Hi all,

I'm debating applying at UPS. I live in NKY south of Cinci. I'm a senior regional capt/sim instructor with 12K hours, with alot of UPS connections, all the way back to when I loaded the trucks years ago. A couple questions:

Is SDF right out of training possible? Fleet doesn't matter to me as much as location. I've been driving to Columbus so Louisville would actually be closer.

How much graveyard shift are we talking for new hires? I know the cargo business, and this is one of the main reasons I've stayed on the pax side. I had one of your management pilots in the jumpseat recently and he said alot of the mail contracts are daytime flying...true? That's all I've got! Thanks all.

 

As a regional pilot you would almost certainly be in the light class which is almost certainly going to mean you are based in SDF.

 

You have a good shot at being awarded one of our domestic airplanes out of SDF.

We just had a schedule bid and the bottom 5 SDF 757 guys were awarded Reserve A (on call midnight - noon local). The bottom 5 bus guys were awarded VOR lines, which are a crapshoot of Reserve A, B (noon - midnight), multiday trips, and turns.

Even if you get awarded a Reserve B and get called out to start an afternoon multiday trip, the company will more than likely flip your clock to operate late nights and mornings. Same with the multiday trip lines. They may start out with an afternoon flight you'll operate, or a mid-morning to evening commercial DH, but you'll sometimes be operating during 'graveyard' shift after that first day.

 

Yes there is day flying but it sucks IMO. Basically getting up at 5am and not getting to the hotel after 6pm. Not sure how long your drive is but afternoon turns aren’t bad if you want to be home every night. There is something for everyone here but this job isn’t for everybody.

 

A lot of the postal flying is daytime flying. However, if a few straight bid periods of night flying is a dealbreaker, don’t come to UPS. In your shoes, I would pursue the job and plan to bid reserve, but I’m not so bothered by night flying. On reserve, assuming you live within 1.5 hours of Edgewood, you will work less than 14 days/month which makes the schedules more tolerable.

 

It also depends on your age relative to your classmates. The older you are, the more likely it is that you will get your first choice of base/equipment.

 

I’ll hijack this thread…

How is reserve normally split up for new hires? Assuming 14 days in a 28 day bid cycle, is there a way to stack them in a way to only have commute twice a month?

Also, do most junior line holders still hold on to a crash pad, or are there ways to make it commuter friendly with only a few SDF hotel nights at own expense?

 

It is fleet/domicile dependent and seems to vary by bid period...but generally speaking, a super junior person on RSV likely will have 4-6 blocks of reserve in a 56 day bid period, sometimes more. Moving RSV days is contractually allowed, but the rules are restrictive and in practice doing it isn't super probable.

I hope that changes with an eventual TA.

Again, it depends. Some junior lineholders use crash pads, other use hotels (there are a handful of 'commuter hotels' near the airport), some just come into the sort and grab a sleep room to get some rest prior to a trip starting.

 

I’m looking at the latest SDF 76 bit package. Most of the reserve airlines are one to two reports every four week block. Some have three one month and two the other, the worst I found was three in one month and four in the second month. Doesn’t necessarily drop down to the plug - locals might like it for days off, etc.

Closest comparison to our night flying at the regionals is stand-ups, high-speeds or whatever you call them. Difference is you do a 6 night block of them and very often either the front end or back end in a paid ticket to or from wherever the plane is. Other difference is you’re looking at anywhere from 0 to 4 hrs sleep opportunity during the night but not usually at a hotel, though sometimes.

Legacies have hired a lot of yunngins, we hire older folk. Might have a seniority progression if you come here but I’d run the numbers.

Your location wouldn’t suck for this job esp if you are 90 mins or less from the parking lot gate. Definitely make brown a serious consideration.

Good luck!!

 

SDF is most likely the base you would get flying the light twins. My standard answer is do the short drive and jumpseat around through the sort a few nights in a row. Yes day time is possible now with the postal contract which may or may not stay long. What will stay until the second coming is night flying. UPS is a different animal. The pilots are simply an unwanted but necessary cog in the wheel to support the trucks. It has been a good job for me but very hard on a family working nights.

Good luck