J_hallgren From United States of America, joined Jun 2000, 1507 posts, RR: 0 Posted (9 years 8 months 4 weeks 1 day 8 hours ago) and read 1510 times:
I found tonight that one of my tenants in my summer cottages for this week is a F/O for FedEx and normally flies an A300...he was a pilot in Navy before that...been with FedEx for 7(?) yrs...
He did NOT know of this site/forum so told/showed him...I was thinking...what one quick question would you ask him IF you could?
I hope to be able to pass this on to him and see what his response is...the most intersting thing he said was that they fly in ALL conditions! Even when pax flights don't. And if they don't want to fly, someone else will...so doesn't sound like to secure of a job!
A330Fan1 From United States of America, joined Jul 2003, 856 posts, RR: 12 Reply 1, posted (9 years 8 months 4 weeks 1 day 7 hours ago) and read 1480 times:
I would ask:
Do you get lonely up there, since there are only a few people on the airplane?
J_hallgren From United States of America, joined Jun 2000, 1507 posts, RR: 0 Reply 2, posted (9 years 8 months 4 weeks 1 day 7 hours ago) and read 1469 times:
Ok...I'll ask during day on Friday when i see him...remember, he's on vacation so timing may be uncertain...
I did ask myself (earlier tonight when he was using my phone to bid on his schedule) if not dealing with pax was a good thing...he said yes...also... his Navy squadrom buddies kinda looked down at him for working at FedEx...but he has a job now...some of them who worked for major pax ones don't, he said.
Markus From United States of America, joined May 1999, 275 posts, RR: 0 Reply 3, posted (9 years 8 months 4 weeks 1 day 6 hours ago) and read 1436 times:
Nothing wrong with working for FedEx...we're a great company, and making money, and expanding, and hiring (at least the division I now work for).
Cheers,
Markus
FedEx Ground
JMChladek From United States of America, joined Aug 2003, 331 posts, RR: 0 Reply 4, posted (9 years 8 months 4 weeks 1 day 5 hours ago) and read 1422 times:
I checked out one of the FedEx A310s at an airshow last weekend and chatted with the pilot who had a similar background. All things considered, if other FedEx planes have cockpits as sweet as that one is (203 freighter with converted glass cockpit), then I certainly wouldn't mind flying for them as flight experience is flight experience. Besides, with no passengers or flight attendants to deal with, it may be quiet, but you also wouldn't have to deal with the "baggage" that potentially comes with them either. Fed Ex planes are set up with some jump seats though, for times that they do carry a small number of people to ride along (I don't think passenger would exactly be the correct term though since we would be talking about employees here).
I suppose my question would be that if they do fly in all weather, what nav and sight aids do they have for poor visibility conditions? (i.e. a HUD perhaps?)
J_hallgren From United States of America, joined Jun 2000, 1507 posts, RR: 0 Reply 5, posted (9 years 8 months 4 weeks 23 hours ago) and read 1338 times:
Will add that to prior question on the "ask" list...
He said he may be in third phase of flying...1st is where you pay to fly...2nd is where they pay you to fly...3rd is where you try to get paid not to fly...
Said also once when he first started, they were in a 727 going from Portland ME (as I recall), and it was snowing hard...had 6 inches on ground...manual said 4 inches max is valid...they did it anyway...he was not quite thrilled as I understood it...
J_hallgren From United States of America, joined Jun 2000, 1507 posts, RR: 0 Reply 6, posted (9 years 8 months 4 weeks 7 hours ago) and read 1233 times:
Answers to the two questions:
1) Lonely up there? He said no..not much diff from commercial...since in-flight, there is little if any communication with F/A's and none with pax...
2) Special equip? He said cockpit is same as non-FedEx..just the back of the "bus" is one big empty area!
Sponsor Message: 
From United States of America, joined Jun 2000, 1507 posts, 
Printer friendly format 
