Meet the Crew of the “FedEx Panda Express” In the Air and On the Ground
FedEx may be best known as the company that delivers when something “absolutely, positively” has to be there. But since the company’s founding nearly 40 years ago, we’ve done a lot more than simply deliver packages. And the two pandas currently preparing for their trip to Scotland are just the latest examples in a long list of interesting, unusual and very valuable shipments aboard FedEx vehicles!
When it comes to transporting these “Very Important Pandas” in the air and on the ground, FedEx calls upon some of its most seasoned team members. For the upcoming panda delivery, I’ll be among the experienced crew guiding the Boeing 777F “FedEx Panda Express” from Chengdu, China, to Edinburgh, Scotland. Accompanying me on the journey are two other extraordinary pilots, Bob Gasko and James Gorman, as well as our loadmaster, Vincent Buscarino.
While panda deliveries are far from the norm, the crew at the controls for the “FedEx Panda Express” is the best the company can provide. Between us, we have decades of cockpit experience and have overseen numerous animal shipments around the world – including the homecoming of pandas Tai Shan and Mei Lan from the U.S. to China in 2010.
**Follow the FedEx Panda Express here.**
**Share your thoughts on the Panda Express photo album on FedEx Community Involvement Facebook site.**
Once Tian Tian and Yang Guang land in Scotland, our road team will take over. The move from the Edinburgh International Airport to the Edinburgh Zoo will happen with some of FedEx UK’s most professional team members: Edward Rasor, Murt Walsh and Daniel Priest. Each of these committed team members exhibit the Purple Promise spirit that makes every FedEx experience outstanding – whether you’re delivering something as precious as a panda or as comparatively commonplace as an online Christmas order.
With the level of experience and “absolutely, positively” attitude behind this delivery, we know the team in charge will make sure it’s the best trip these pandas – or their human handlers – could hope for on December 4!
