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After almost 40 years of his career in aviation, from flying A-10s in the Gulf War to Captain of a Super 80 at AA, my father retires from FedEx this week. He’s the reason I love planes so much. So in honor of his flying, here is one of his takeoffs on the FedEx MD-11.PlaneSpotting (v.redd.it)

submitted by lawdfarquaaad43

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[–]svader_95 601 points602 points  (12 children)

Your dad is probably the coolest person 36k feet up. Congratulations to his carrer.

[–]svader_95 208 points209 points  (10 children)

Carreer. Sorry.

[–]flameheadthrower1 150 points151 points  (4 children)

Career, lol

[–]FlatulateHealthilyOK 63 points64 points  (2 children)

Car ear

[–]copperholic 20 points21 points  (0 children)

Car hair. It's like bike hair but worse.

[–]HondaV-TecPowerrrr 12 points13 points  (0 children)

r/BoneAppleTea

[–]Met76 18 points19 points  (0 children)

Carrier

[–]sucksatgolf 30 points31 points  (3 children)

Job.

[–]will49 18 points19 points  (2 children)

Thing he does.

[–]CursedEarth-Pizza 4 points5 points  (1 child)

I like money

[–]Himoy 2 points3 points  (0 children)

You like money too?!

[–]DaKBro 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ka rear

[–]ninersfan01 167 points168 points  (9 children)

Curious what your fathers schedule is like flying for FedEx.

Also, congrats to him and his career.

[–]lawdfarquaaad[S] 224 points225 points  (7 children)

So starting out at FedEx he flew a lot of late night/early morning pushes and that sucked, especially as he got older. But for the past 10 years he’s been flying more of the day/early night legs. He’s usually gone for a 4/5/6 days and then off for a week. I’ve seen it be on for one week, off for another.

He does complain more now in the last few years the waiting for planes to unload and load have caused huge delays and pains for pilots…Covid really messed it up (and pay), people just wouldn’t show up to work.

But out of all his flying, FedEx has been his favorite company.

[–]maallen40 55 points56 points  (1 child)

Was he still doing a bunch of nightly rotations towards the end of his career? The first 10 or so years for me was exhausting, but it got easier as the years piled on.

[–]lawdfarquaaad[S] 56 points57 points  (0 children)

Not as many towards the end. He would randomly pick up a Leg because it had draft pay or some extra $$, but most of those flights would get him in before midnight. In the early part of his career he was doing a lot of early morning pushes at like 4am out of Memphis.

[–]allemande 20 points21 points  (2 children)

If you wouldn’t mind asking… why did he leave AA for FedEx? If he had the opportunity to choose between the next 30 years at AA or FedEx… what would he suggest and why? Thank you!

[–]lawdfarquaaad[S] 41 points42 points  (0 children)

I’ll ask him when I speak to him again. I did confuse his title, so he was a FO at AA until 9/11, got furloughed, became captain at American Eagle. Then he switched. So I think it really had to do with more stability in cargo, not dealing with passengers and better schedule (on/off periods).

[–]Lukanian7 17 points18 points  (0 children)

I work in the industry and, while pax ops suffered immensely during and after COVID, cargo demand skyrocketed.

Also, the quality and cadre of the rampers and other corporate folks in the traditional 'airline industry' has diminished since the 2000s. At least newcomers to cargo airlines have overlap in other non-aviation fields (trucking, freight forwarding, logistics, rail, customs, etc.).

As for pax ops, what is comparable? Greyhound busses? Amtrak? It sounds like a joke, but truly. Ultlimately, it has become whoever can do the job(s) at bottom dollar - even before Covid.

[–]ninersfan01 8 points9 points  (1 child)

Nice.

I have fedex planes flying over my house daily delivering at a airport 30 Miles away so I’ve always wondered what it’s like flying for them.

[–]speedbird92 10 points11 points  (0 children)

30 Mikes between you and the airport seems like a bit overkill don't ya think? There shouldn't be that many Mikes in one area all at once.

[–]Mike__O 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Being that senior the "job" is more like a part-time hobby.

[–]Stichschnake 119 points120 points  (6 children)

Damn, the A10 and the DC10/MD11 are two of the coolest military and civilian aircraft there are, what a career he’s had. Congratulations

[–]ShnizelInBag 14 points15 points  (5 children)

Can't get any cooler than that

[–]kaptain_sparty 8 points9 points  (4 children)

SR-71

[–]ShnizelInBag 6 points7 points  (3 children)

SR71 doesn't have a GAU8

[–]kaptain_sparty 15 points16 points  (2 children)

Don't need gun when you outrun bullets

[–]Rogue__Jedi 5 points6 points  (1 child)

I wonder if we'll ever get confirmation on the limits of SR-71's speed. Officially it has been clocked at 2,193.2 MPH(Mach 3.3). There are stories of it surpassing 2600 MPH(Mach 3.5) to evade a missile over Libya.

