What is UPS FlightPath 1 All About?

UPS® FlightPath I is intended to offer participants outlined paths to gain Part 135 flying experience at Ameriflight and accumulate the flight experience needed to proceed to UPS Airlines, a Part 121 certificated air carrier.

By participating in Path I, UPS Flight Operations interns can take advantage of the unique hands-on experiences and develop highly desirable professional skills, all while working at a Part 121 cargo airline. UPS interns not only gain knowledge in their particular field, they also experience the culture that makes UPS home to some of the most sought after internship programs in the country.

Individuals who successfully complete the internship program and are identified by UPS as eligible will work at Ameriflight as a pilot. Under the program, UPS actively mentors participating Ameriflight pilots. These pilots are encouraged to participate in UPS functions and learn from UPS Airlines’ flight-qualified management and chief pilots.

The program affords UPS flight interns an opportunity to qualify for employment with Ameriflight and UPS Airlines, respectively, upon completion of outlined experience, training and hiring requirements. Ameriflight and UPS may offer employment to eligible pilots subject to their hiring needs, hiring standards and the program requirements.

WHAT OPPORTUNITIES ARE PRESENT AS A UPS FLIGHTPATH INTERN?

In the internship program, one will be engaged in challenging work in a supportive environment that assists in career development as a potential full-time aviation professional. UPS believes in relationship building in a culture that supports community service and sharing knowledge. Through volunteer activities and sponsorship of social events, UPSers collectively make a difference around the globe and encourage interns to join in this rewarding experience.

The hours are primarily Monday through Friday, 0800 – 1700 (8 a.m. – 5 p.m.) with occasional evenings and nights. Eleven of the 12 intern positions are located in Louisville, Kentucky (SDF), and the 12th is located in Anchorage, Alaska (ANC). The Anchorage intern will split responsibilities between the B747 office and the Chief Pilot’s office.

The UPS FlightPath internship position is a yearlong, full-time opportunity. This position is offered in the spring, summer, and fall semesters, but start times are flexible.

Shared Responsibilities

While each intern will have unique responsibilities within their assignment, all interns will share the following responsibilities and activities:

• Conduct Business Development tours of the Flight Training Center for current and prospective customers, including full motion simulator sessions.
• Attend career fairs, conferences, tours, and volunteer events.
• Assist Flight Operations during peak season and on an as needed basis.

*NOTE: When applying for the internship, the candidate is applying to be in the overall program, NOT to fill a specific position. The candidate will be evaluated for the best fit amongst the available positions in Louisville. Candidates for the Anchorage-based internship must specifically apply for it when it becomes available.

Click on each position below to learn more.

Chief Pilot’s Office

One intern is assigned to the Chief Pilot’s office in the Air Service Center in Louisville.

• Assist the System Chief Pilot and Assistant Chief Pilots (ACP) with day-to-day flight operations and interact with UPS flight crews and assets.
• Assist with the development, design and implementation of materials for the ACPs for better interaction and communications with flight crews.
• Design, develop and publish graphic and multi-media content to brief and inform current operational information with flight crews during communication meetings.
• Assist ACPs with crewmember accountability by monitoring various data streams and looking for trends potentially indicating the need for ACP follow-up.
• Assist with the United Way, Global Volunteer Month business development efforts (Take Charge) for all 2,680 crewmembers.
• Will assist the SDF Chief Pilot with managing the new hire program, arranging all details for welcome dinners and volunteer activities.
• Assist with the recognition programs including retirements, service milestones and exceptional performance. Assists with tracking metrics for Aircrew Member of the Year, Community Service Award, and Aircrew Excellence.
• Assist management with military leave program, ensuring UPS continues to provide unparalleled support to our military members.

Fleet Management

Four interns are assigned to the training office of their respective fleets, with the A300, B757/767 and MD-11 offices located in the Flight Training Center in Louisville and the B747 office in Anchorage.

• Assist with all aspects of producing and distributing all fleet training materials, presentations and classroom materials.
• Draw, design, develop and publish graphic and multimedia content used to train UPS flight crews.
• Assist with audits by gathering, analyzing and reporting data.
• Create fixed-base simulator lesson plans for training of UPS crewmembers and interact daily with instructors to ensure the highest quality of new training material.

Flight Operations Technical & Safety (FOTAS)

Two interns are assigned to the Flight Operations Technical and Safety office in the Air Service Center in Louisville.

• Assist in developing, updating, formatting, printing and distributing gateway and airport information for Flight Operations.
• Organize, format and create presentations used to communicate various flight, operational and company information to crewmembers.
• Draw, design, develop and publish graphic and multimedia content used to train UPS flight crews.
• Communicate directly with crewmembers, management pilots and other UPS staff in order to gather or distribute airport, flight, gateway and operational information. Organize and compile the data for distribution through various channels.

