This one is ALMOST a bad anology, while I wouldn't go and get a tile saw, I often use home projects as excuses to buy other power toy..., er, I mean tools!!

Is that sarcasm about having to retrain pilots? Wasn't there somehting a while ago about prurple and brown looking for guys with heavy/int'l time?

Is it really easier to try an RJ guy with glass/FMS time, and C-17/5/141 guy, or even a single seat fighter guy with NO ailrine or multi crew expereience than somebody who already holds a type rating an something like a DC-10/MD-11/747?

No, it wasn't meant as sarcasm. New hires are different from "acquired" guys, in that they are more than ready to accept anything that the training department tells them. However with a merger, there are a lot of sour apples in the group. Guys who have been flying these jets for a long time and don't want to learn "how is done here." You many not believe this, but anyone whose either been through a merger or came to a company, shortly after the merger will (hopefully) verify what I'm saying.

UPS hires lots of people from other airlines, the military, and elsewhere. What they are looking for is a well rounded pilot who will eventually be a Captain.
Retraining is a fact of life and you will learn to do it the Brown way despite any previous experience.
What or where you flew before is not nearly as important as your level of overall experience and ability to get along with people. That said, a certain level of flying and life experience is a given with anyone expecting to get an interview.

I've been through a downgrade/dipalcement/furlough. I was happy to go to the carrier that I got hired at and made it through just fine. Along with the 10-15 other guys that came with me. Does that count? Although I thought the plane as well as some procedures were goofy. It has more to do with attitude that previous experience. Besides, with the companies listed, I think anybody would be happy with the pay increase ir they kept the pilots from said companies.

My understanding was that "GECAS" an Airplane leasing company, held 51% of the stake in Tradewinds. The idea being by holding a major portion of an operating certificate, they can put the "Tradewinds" label on their acft. sitting in the Mojave desert, therefor increasing their value. I don't think Fedex has any interest invested in Tradewinds at all.

Fed Ex and UPS compared to those other companies is like comparing apples to oranges. Fed EX and UPS have routes companies like Polar,Atlas, Evergreen, Kalitta, Southern etc are Ad Hoc flying and usually carry a load for one customer like the DOD or a single corporation. FEd Ex and UPS have established routes to carry mail for the general public.