[–]kaptain_sparty 4 points5 points  (0 children)

From, what I've heard they were limited by temperature. Fuel was scheduled at M3.2 which was about 50% AB. Faster was possible and more fuel efficient but the skin, glass, engines, and avionics cooling couldn't handle much more. Look at X-15 and spacecraft to see what would be needed.

[–]bleaucheaunx 57 points58 points  (2 children)

I totally get that. Yeah, the best Sim instructors are those who've actually flown in just about every possible situation. If a student says "that could never happen! " your dad could turn around and say "well back in '93..." Best of luck to him in whatever he decides to do next! I truly admire anyone who can grease a landing in an MD-11. Those puppies love to over-rotate and either tail strike or smack the nose gear.

[–]lawdfarquaaad[S] 27 points28 points  (1 child)

Oh trust me he’s told me a few times about some close calls with tail strikes or a GA plane not changing altitude on approach to Ontario, California lol crazy stories that show how skilled these pilots truly are when dealing with unique situations.

[–]Danitoba 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hopefully he blew one of those little fuckers off onto the grass with taxi power!😂 Kidding! Congrats to your father on his retirement! I hope he has a nice day pension! (If FedEx still does pensions)

[–]wtrlvr 29 points30 points  (9 children)

What part of his flying career was his favorite?

[–]lawdfarquaaad[S] 58 points59 points  (8 children)

I have a bet it’s a mix of his days flying the A-10 and being a squadron commander during the Gulf War. I know he would also say his time at FedEx. He’s got to travel to some crazy places during some of his international travels (like Kazakhstan) and just not dealing with passengers makes it so much better.

[–]not_so_plausible 12 points13 points  (4 children)

Does he get free flights wnhe/anywhere like airline pilots do? Do they even have junmpseats?

[–]Lloyd--Christmas 7 points8 points  (1 child)

Ever seen Castaway?

[–]hitchhiketoantarcticATP, A&P 2 points3 points  (1 child)

FedEx (and UPS) pilots have reciprocal jumpseat agreements with everyone. So yea, they can jumpseat.

And the FedEx (and UPS, etc…) planes have jumpseats. The MD10 in the video has a minimum of 4 jumpseats. Some have as many as 10 I think.

[–]not_so_plausible 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for the info!

[–]kaptain_sparty 2 points3 points  (1 child)

What A-10 unit was he with?

[–]lawdfarquaaad[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I believe it was the 74th fighter squadron. He was stationed out of Shaw and Pope AFB.

[–]climber_pilot 201 points202 points  (6 children)

MD-10-30 not an MD-11

[–]lawdfarquaaad[S] 88 points89 points  (4 children)

Ahhh my bad!! Good to know though, thank you!

[–]_austinm 74 points75 points  (2 children)

Yeah, the MD-11’s have winglets. I’m sure there are other distinctions, but that’s how I usually tell.

[–]Mike__O 50 points51 points  (1 child)

MD-11s are also longer, and have a squared end of the fuselage kinda like a 777 vs the MD-10's rounded ends

[–]red_business_sock 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Smaller horizontal stabilizer too.

[–]wewd 27 points28 points  (0 children)

Same type rating, so no worries; your old man is still qualified to fly 'em. 😉

[–]McCheesing 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Can confirm. Source: flew them for 10 years

[–]verwinemaker 23 points24 points  (4 children)

Congrats to him. Did he get the shower on his last landing?

[–]Nobletwoo 13 points14 points  (1 child)

Whats the shower? Im assuming some sort of retirement thing involving a shower?

[–]lawdfarquaaad[S] 33 points34 points  (1 child)

I think so? His last flight lands on Tuesday I believe in Memphis so I hope he gets to experience that!

[–]astone14 19 points20 points  (0 children)

Given it is Memphis, he will get the shower at FedEx International.

Congrats to him

[–]BlackandRead 109 points110 points  (26 children)

I'm not a pilot but the thought of flying a FedEx plane appeals to me. You get to fly and don't have to deal with passengers, seems like a win/win to me.