Program Development

Two interns are assigned to the Program Development office in the Flight Training Center in Louisville.

• Assist in managing and developing computer based training for UPS Flight crewmembers.
• Assist with analyzing proposed training projects to determine the appropriate level of training required to transfer the skills and knowledge to the target audience.
• Organize studies and analyze training and operational data to test and support the proposed Instructional Situational Design (ISD) and validate the results.
• Assist in managing learning content and crewmember assignments using the company’s Learning Management System (LMS).
• Communicate with crewmembers to assist in troubleshooting technical issues, primarily on the EFK.

Quality Assurance

Two interns are assigned to the Flight Standards Quality Assurance office in the Flight Training Center in Louisville.

Their duties will vary depending on department needs at the time of their internship. Past duties have consisted of, but are not limited to:

• Assist with identifying opportunities for automation and implementing programming solutions to maximize the efficiency of current manual entries and quality assurance reports.
• Help the department analyze the effectiveness of training programs across fleets by creating training survey forms for crewmembers and instructors and maintaining dashboards.
• Upload and analyze data on events that occur on the flight line leading to operational impacts.
• Perform mock sim ride interviews for certain applicants.
• Create and format quarterly QA newsletter to disseminate to instructors and evaluators.
• Maintain Intern SharePoint and UPS Jobs FlightPath website.
• Assist other departments as needed.
• Assist with organizing community service activities.
• Gain exposure to SharePoint and Microsoft Excel functions such as PowerPivot.

Airline Safety

One intern is assigned to the Airline Safety Event Reporting (ASAP) team and Flight Operational Quality Assurance (FOQA) Program offices in the Flight Training Center in Louisville.

• Assist the Airline Safety department in administration of ASAP, FOQA, and Airline Safety Event Reporting programs.
• Learn the Event and ASAP reporting system to assist in classification and assignment of reports submitted by crew members, maintenance, etc.
• Complete data requests for management and others and maximize efficiency by implementing solutions to automate current reports and processes.
• Review flight data with the FOQA Analyst and Gatekeepers.
• The intern will also be able to sit in on Safety Action Group (SAG), Data Analysis Group (DAG), Safety Action Forum (SAF) meetings, and Event Review Committees (ERC), which involves the FAA, Independent Pilot Association (IPA) and management.
• The Airline Safety intern will also assist with miscellaneous projects as needed.

Do I Qualify for Flightpath 1?

• Currently hold Commercial Pilot Certificate with Multi-Engine and Instrument ratings

• Graduated within the previous 24 months, or currently enrolled as junior or senior in an undergraduate or graduate program

• Ideally have experience in Microsoft Office, strong teamwork skills, and ability to work in fast-pace environment while managing multiple responsibilities

• 3.0 GPA or higher

• Must be a U.S. Citizen or National of the U.S., an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence, or an alien authorized to work in the U.S. for this employer

What is the next step upon completion of the 12-month internship?

The UPS® FlightPath I provides aviation professionals opportunities to cultivate their careers. Interns gain experience in a business environment while UPS benefits from exposure to their diverse perspectives. Participants gain a multitude of skills that can transform them into accomplished pilots and aviation professionals while simultaneously impacting the airline’s operation.

Each intern is trained on a specific UPS fleet: the B747, B757/B767, A300 or MD-11. The training includes aircraft systems, cockpit flows/procedures, and simulator training sessions. Once training is complete, interns are assessed and then authorized to operate the full-motion simulators for their fleet and in support of customer tours and flight testing purposes.

After successful completion of the internship program, candidates who receive a recommendation from their management team, and have at least 500 hours of total flight time, become eligible to move forward with Ameriflight. At Ameriflight, the largest Part 135 cargo airline in the nation, candidates receive additional training and exposure to the cargo world while accumulating valuable experience. Candidates also are paired with a UPS pilot to mentor them during their time at Ameriflight. After flying with Ameriflight for a minimum of 30 months after Operational Experience (OE), and successfully meeting the requirements set forth by UPS, interns are guaranteed an interview for a position as a First Officer at UPS Airlines (if hiring).

In addition to increasing skills and knowledge, interns are exposed to a UPS culture that emphasizes personal integrity, quality work, knowledge sharing and a commitment to the communities in which its employees live and operate. Interns are encouraged to participate in volunteer activities and social events that make a difference around the globe.

Candidates for the internship must hold a Commercial Pilot Certificate with Multi-Engine and Instrument ratings. In addition, candidates should have graduated within the previous 24 months, or be currently enrolled as junior or senior in an undergraduate or graduate program.