F23HB

Thanks for the input and perspective, whalesurfer. I appreciate the time you take to give us all some insight.

What about relative seniority between the two? Which of the two choices would one rise in relative seniority faster to the point where one starts to have a little more control or options?

You also mention bidding to SDF after a year or so. How do ANC 74 trips compare to SDF 74 trips. Same, just easier commute?

whalesurfer

You’re welcome FT3HB.

Good questions, I hope others will chime in because it’d be good for you all to hear other perspectives.

Initially your seniority would be about the same because being junior, at the very bottom, sucks no matter which domicile and fleet it is.

However, you’ll be moving up in seniority much quicker in Anchorage than you will in SDF. People don’t like to commute and when they can’t take it anymore they bid over somewhere closer to home - which then frees up more senior schedules to junior folks.

As far as the 747 SDF domicile - the truth is no one really knows what the trips will look like a month from now. This is a brand new domicile and the company is still trying to decide how to operate it. If I were to guesstimate, Anchorage trips are probably about 95% international. SDF has more domestic trips to choose from (ie, PHL, MIA, DFW on top of the ones ANC crews fly) BUT for now it looks like all of 747 SDF fleet expansion is happening on the international side too.

New hires of today have the advantage of being able to bid the airplane and domicile of their choice (if there are choices in the specific class). However, that’s also a disadvantage because folks worry about something which honestly isn’t that important because it’s temporary.

Think of it this way - no matter which fleet and domicile y’all get you will all end up with great careers here and will become financially ‘comfortable’ in no time.

To answer the original question:

• If quality- or ease of your commute is your # 1 priority - bid MD or anything else in Louisville [or Ontario] since you live in Texas.
• If quality of your trips matter more than your commute - bid 747 ANC and eventually bid over to Louisville. You won’t need any additional training and you’ll have the best of both worlds - the ability to fly international and domestic trips. ..and also a relatively ‘easy’ commute.

Good luck everyone. Those are good “problems” to have.

FTv3

ANC 74 is huge. 400 FOs, the median FO is a 2017 hire. There are 142 guys from 2007 and earlier.

SDF 74 is about 100. The median FO is also a 2017 hire but the plug is an Aug 2019 hire.

SDF MD has just shy of 200. Median, again a 2017 hire. The bottom 50 were hired in 2020&2021. The top 40 are 2007 and earlier.

IMHO, MD will give you the quickest rise, followed by ANC. As covid issues ease up I can see more and more taking the whale in Sdf. Most certainly more than a year to transfer in.

The lines don’t look too much different between the 74 domiciles. Seems like a lot of the same flying just jumping on and off the circuits at different points. ANC has short (3day) trips to Asia, SDF has the same but to CGN or HNL. SDF has some turns and short domestic stuff but not much. On quick glance, the flying doesn’t seem all that different.

Hope that helps.

FTv3

Its been open for a while and the lines look very similar to what the old MD international lines used to look like, more or less, and this has been the case since the domicile opened. There are only 3/65 domestic lines and they are turns. The rest are as international as ANC. There are some domestic stuffer trips (a turn or short ONT out and back) lightly peppered here and there but that’s about it. I doubt this trend will
change much for the next year or so but yeah, long term is up in the air.

F23HB

Whalesurfer and FTv3, you guys (gender neutral of course) rock! Thanks for taking the time to share all the great info and the peek behind the curtains; I t’s absolutely invaluable for us outsiders.

Whalesurfer, I think you nailed it — it doesn’t matter what you end up with, it’s temporary and either way a great career.

FTv3

Unless you end up on the airbus...

Sorry BoilerUP.

whalesurfer

Very true.

TransWorld

As the old song goes, “ We really moved our tail for you.”

BoilerUP

Its all good, hourly rates are the same

That being said, MD-180 Bunkjet pilots don't get to make fun of anybody, and Flying Crashpad pilots have been clowning other fleets (especially domestic ones) since time began. Besides, are your airplanes EPIC? No, no they are not.

Grease

Are YOUR planes EPIC? No, they are not (mostly)

Sorry, I couldn’t resist....I’ll go back to my corner now