bid over to another airplane ASAP to get more pay ($30-$40k a year). If you go to the 767 it's only a differences course. The first event to clearing OE is probably 2 weeks vs getting a new type that will take you longer to get a slot for and then longer to complete (3 months). So if they hire 200 757 pilots in a year probably 100 of those go to the 767 next.

Because of all this 757 pilots who are senior to new hires bid over to the right seat of the 767 and have more seniority. More than half of those added for the first year to year and a half will be senior to you in the right seat of the 767. Because of that it'll take you longer to control your schedule.

On the 757.... There's so much movement that you can be in the top 30% on the first system bid. You'll add 15-20 people underneath you every month.

Would you mind expanding on what kind of schedule differences are there between those aircraft? My impression of FedEx 757s is that I see them all the places I used to see 727s. The 767 not as much? Is the 757 basically the domestic hub-turn workhorse of the operation at this point? Would it be safe to assume, in addition to the lower pay rate, the majority of that aircraft's flying are those serious night-shift runs through MEM that earlier posters were describing?

Thanks for the answers! Unfortunately, I live about 3 hours away and can't move, so hoping to get off of reserve as quickly as possible. Either way, I'm not complaining. I can't wait to get started.

You definitely get a better schedule with the 767.

On the 757 you'll get more two leg AM out and backs or 3 leg hub turns. Most of the 767 days seem to be one or two legs max. I am new on the 767.

On the 767 you see a little more international and that's going to be expanding. VCP is a 767 trip and they're going to be starting to do Atlantic crossings in it soon. There's also some lines now where you commercial to Paris and fly out of there for a week and then commercial home. Keep in mind that all of that is super senior. It is expanding though. You might be able to hold it on a secondary in 3 or 4 years.

While it is true that the pay rate is higher for a 767 pilot than a 757 pilot, it doesn't meant that you can make more on the 767 working the same number of days as you would in the 757.

On second year pay, if all you can hold is reserve in the 767, you will make less per day than you would on the 757 holding a decent seniority line. For example, let's say RLG for the 767 was 70 hours. You would make $841 per day on the 767 for 15 days. If you held a line on the 757 that worked 12 day for the same 70 hours, you would make $851 per day. Just something to consider.

Is this a three hour flight or drive?

Just from my experience, that wouldn’t be too bad being on B Reserve with a 3 hour drive to/from Memphis. You might be surprised by the QOL with that combination regardless of what airplane you are on.