[–]maybekindofok 62 points63 points  (19 children)

The only negative thing I've heard is that you're strongly encouraged to go through with flights through bad weather. Because if the next-day-guaranteed packages are delayed, they all ship for free

[–]one-each-pilot 27 points28 points  (3 children)

Super not true. We value our safety and operate like any other airline would.

[–]takethetunnel 9 points10 points  (2 children)

Mr. Ex is that you?

[–][deleted]  (1 child)

[deleted]

    [–]Chaseshaw 70 points71 points  (3 children)

    Tom Hanks is aware.

    [–]Met76 24 points25 points  (2 children)

    Yup, I ordered a volleyball and got a notification my shipment was delayed with the delivery date showing 'unknown'. I had to drive to the store to get one. I wonder what happened to it and had a good journey.

    [–]Unfair_Physics 11 points12 points  (1 child)

    I had a similar experience with a pair of ice skates that I ordered. Wouldn’t it be crazy if they were in transit together?

    [–]Met76 5 points6 points  (0 children)

    It's totally a possibility with the logistical contracts FedEx had at the time. Would love to keep chatting about possibilities but I have a dentist appointment to get to.

    [–]lowendgenerator 21 points22 points  (0 children)

    Not necessarily true. I sell/ship for a living, and FedEx routinely tells me to go fuck myself if their NDA service doesn’t arrive on time. No refunds, no apologies, no excuses.

    [–]bwh520 13 points14 points  (1 child)

    Is that true? Ups specifically states that packages delayed due to weather are exempt from guaranteed service refunds. I'd be surprised if FedEx was different.

    [–]Lokitusaborg 2 points3 points  (0 children)

    Not true at all.

    [–]InterstellarFlyer 9 points10 points  (2 children)

    Sorry, this is nonsense. I work for a similar airline and, passengers or not, the primary number one aspect to any flight is safety, principally to the crew, to others around the airframe and the airframe itself. There is absolutely no way a crew would be officially 'strongly encouraged' to fly through bad weather. That is a complete violation of the safety nets and procedures which are implemented and enforced by the regulators like the FAA/CAA etc. Also, no Captain worth his salt would accept an instruction like this without getting the unions involved. The whole concept of this occuring is a litigious nightmare and it's simply not true. Once the wheels are off the deck, a cargo airliner is flown and operated just like any other.

    [–]lawdfarquaaad[S] 3 points4 points  (1 child)

    I think in some cases where there are more turbulence than most passengers would like to deal with, cargo planes wouldn’t mind it. But there have been a handful of times pushing from Memphis they have had to “lead the pack” in poor weather. Now that doesn’t mean they are taking off in zero visibility, hail/tornado weather or extreme wind gusts, but they do push it.

    [–]lawdfarquaaad[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

    Yeah he’s told me a few times about how they or other cargo jets will take off first when weather isn’t the greatest due to extreme turbulence or wind conditions so they can report back how bad it is for the commercial airlines. Yah they don’t care how bumpy it is, no Karen’s to complain.

    [–]WanderAbroad 7 points8 points  (1 child)

    That just seems like a good time honestly. As long as I can wear my brown robe.

    [–]ShittyLanding 5 points6 points  (0 children)

    Tell me you’ve never flown through really shitty weather without telling me….

    [–]Lokitusaborg 1 point2 points  (0 children)

    Not true at all. Ignoring the ethical reasons look at the pragmatic reasons. Why risk the lives of crew and a multi-million dollar asset to miss a delay on insured freight?

    [–]WinnieThePig 1 point2 points  (0 children)

    Having done both...it's the better side of flying for sure.

    [–]funkybside 2 points3 points  (4 children)

    typically fly older models though right?

    [–]VivaceConBrio 20 points21 points  (2 children)

    Cargo companies do buy/refit/repurpose aircraft from passenger airlines, yes.

    But they also do buy right off the production line new, too. My brother worked on the engines for the Cessna SkyCourier that just got its type certification from the FAA this year. FedEx was heavily involved in the design process and pre-ordered a good number of them well in advance of FAA signing off.

    Cargo companies aren't just using hand-me-downs. They got freight to move that can't wait.

    [–]Moladh_McDiff_Tiarna 5 points6 points  (1 child)

    Cessna SkyCourier

    Man I'm not sure what it is but I love the look of those. I guess I've just always been kind of drawn to those shorthaul utilitarian types like the Pilatus Porter or the C208.

    [–]VivaceConBrio 3 points4 points  (0 children)

    Oh I hear you man. They're workhorses for short hauls.

