Originally Posted by
VA Pilot
On PDT...
Any announcement yet on where the 145s will be based? I have heard PDT/AA are battling back and forth... AA wants ORD and PDT wants DCA and/or DCA/PHL? Any updates?
Also, I have been told by several PDT pilots and a few recruiters (taken with lots of grains of salt) that the 145s will go anywhere from mid-level to super-junior when the start coming online. Isn't there a pay raise with a switch from the Dash to the 145? I can't imagine anyone not taking the extra pay to move to the jet.
The first guy at PDT to tell me otherwise about moving to the 145 did so last week (another recruiter).... He said "if you get on with PDT before December, you'll get to move to the 145 eventually... maybe a year or two." I don't mind flying the Dash for a while, but I would prefer to move to the 145 on the advice of the legacy CA's I have spoken to. What's the consensus here? How long would it take for a guy getting online late this summer/early fall to get in the 145?
Thanks guys!
I've been told the announcement is coming soon. Possibly even this week. Rumor is at least a PHL base but I've heard similar rumors about AA mgmt wanting us in ORD, even heard LAX at one point. I think negotiations with AWAC was what was holding up the decision. I know AAG wanted to move most of AWAC's operations to ORD and have PDT take over DCA and PHL ops with the 145. I guess AWAC mgmt wasn't too keen on moving operations, not sure where it stands now but we should know soon enough.
Honestly if you're basing your decision to come to PDT on how fast you can fly a jet I'd wait until an announcement. If they ended up putting the 145 in PHL it could go senior, but if they put them in an AA base like ORD or LAX it could go very very junior. If you really don't care about flying a jet now is a good time to get in. I think once they iron out the basing and route structure PDT will have a lot more applicants. Probably better to get in before the wave. I think anyone getting in now will have a quick upgrade opportunity if you have the time.