Alright FSUPilot, I'll fill you in on Piedmont and you can make up your own mind. I've been on and off reserve for almost 3 1/2 years. I've been based in 3 bases and moved each time so I can't comment much for commuting on RSV but I'll do my best. For the interview, at least when I did it in 07, they would positive space you in for it, but you were responisble for your own hotel. You arrive the night prior and leave CLT around 2 or 3 the next afternoon. Check the Quality Inn for hotels as I think the rate is $30. Just tell them you are airline crew. Don't know if they'd give you that rate or not but the whole hotel is almost all US Airways and regional crewmembers. Training is paid monthly guarantee and the hotel is paid for. Ground school lasts about 2-3 weeks and simulator training can take anywhere from two weeks to two months depending on how often you are scheduled for sims. Monthly minimum days off is 10 days. One stretch of 4 days off in a row that are REQUESTS (more on that later).

When it comes to reserve I can tell you how it is. We are allowed to request first or last out, but that is all they are, REQUESTS. The company is not required to honor them. What this translates to is if you are a reserve crew member with two days left before your days off and there is a two day trip ending at 2300, you WILL be assigned that trip even if you request last out because you only have two days of reserve left. In addition, if the day prior to your start of reserve, you are assigned a trip with a 1700 report on your first day, you are still assigned a time; normally around 0700; where you go on call requiring you to still be in base the night prior because just about no flights arrive in any of our bases before 1100 (You might have a shot commuting from NM to LGA but no guarantees how much longer it will be a base). Trips vary from out-n-backs to 4 days. There is no rhyme or reason as to who gets what and it fluctuates monthly.

As for actually coming to Piedmont, I personally don't regret it. I learned alot and flew with some great crews. You won't regret flying the Dash, even if it is almost as old as most of our first officers, it was built like a tank and is very demanding but very forgiving at the same time. Although I will say this, the only reason we are hiring is because so many people are leaving. We haven't received any significant increase in flying other than a little increase in utilization. In addition, I would say we have around 200 captains. Of those a few will take the recent early retirement package but probably the top 50-60% will not leave because they have decent QOL. That leaves around 70-80 captains who will could leave for greener pastures once they have the experience and can be picked up elsewhere. Figure a few will probably stay cause they have a decent QOL and live in base and have a family so they don't want to leave. That leaves about 50 Captains who would need to be replaced in the next several years. Now I have no clue how FO attrition will be but that is just my thoughts. If you are going to use Piedmont as a quick get 121 experience and reapply somewhere else as soon as possible. Good luck. If you get stuck at Piedmont for a while, it's not the end of the world and could be worse. It's not the best place but it isn't the worst. We're pretty much the red headed step child to US Airways. When they want to acknowledge us and give us credit it sounds great, but the next day it's back to normal like nothing has changed.