    Can't tell you how proud I am that my brother had a big hand in development/testing. Poor guy was pulling 60-80 hour work weeks towards the end of last year to get everything ready for the FAA. I loved the pics he was allowed to send of their prototype.

    From what he's told me, that thing is a pretty kickass turboprop!

    [–]GodLibertyGunsGold 5 points6 points  (0 children)

    It's a lot of older stuff like used MD-10-10s and were still flying 727s until about 8 years ago. They get brand new stuff all the time too though. They also have one of the best maintenance programs from what I've heard.

    [–]KosherKush1337 19 points20 points  (0 children)

    I was on an American Airlines flight recently and they announced the pilot is retiring at the end of April after 40 years of flying. Former military pilot as well. So while taxiing to the runway, the airport fire engines were spraying their water cannons over the place in an arc. Was really cool to see in person.

    Edit: congrats to your dad on his career and retirement!

    [–]vtol_sstoCFM56-5C4 13 points14 points  (2 children)

    Jesus. People aren't kidding when they say that the DC-10 has a MASSIVE tailplane... look at the size of those stabilisers!

    [–]pl0nk 5 points6 points  (1 child)

    Now that you pointed it out I can’t un-see it. Enormous. Wonder if that’s common to three holers

    [–]vtol_sstoCFM56-5C4 1 point2 points  (0 children)

    As far as I recall, they made it smaller for the MD-11 and consequently that plane needed higher landing speeds.

    [–]g8z05 7 points8 points  (1 child)

    Trijets are so damn cool

    [–]echsandwich 4 points5 points  (0 children)

    Always like seeing an MD-10/11. Will be sad to see them go eventually.

    [–]BikerJedi 52 points53 points  (2 children)

    An A-10 saved my life in Iraq in Desert Storm. It could have been your Dad. Even if it wasn't him, tell dad thanks.

    [–]Mountain-Ad741 8 points9 points  (0 children)

    Very cool. Congrats to your dad. I’m lucky to get to work on the FedEx jets daily.

    [–]Itchy_Extension_8719 7 points8 points  (0 children)

    Do FedEx pilots have to snap a photo of their packages when they deliver them too 🤔? 😂

    [–]YYCADM21 17 points18 points  (0 children)

    Please extend congrats to your Dad from a fellow Aviator in Canada. I retired from MY 40 year long career in 2010. It was a Hell of a ride, and I miss it

    [–]HarborFormula 4 points5 points  (3 children)

    Hey this is in San Antonio!

    [–]Conn3er 1 point2 points  (0 children)

    Yup was gonna say dad takes off right by office

    [–]exoxe 1 point2 points  (1 child)

    I'll be flying into San Antonio for the first time in under a month (as a passenger that is), I'm excited to finally check the city out.

    [–]HarborFormula 1 point2 points  (0 children)

    Love it here! And I love the view of approach, doesn’t matter which runway you land on the views are wonderful.

    [–]bleaucheaunx 6 points7 points  (3 children)

    Congrats on a fantastic career! I hope he gets to keep flying some GA machines!

    [–]lawdfarquaaad[S] 8 points9 points  (2 children)

    I think he’s done with flying for awhile but he did speak of becoming a sim instructor as he lives close to a few major airline Hubs. I think he’s certified on three planes with FedEx.

    [–]tehlastcanadian 1 point2 points  (1 child)

    Ask him to do an AMA here!

    [–]lawdfarquaaad[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    Come this week, he’ll have plenty of time to chat about it, so this would be something I can totally setup!

    [–]KM77777 2 points3 points  (0 children)

    My earliest love of aviation saw my dad take off in single engines all the way up to large corporate jets. Standing there with my hands in the fence, peering through the holes, up to loving the smell of fuel. While he is no longer here, every plane flying overhead has me looking up to him, or stopping at an airport to see a plane land or take off. Godspeed dad.

    [–]fysmo 2 points3 points  (0 children)

    I’m sure I met your Dad. I’m in KOAK. Tell him congratulations and best of luck

    [–]KidKalashnikov 2 points3 points  (0 children)

    MD-10 actually as it’s doesn’t have winglets, a longer body, and a pint he’d tail

    [–]maallen40 7 points8 points  (0 children)

    What's your dad's name? I gave 29 years.

