The relationship is merely this. HGK domicile = Junior Captains. Good for the junior guy but bad for the already tainted safety record of the MD-11. If you put a inexperienced MD pilot in the left seat of this jet, in a already complicated theater (China RVSM, controller issues, weather, etc), the occasional characteristics of the jet may compromise safety. You may agree or not, but ultimately the company needs to make this assessment. I believe they already have. They have just not run the numbers yet through the CBO.

We have a unique situation at FDX right now.

Quite a few MD CAs, and FOs, have been excessed. Many of these guys are itching to get back to CA and, I think, the company counts on them choosing HKG. Some of these guys are hurting financially and will take the unpleasant move for the $$.

Then there are the very experienced MD11 FOs that thought they were close to CA only to see their possible upgrade date moved years into the future. I think these two factors will make the domicile more 'senior' than you think.

If junior guys hold CA they'll cancel the bid. Perhaps if one guy they don't like holds CA and/or guys without MD11 time hold FO they'll cancel the bid. The company has no problem canceling a bid at the last hour for whatever reason that suits them.

Interesting. Sounds very plausible. I can picture this.

BTW, this post was never intended to insult anyone's intelligence. I am 52 with 25 years at FDX. This is not a dig at any seniority level. Not intended to play senior against junior etc. The age 65 thing is behind us. We need to get over that. Lets just stick to getting the next contract fixed and consider above ALL flight safety.

I'd put money down that the junior guy in the left seat MD11 will be a 12 year plus pilot. Probably senior to the junior guy in ANC.

Look at the aborted second Paris bid. Those guys were all senior enough to hold 757 left seat.

The world has changed since you came up. Anybody hired in the early naughties is looking at 13 years or so to narrow body captain. HKG widebody about two years after that.

And anybody hired in the mid-late naughties could be 10 years getting off the panel.

Tell us again to put it behind us. Feels great.

I would REALLY like to believe that Vacancy Bids and FDA bids were well thought out and well planned at our Fortune 100 company. Truth be told, I believe it's a TOTLAWTRS (turn-on-the-lights-and-watch-the-roaches-scramble) management technique. We (and the company and stock holders) deserve better

I totally agree about the captains. Look at the second HKG bid, too. Fairly senior. Right seat will go way junior again. Just my .02.

Will HKG be MD10 or MD11 ,if it is MD10 would that not negate the Md11 issues?

It will be MD-11. Company is doing it to save money on current CBA scheduling requirements whereby a reset is needed. This would ultimately shorten layovers and save big $$$ for the company by increasing productivity.

Really? I realize this is a different time than with the first HKG bid, but the junior captain on that one was relatively pretty junior (I believe around the 5 year point). I'd make a guess that unless the LOA is redone, there wouldn't be a major reason that it would be all the much different, unless we assume there are all those displaced Capts who are missing that paycheck and want to commute halfway around the world to get it back.

I guess we'll see...

WM

Doesn't matter. Might get both in the same pairing now so we should anticipate the same in HKG.

Not sure what issue you think might be negated. There will be hints at mostly MD10 flying if those are the birds sent there. But the reality is scheduling mixes up domicile flying all the time.

Good luck with any sample pairings or lines. Does 777 flying look like it did then? How 'bout HKG Airbus?