UPS Announces Training Program - FlightPath
 

The shortage of pilots is real. And as APC covered automation for cargo planes in our last article, it's clear that some see that as the solution.

But what about UPS's new internship-to-pilot program, called "FlightPath"? What are your thoughts on UPS's need for more pilots?

Check out our article.

While there may be a shortage of pilots, there is not a scarcity of pilots.

Big distinction between the two.

UPS is currently short pilots, but only because management drug its feet on 1. hiring, 2. securing additional training capacity, and 3. training more instructors as delivery of the 747s ordered in late 2016 apparently snuck up on them. That is to say the current UPS pilot 'shortage' is 100% self-inflicted and temporary.

There is absolutely NO shortage in qualified (defined very loosely as ATP with 2500tt with 1000 multi-turbine, or equivalent military experience) applicants to UPS and three new sims should be up and running (allegedly) by the end of November to help alleviate the training backlog.

As for FlightPath...that program was announced over a year ago as the Ameriflight Gateway Program. UPS interns work in UPS Training, Flight Ops, or other departments for a year or more, then go to Ameriflight, then have the opportunity to return to UPS.

As a former Co-op (intern), I think it provides a fantastic opportunity for people who want to fly for UPS to get into brown polyester as a line pilot as quickly as possible.

UPS interns doing the Gateway/FlightPath will provide a small but steady stream of young, highly motivated pilots to Ameriflight, which will help keep UPS' feeder fleet moving. Those pilots will gain valuable experience flying UPS volume, and should become VERY competent pilots. UPS helps keep their feeder fleet staffed, and the ability for those former interns to (fairly quickly) return to UPS as a line pilots is the the carrot that will keep that small but steady stream flowing. If UPS doesn't pick up an overwhelming majority of those Gateway/FlightPath pilots, word will spread quickly and interest in the internship will rapidly wane...causing a negative impact on UPS' contracted feeder lift through AMF.

For AMF and UPS it is low risk/high reward, for interns and potential interns I see it as medium risk/YUGE reward and clearly with today's Courier-Journal article being picked up by USA Today is generating positive publicity.

10k total, 4000 hrs in -400/-8 and 1200 in MD-11, 7 internal recs, 3 job fairs talking to DT and crew and not even a hint of a call. In fact, a couple of months ago, I got a TBNT on my 2018 app, but my 2016 and 17 apps are still active.

There is no pilot shortage, just an absolutely screwed up hiring mentality these days headed by HR people that don't really know anything about aviation and experience. I've met so many others in my boat that just can't get a call after many years, its pretty baffling.

Yes, it eats at me a little.

Various companies have "guaranteed interviews".

This won't cut it with the Pilot Shortage getting worse going forward. Flow through programs, like Envoy/Piedmont/PSA have, and direct hiring/training of non-pilots, like the US mil, and many foreign airlines have, will be required.

Palm Tree,

I'll start by saying our hiring process certainly has room for improvement...without a doubt.

By your resume alone you are extremely well qualified. But UPS doesn't hire just off resumes. You had 3 face to face interactions with HR and they made the decision to take a pass on a well qualified applicant; why? I would look as objectively as you can at those previous face to face interactions because that is where the problem lies. Don't be fooled by the relaxed environment. Those are on the spot interviews and if you don't get past them you will never get a call. Whether you realized it or not somewhere that 10 min discussion went off the rails. If you can figure that part out and try again I think you will get much better results.

Best of luck to you.

Yep, you're probably 100% right. I've always known I don't do well trying to be someone else and even with paid coaching, I still manage to un-impress HR people. For 18 years of a civilian career after the Army, I always gotten along with the people I have flown with, granted the few in every bunch that I may have butted heads with. I guess some of us just aren't meant to be in the top companies, but I think my future will be bright soon.

Thanks for the advice.

Let the shortage rage on!

While ckap’s logic is sound, I would wager that is just as likely the hiring team fumbled your file somewhere along the way. FWIW...

Exactly this - there is NO shortage of pilots (qualified) willing to work for UPS wages. They must have 100's if not 1000's of resume's on file.

