MettetalAir

Hello guys. I am just thinking about the career path I would like to take in the future. I am hoping to join Ameriflight. From Ameriflight I could be able to get into UPS (not guaranteed), but my long term goal could be to get into a legacy airline (or I could end up loving the cargo lifestyle and never think otherwise.)

Going from Ameriflight to UPS, I wouldn't ever have any time at any regionals. I've heard people say though that the legacies usually want to take people from the regionals. So I was wondering how easily UPS pilots (especially ones without regional hours) can get into legacy airlines? I think I remember hearing UPS/Fedex pilots jump over to the legacy side and vice versa quite often. Any truth to this?

One extra question I'll tack on here: how's the first year at UPS? I've noticed the pay really jumps in year two. Disregarding pay, wonder if there's some big difference in quality of life between year one and two.

wrxpilot

Are you even a commercial pilot yet? Your plan is very strange.

fightandflight

If you goal is a legacy, your idea of using UPS as a stepping stone sounds crazy to me. My advice - just go fly for a regional. You will upgrade quick, and many of them have pathways directly into legacies. UPS is a career airline - if you get hired here, then likely you can get hired anywhere, but to take a pay and seniority cut so you can start from the bottom is something I can't understand - unless we are talking some VERY significant quality of life improvement very early in your time here (ie, living where you work). Again - not knocking your goal, just suggesting you go after it from the start.

Disregarding pay there is no real difference between year one and year two. There is such a variety here that the answer may be different depending on who you talk to, but if that is the case, you can always jump around and find what suits you. There are some who say there is no real difference between year 1 and year 5...

BoilerUP

No more than a handful of UPS hires since 2014 have voluntarily left for a legacy airline, and we've only gotten a handful from other US legacy airlines. As far as I know, the UPS hires who have left have been in their probationary year.

There really isn't that much movement back and forth these days.

If you want to get hired on at a legacy, go to a regional; if you want to fly for UPS, the Ameriflight program could be the fastest way into brown polyester.

First year at UPS is fine, crappy pay notwithstanding; the big benefit to second year QOL is having a little seniority due to the amount of hiring 2017, 2018 and projected into the future to staff growth and replace retirements.

WesternSkies

I hope to live in this strange new time.

coryk

UPS is a legacy... a career airline. Oh, you must mean a passenger airline. I wouldn't use UPS as a stepping stone.

Go to a regional if you want to fly for Delta.

flyguy23

If you're qualified to fly for UPS or Fedex, then you're qualified for any legacy. No reason to use UPS as a stepping stone. If you want a legacy, just go straight there.

flyphisher

Ah to be young with so many choices in today’s world of all airlines hiring. A 30 year cycle and we are in it.

Step one: Get hours. As many as you can as fast as you can.

Step two: Get PIC. As much as you can as fast as you can.

Step three: Will take care of itself. The chances of you threading the needle of your career path is slim. This window of unprecedented opportunity will go on for about a decade on sheer retirements alone. Which leaves you some breathing room. But not as much as you think. Getting hired at a top tier carrier takes both huge effort and luck.

Keep on truckin’. That’s the best advise I could give. Your path and options will better define themselves as you progress. It might sound like vanilla advise, but most often the most overwhelming dilemmas boil down to the simplest solutions: hard work in this case.

Work hard with dedication and the pieces will fall into place.

jfingers

Regarding first year, I'm having a blast. I have nothing to compare it to, but:
-I hold a line (I can't touch reserve yet, even when I want to)
-Pay is low, but I was fortunate enough to put aside a little to help me through
-I get on average 69% of the many, many days off I want
-I work 14-16 days a month
-1/3 of my flying is day time
Life is pretty flippin' good. YMMV.

Get hours, figure out where you want to live, and work as close as you can to there.

Blue skies and good luck.

whalesurfer

I don’t think that’s correct. I believe the OP is trying to go to Ameriflight because of their UPS ‘flow-through’ or internship program. Not sure what the correct term is but I believe they have a program where relatively speaking low-time pilots can get an interview at UPS. They wouldn’t be eligible at any legacy - or ups for that matter if it wasn’t for this ameriflight agreement.

MettetalAir - your plan is pretty crazy but I see what you’re trying to do, get on with a passenger legacy by using the ‘flow-through’ with ups. It’s feasible I guess but I think you’d have a faster progression if you went to a regional which feeds the legacy/major you’re interested in.

In 5-10 years come back here and we’ll give you advice on how to leave your legacy for ups or fedex.