fedex flight identification?

[marklar]

Hey everyone-
I am wondering how fedex planes are tracked. I want to plane watch at RDU, and these are the only big aircraft that fly in (A300s I think??) with the exception of the AA LHR flight. When I look at scheduled departures for both airline and general aviation, I can’t find anything. So my questions are this:

1.) Does fedex count as an airline? More specifically, what makes a flight an airline flight? Does it have to be passengers? Or is it any flight with a number?

2.) When I look at scheduled flights for RDU, why don’t I see any scheduled fedex flights? When I look at flights between RDU and MEM for the past week I see previous flights, just none scheduled.

Thanks!

[damiross]

@marklar

1.) Does fedex count as an airline? More specifically, what makes a flight an airline flight? Does it have to be passengers? Or is it any flight with a number?

No! No! No! Too many people - including some that are on this forum and should know better - thinks that in order to be an airline it has to fly passengers. That is wrong. Two of the largest airlines in the world - UPS and FedEx - fly cargo.

A flight operating with a flight number not necessarily an airline. An airline, in the USA, has been issued a certificate of public convenience and necessity by the FAA.

See FAA Publication 7340.2, Chapter 1-4, for how call signs (in FAA talk - “telephony”) are assigned.

@marklar

2.) When I look at scheduled flights for RDU, why don’t I see any scheduled fedex flights? When I look at flights between RDU and MEM for the past week I see previous flights, just none scheduled.

There are FedEx flights. On the RDU screen click on the word “more” next to the arrivals, enroute, etc. You’ll find the FedEx flights listed. (

(Tip: Clicking on the word “Ident” will sort by the flight ID in reverse alphabetical order. Clicking on the arrow once it is sorted will sort in ascending alphabetical order)

FedEx also operates a large number of Cessna 208s. However, you won’t see these listed under a FedEx flight ID because they are operated by other carriers and use the other carriers’ flight IDs.

[marklar]

I see. When I look for departures, I do find them (not sure why I didn’t see this before… doh!). However, I can’t find any scheduled arrivals. Should be there between EGF and FLG.

Is fedex trucking planes into RDU and then flying them out?

(that was a joke :mrgreen: )

[damiross]

The scheduled departures may not be in the FAA system yet.

And, yes, they use UPS ground to truck the planes in

[IADFXMD11HVY]

@marklar

Hey everyone-
I am wondering how fedex planes are tracked. I want to plane watch at RDU, and these are the only big aircraft that fly in (A300s I think??) with the exception of the AA LHR flight. When I look at scheduled departures for both airline and general aviation, I can’t find anything. So my questions are this:

1.) Does fedex count as an airline? More specifically, what makes a flight an airline flight? Does it have to be passengers? Or is it any flight with a number?

2.) When I look at scheduled flights for RDU, why don’t I see any scheduled fedex flights? When I look at flights between RDU and MEM for the past week I see previous flights, just none scheduled.

Thanks!

First off…welcome to fa!! 8)

Second grab the coffee, it looks like this bird arr at 0600(ish).

flightaware.com/live/flight/FDX1449/history

I’m to lazy and tired fight now to look at the evening turns. It looks like this flight only ops Mo-Fr. You will see that with some of our flights. When I was at IAD our EWR flight only ran Mo-Tr. FDX 1901 with an A310. I did not bother to look any more at RDU, but it looks like yes there is at least 1 of our flights a day into there. Happy spotting!!!

[nssd70]

It seems like the UPS and FedEX flights in and out of Des Moines don’t give much of a headsup in their flight planning. Seems to be about 2-3 hours headsup.

Doug