    [–]Beneficial_Being_721 5 points6 points  (2 children)

    Awesome…. Congratulations on his retirement… Give him a “THUMBS UP” from a former A-10 Crew Chief. ( 1990-96 )

    [–]The_Ace_Trace_2 1 point2 points  (1 child)

    Current A-10 avionics guy, nuts to think if you were ever in the squadron I’m in we could’ve worked the same jet

    [–]Beneficial_Being_721 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    My A-10 days was all PA ANG ( post active) 111th CAMS /111th FG WILLOW GROVE PA ( closed late 90’s )

    [–]ImADopeChicken17 3 points4 points  (0 children)

    tell him i say thank you for your service!

    [–]ewfb6 1 point2 points  (0 children)

    Very cool career! Congrats to your dad.

    [–]booboobagginz 1 point2 points  (1 child)

    Why did he decide to switch from AA to FedEx?

    [–]ChadBreeder1 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    That’s what I want to know. As a Captain on the MD-80 he never would have been furloughed so that was on him for whatever reason.

    [–]Buy_Once_Cry_Once 1 point2 points  (0 children)

    Thank your dad for all the Amazon packages!

    [–]will49 1 point2 points  (0 children)

    Congratulations to your dad on a job well done. The skies will not be the same without him.

    [–]VertWheeler35 1 point2 points  (0 children)

    Trijets are beautiful. I love that fedex still flies them.

    [–]Chilichongoes 1 point2 points  (0 children)

    I didn’t know they still operated their DC-10s

    [–]Dingleburberry 1 point2 points  (0 children)

    Damn great form, fantastic dismount. And I know this because I, too, am an airplane.

    [–]ukatc 1 point2 points  (0 children)

    All the best to your Dad, I’m UK based and have probably spoken to him at some point, the FedEx MD11s are always great that work with!

    [–]DeroTurtle 1 point2 points  (0 children)

    There's something about centerline engines that really does it for me

    [–]Difficult-Buddy5281 1 point2 points  (0 children)

    Wow your father got a amazing career man

    [–]Herks-n-molines 1 point2 points  (0 children)

    I’ll be that guy and say that’s a DC-10 not an MD-11—-buuuuuuuut I’m in a similar boat as you! Thank your dad for his service && may he have a happy retirement. It’s not what it used to be, but they keep doing it because it’s an industry they love.

    [–]joeybagofdonuts80 1 point2 points  (0 children)

    r/praisethecameraman

    [–]nyperfox 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    So he's the asshat breaking my packages. Jk lol

    [–]M0peyD0pey 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    God fucking damn that's a big ass plane

    [–]Metalbasher324 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    Cheers, huzzah, and happy trails.

    [–]vertazontal 0 points1 point  (1 child)

    Is that ATL?

    [–]vanpatten 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    What squadron was he in? A-10 has to be so much fun. You should put him in a DCS A-10 sim and see what he thinks!

    [–]ThomasLKT 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    Flying a trijet is what every pilot dreams to do. Hats off to your father. That takeoff looks sexy af to me.

    [–]cle_oh 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    Cheers to you and your Dad!

    [–]recceteddy 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    being a fighter pilot has always been my dream. damn red green colorblindness.

    [–]Eirikur_da_Czech 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    Congrats on your dad not going crazy and attacking his co-pilots with a hammer.

    [–]Orion_2236 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    I'll offer my thanks for his service and wish him well in retirement. Aviation has been a passion of mine my whole life, but my career has taken me other places. You should be proud of your Dad. It sounds like he's a great guy.

    [–]PlanesOfFame 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    Very cool. Nice video right out of one of my favorite places to watch airplanes. They gave a few nightly cargo routes which consistently run Md-11s and A-310s, and there's still a 757 that comes through there every night which is a treat to see. I've probably seen your dad flying around a decent number of times if he goes through KSAT often

    [–]Rhino676971 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    What a career I’m working on my private pilot license at the moment and working for fedex unloading fedex feeders and mainline, I wouldn’t mind flying for them at all of the pilots I’ve talked to love it, and they can’t give me their exact pay but they all says it’s pretty good.

    [–]stupidCORONAvirusQ 0 points1 point  (2 children)

    Is the world flat?

    [–]SPav8r 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    No

    [–]porkchop_express___ 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    Lol what?

    [–]BASK_IN_MY_FART 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    Will he have a plane named after him? I know FedEx does that for some long standing employees that retire

    [–]Clienterror 0 points1 point  (1 child)

    Tell your dad “Thank you” from me. He and his kind saved our asses in A-10’s numerous times. Come across a tank column, call air support, hear some burping son of a bitches, and oh hey look the valley is now obliterated.

