Turd_Ferguson

Hi everyone. I’m looking for some advice on what route to take to get to UPS the quickest. I currently have a little over 1,000 hours total time and hold a commercial single/multi certificate with instrument as well as CFI-A, CFII, and I’m working on MEI and CFI-G. My career goal is to fly for UPS, so I’m wanting to take the proper steps to get there without any unnecessary runarounds or delays. With that said, I’m wanting to put together a plan to get there. The industry probably won’t be back to where it was in December, but for planning purposes let’s say the virus is gone by the time I do this and the industry has mostly recovered. So, I’ve been debating between a couple of different options.

The first one was to get to 1,200 hours total time and get hired as a captain for a 135 or Ameriflight or Freight Runners in a twin turbine aircraft like the BE99s. That way I’m getting twin turbine PIC time right away. I’ve also heard the pilots at most of these places don’t get much flight time so it would take longer to get the required flight time. Thoughts on this? Is there one company to fly for that would get me in the door at UPS sooner?

Another option would be to do the regional airline route once I get 1,500 hours. My only concern with that is the time lost as an FO before I could upgrade to captain and really begin logging the PIC time frequently. But I would get 121 experience.

Another option could be a mixture of the above two where I fly for a 135 for a while until I get the time there, then transition to a regional as an FO and maybe upgrade to captain depending on timing, then off to UPS.

If anyone has any other suggestions, please feel free to mention them.

I know today isn’t the time to try to get hired on somewhere due to the virus and the impact on the industry. I’m still six months to a year away from making a decision on which route to take, so let's hope the industry has recovered mostly from this.

Thank you all so much for your help. I greatly appreciate it.

C17B74

Get hours to gain the ATP, PIC time is superb, but Atlas or other ACMI’s will probably do the trick. Constant flow of folks have been hired by our grooming program. UPS, FedEx, you name it. We provide for all opportunities, just ask a senior or junior UPS crew dawg to substantiate.

usmc-sgt

You want the quickest path to UPS, and mention places like Ameriflight and freight runners. In the time it took to write that post, you didn’t see this?

https://w3.ameriflight.com/ameriflig...ally-underway/

foxtroutuniform

All three of those guys are on the line now and more have been hired since. It is not a show up, fly, and go home program though.

Machtransition

Disclaimer: I'm not a UPS pilot yet, but I have interviewed and I am in the pilot pool.

Start meeting as many UPS pilots as you can. Make it known that you want the job by planting the seeds and then watering them consistently for as long as it takes! My internal recommendations were without a doubt the catalyst that got me the phone call finally.

Good luck to you!

Turd_Ferguson

I've actually looked into that program quite a bit and have talked to both Ameriflight and UPS recruiters about it. It seems like a decent program but it is only a guaranteed interview. I'm more focused on how to get the required experience under my belt. I was also told it would take a while to get the hours with Ameriflight. I'm not sure if that's true or not.

BoilerUP

UPS was highly competitive before, it'll only be more competitive in the near term. There really is no "fast" way to get here.

In order to be competitive, you'll need AT LEAST a bachelors degree and 1000 multi-turbine PIC. Having instructor, check airman, management, heavy jet and/or international experience all help raise one's application score. Having referrals from UPS pilots who have previously flown with you are also helpful at boosting one's score.

Ameriflight's program is no sure thing - nothing is - but we've already had the first 'pure AMF' Gateway pilots hired and on the line, and the first former UPS interns who went to AMF are probably within a couple years of being eligible to come back.

Going to a regional will give you overall more career options, but realistically you're looking at 4 years there (whenever hiring starts again) before upgrading and getting enough PIC time to be competitive.

I don't think what airframe one gets multi TPIC in really matters, but if its a turboprop after 1000-1500 hours of TPIC getting into some sort of jet will be very helpful UNLESS you are coming via the AMF Gateway Program.

If you are eligible to be a UPS intern, that would be a FANTASTIC way for you to get your foot in the door by showing significant interest in the company, learning the operation, meeting line pilots, proving yourself to the flight and ground management personnel who oversee those positions. In my opinion as a former Co-op (what interns used to be called) it is absolutely worth the time investment if your end goal is to get into brown polyester ASAP.

pony172

I would modify this by replacing UPS pilots with FQS in this statement. Once you get a call, having the rec from an IPA pilot might help. Meet and greets with HR and FQS, not line pilots, seem to be what gets some people noticed. If a line pilot got through the locked door to HR, let me now how they did it. Walked by the door during CQ6 last week. Didn't even see the paper sign taped to door anymore. Sometimes line pilots have been at these hiring fairs, but that is usually the folks already involved in OBAP and WIA type of groups.

Machtransition

Understood. I also attended a job fair - so that could have been it as well.

tnkrdrvr

I totally agree that FQS types can tip the scale more heavily in your favor. However, as a line guy I have found that simply knocking on HR’s door and politely handing them a resume with a “this guy would be a great fit here” can also shake things loose. No guarantees obviously, but it got one of the guys I was pushing an interview recently. Candidate background obviously matter. The guy I was pushing had a strong military and civilian background.