The shortage will be felt first way way down in ACMI / regional / charter yada yada land - where the pay AND QOL are much much worse. Is there is a shortage of pilots willing to work for crap wages in a strong economy for bottom tier companies? Sure. A shortage willing to work for UPS wages? Total BS.

It's either UPS or FedEx HR personnel who said in about two years, they would have no idea how to get enough pilots to crew their aircraft.
The Pilot Shortage is getting much worse over about the next 4 years...after that it will ease up, a little bit.

Where did you hear that?

Enough pilots to crew their feeders, perhaps...but the trunk fleets? Nah.

The first sign a "true" shortage has occurred is when *arbitrary* barriers to entry are DROPPED, e.g. 1000 turbine PIC and the 4 year degree. These criteria have ZERO relevance in putting warm bodies in right hand seats.

Alaska dropped the 4 year req.

UPS Announces Training Program - FlightPath
 

1000TPIC and a bachelors degree are no longer requirements* at UPS.

(*Good luck today without both)

I would argue TPIC is far more pertinent than a degree; having had some kind of command experience makes for better FOs and future CAs.

In almost 30 years of flying I can’t count how many times I have heard about this impending pilot shortage that has yet to materialize but YMMV.

Are you serious? My buds I went to UPT who stayed active duty are now retiring. Two of my closest friends had multiple offers. One was hired at SWA, American and FDX. He left American for FDX after 6 months. Another friend had class dates at UPS, Delta, United and an interview at FDX. Any guy with 1500-2000 hours of TPIC (like nearly all retiring or separating pilots have) is getting multiple offers.

Pilot shortage nonsense
 

I’m sorry but I don’t see a pilot shortage. I see a ‘pay & benefits’ shortage.

Post 9/11 most, if not all airlines cut the pay and benefits for their pilots. Regional pilots were told the ability to log their flight time was a benefit in itself, basically we often had pilots working for free or maybe even paying a fee to work just for the chance of a better future one day when/if a major airline would call...

Now that pendulum has swung the other way everyone is panicking. Management reps at all airlines keep feeding us the pilot-shortage lie, and yes that’s what it is, a lie. They want the government to raise the retirement age and/or allow for experimenting with single pilot operations. Eventually management/government WILL get their way, they always do.

In the meantime however I say we stick to what we know - the realities of supply and demand.
- Pay accordingly and pilots WILL come.
- Build schedules which allow them to see their families more than ~5 days a month and they WILL come.
- Give them health care and retirement benefits which are appealing and yes, they WILL come.
- The same applies to students/future pilots - when they see improving working conditions at all airlines they’ll start taking flight lessons all over again. ..and then they WILL come.

Supply and demand works! There is NO pilot shortage. There is a Pay & Benefits shortage.

Hey UPS, former UPS driver here. Tell me that won't be a cool story? Driver to pilot

Yea, was cool 31 years ago when we had our first. A few since and a couple in management. Use it to your advantage though, they'll love you if you left on good terms!

I'd be surprised if it was the ups rep. They are still of the "everyone wants to work at the workers paradise and always will because we're UPS, F Yea!!".

Like the rest of management decisions around ups, they'll wait until 6 months or a year after it's become a problem and then start to study the problem in Atlanta,then spend the next ten years trying to catch up.

This gentleman is on to something here.

I came back after 16 years out.

I am currently a corporate pilot trying to get on with you guys. I can say that there is a pilot shortage. Who is seeing the shortage first is definitely based off of what you can offer on pay and benefits. I have been trying to tell the owners this for a while now but to deaf ears. We have one outfit we’re their pilot left to go work for the FAA for schedule and benefits and his aircraft has been in managed for 6 months now. I have friends at Proctor and Gamble, that was the place to go and highly sought after are hardly getting resumes any more. One of their pilots just went to UPS this year. I remember in the early 2000’s, we used to get resumes all the time for guys just trying to get a job. I am currently running 2 separate corporate aircraft operations with aircraft requiring 2 pilots with only 2 full time guys and I am one of them. Most of the guys I am seeing to use as fill ins are either flying extra with having a schedule at their current job or guys near retirement or have retired and just want something to do. Until I have to cancel trips because I can’t get anyone, will these guys shell out more money. Deepest pockets will win out for this period until a recession hits the passenger industry or enough time goes buy and enough pilots are created.

