Who would you rather have as a new hire FO? F-16 pilot with 2000 hour total but nearly all tpic or the original poster with intl experience and 10k hours?

 

Which one is vaccinated?

 

that made me laugh! Can we just agree UPS misses out on some great applicants? I like the 1000 tpic requirement because it is a good filter for hiring great experience. I just wonder in this environment if it will ever change.

 

I’ll answer with a question. UPS is looking for professionals with proven command and direct leadership experience. Who do you think they will pick? A retired F16 flight lead with formal mentorship and leadership training or someone who has played second fiddle in the civilian sandbox for a decade? Bear in mind an FO at Qatar or Etihad is not particularly encouraged to take an assertive leadership position in the presence of the Captain.

 

Realistically, it's always been that way. There were many hired at TWA/United in the 90s without PIC who were stuck after 9/11.

 

I know who I would pick. I also like the TPIC requirement. However, that doesn’t mean that I’m unsympathetic to the example presented. Hopefully we won’t need to drop the 1,000 TPIC requirement. HR also needs to apply a more jaundiced eye to applicants coming from carriers that don’t participate with PRIA. They can game the system and there is little that will give it away now that the sim portion of the interview is gone.

 

…..to play second fiddle for 6-7 years.

 

Didn’t realise my post would cause quite the fervour! I’m sure an F16 squadron leader/Topgun Maverick would be a good candidate at UPS, however, despite not having the command time; I’d like to think the BA and Cathay training would stand me in good stead also. Indeed, I hear through the grapevine that UPS are very happy with their Cathay applicants….
Just a quick one tnkrdrvr, all due respect but on the PRIA issue, no one ever accused Cathay, BA or even Ryanair of having low standards and no need to game any system!

 

That wasn’t aimed at you. Cathay, Emirates, and several other international carriers train to a very high standard and UPS HR has little to complain about those applicants. However, there are a far larger number of carriers overseas that do not train to high standards and are very opaque when it comes to training records and even flying hours. There have been a number of pilots hired here with impressive sounding resumes who struggled with basic airmanship, let alone leadership. The company is hiring future captains, so it is reasonable for them to desire proof you can do that job. Obviously, if they receive too few applicants that may change. I have no idea why your career has worked out the way it has. You have shown a high degree of ability at the carriers you flew with. Unfortunately, you haven’t met one of the basic prerequisites for the job at UPS. Every legacy carrier would likely snap you up, so it’s not like you are consigned to flying overseas forever.

 

Yes I fully understand the UPS tpic requirement and agree it’s there for a good reason.