    [–]The_Ace_Trace_2 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    That’s why I love working on them, they can be crankity old birds but seeing them take off knowing I helped possibly save a life on the ground is just indescribable

    [–]Moseiselybrothers 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    This is awesome! I start at Fedex at the end of the month myself.

    [–]indimedia 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    Dad’s a badass

    [–]HalfFoods 0 points1 point  (1 child)

    No winglets?

    [–]comptiger5000 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    MD-10s don't have them. If I'm reading the tail number correctly in the video, this is N304FE, which is an MD-10-30 (not an MD-11).

    [–]1Tikitorch 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    Wish your Father, all the very best in his future & Congratulations 🍾🥂

    [–]Yuu_Got_Job 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    I love the MD-11

    [–]Warlizard 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    I might have listened to him when I was over there. Might have even seen him flying around.

    Tell him one of the ground peasants says hey.

    [–]mrgtiguy 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    Bravo Zulu to him.

    [–]trikkyt 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    What a beautiful machine. Big aircraft like this appear to defy the laws of physics. I'm always amazed something that big and heavy can appear to her airborne effortlessly. (Although, I guess there are three big engines worth of effort at play here, along with Newton and Bernoulli graciously providing lift.)

    [–]Clouseau187 0 points1 point  (1 child)

    i loved to fly in FSX with these planes. I miss them.

    [–]SuperCellStudios 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    PMDG MD11 was the best

    [–]EtherOverBitcoin 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    When your dad was flying the A-10.....where was he based?

    [–]Trwoodyy 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    Ask him how Tom is doing. I know it’s been 22 years but we all still worry about him and Wilson…….. In all seriousness congrats to your father. As a infantryman in the army the A-10 pilots will always have a special place in our hearts. BRRRRRRTTTT 🇺🇸

    [–]gudbote 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    Respect to the cargo pilots, keeping the world moving.

    [–]Selfmurderingsmirk 0 points1 point  (1 child)

    Damn I love the tri-jets

    [–]alphabet_order_bot 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    Would you look at that, all of the words in your comment are in alphabetical order.

    I have checked 724,489,981 comments, and only 146,211 of them were in alphabetical order.

    [–]matthewe-x 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    Congratulations

    [–]Jswartz18 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    Honest question, what all does a pilot do for big aircraft— I thought it was all computerized and pilots only take over when things go wrong?

    [–]lmr3006 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    Is this out at Alliance, North Ft. Worth?

    [–]Bullet_Maggnet 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    The MD10 was probably Ex-AA, completing the circle for your father.

    Edit- That's not a MD-11,it's a MD-10.

    [–]razorbackgeek 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    What a gorgeous livery. Congrats to your pops!

    [–]Soaring1023 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    Is this KSAT?

    [–]Planeless_Pilot 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    He sped up, pulled back, flew up…textbook takeoff. Nicely done.

    [–]cat_prophecy 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    Kinda crazy that FedEx is still running a Tri-Jet. I suppose it's paid off by now so cheaper to run?

    [–]razorvolt 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    Please tell him congratulations for me — hope he enjoys his retirement!

    [–]Soft-Spot 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    As a Former US Ranger, please thank him for his service for me.

    [–]Feeves 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    Hey! I know this airport! Congratulations on his milestone. No doubt I’ve seen him on approach plenty of times from my window.

    [–]devolute 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    A-10 Gulf War veteran's last flight.

    *Cowers in British

    [–]herkguyUSAF ANG C-130H 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    I fly MD11s for FedEx I wonder if I flew with him

    [–]WinnieThePig 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    Tell you dad thanks for the bump in seniority and enjoy the A plan! We'll try not to kill it.

    [–]Theoneandonlybigmoe 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    Congratulations.

    [–]SubstantialSeesaw998 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    Awesome! It was my grandfather who got me into flying, and who gave me my first plane, a Cessna 152, for my Graduation.

    Congratulations to your dad. May he enjoy his retirement!

    [–]bluehen0804 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    Congratulations on a great career. God speed

    [–]SteveCorpGuy4 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    Congratulations to him!

    Btw that’s an MD-10.

    [–]ajthesilent 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    Congrats on his career

    [–]DatBeigeBoyCessna 182 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    Aye pops, think I can take your spot on the MD?

    [–]simwebfanconnor 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    What airport is this?

    [–]JaviSATX 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    I didn’t expect to see SAT when I played this video. I used to live just north of there and knew when it was the FedEx MD flying over every night.

    [–]Nagantman -1 points0 points  (0 children)

    No one like a quitter. Enjoy your time on the ground.