Get a better handle on your writing and English language skills, then we can talk about your employment here.

😂😂
Will they shell out more money? Yes, but right now UPS is already the highest paid pilots and management is showing at least for now they will not give anymore.

Spells his name correctly one out of two times.

:D

HA! "Managment" That's funny and a good catch.

I once trained a Fedex driver who was getting his pilots licenses and Fedex was paying the bill.

7000 hours, 2000 hours 747 time, masters degree. Told to “reapply in three years when you’ll be more competitive” at a recent job fair.
Pilot shortage; that’s laughable.

How recent was all of that time? Seems like there is more to that story. Why 3 years and not 1?

Agreed. That’s a bizarre comment.

A couple years ago I was told by an AA recruiter that I should quit my RJ job, go to Frontier or Spirit and “Learn how to fly big airplanes” to be competitive at AA. At the time I was a CRJ PIC flying multiple legs into Aspen every week. I was without question the sharpest I’ll ever be in my career at that time. His comment was clearly laughable, stupid, and I’m sure not representative of most people at AA.

Agree, that this is a peculiar comment. I haven't heard of people being given a timeline. I would think the person would give you more of a Flight Time goal instead. on the surface, your numbers look similar to mine as I have 7500+ and just over 2000 in the 744 as well. But I have a good amount of PIC time (Airline PIC, not just pilot flying PIC). I sat in the pool for just over 4 months and recently got the CJO.

What's your PIC time? They really want Turbine PIC time, I'm told. When I would update them, I tried to give them info that the UPS site specifically asked for:

Total Time
Total PIC
Crew PIC
SIC
Multi Eng Turbine/Jet Total Time
Turbine PIC
Previous 24 MO
Part 121&135
Part 91
Type specific times (your 747 time and anything you're currently flying)


Also, did you study the company and know what UPS does besides ship boxes? That's a huge part of the process! I don't mean generic knowledge, but have some pretty in-depth knowledge of what UPS does, the services they provide, history of UPS, some of the cutting edge moves they've made in the past, and the tenets of how UPS operates.

I was told nearly the same at my AA meet and greet at the WAI job fair. At the time I was (and still) flying a squirrelly Citation X into the most challenging airports and all kinds of weather. He told me to go to The regionals, and perhaps get a large cabin type like the 320 and come back.

airlines like to see 121 time. It proves you can pass a known/structured training program. Don't shoot the messenger.

From that article, what does the year-long internship consist of before you get the enjoyment of Ameriflight?

Let me get this straight. UPS wants to take someone with limited knowledge and flying skills and “train” them by using ameriflight to the UPS standards?
Why not take an individual who has extensive aviation knowledge and skills and train them to UPS standards?

Only for certain applicants.

That's the way it used to be!

There it is

It goes without saying that military fixed-wing pilot training fills this square. (as viewed by those doing the hiring)

Isn’t that what company Indoc is for ?
:rolleyes:

UPS does that with every single pilot hired, regardless if their background is military, 91, 91K/135, 121 or a variety of some or all the above.

Think about it this way: by UPS creating a program for interns to go to AMF and gain real-world experience flying freight in twin turboprops before having the opportunity to wear brown polyester, they have created a small but steady stream of new pilots to fly their feeder aircraft instead of those former interns going to a regional airline to build the experience necessary to be considered for employment flying for UPS.

It is a win/win for UPS, Ameriflight and UPS interns alike - and for interns it is a moderate risk but extremely high reward proposition.

As to your question about 'what does the year-long internship consist of?', I cannot speak for the current program but as a former Training Center Co-op much of my duties revolved around program development.

a rough idea of what a recent interview candidate had.

Total Time
14000+
Part 121 Turbine
9000+
Instrument
900+
PIC Total
8000+
Multi-Engine
13000+