DEC: C5 vs PDT vs G7
 

Primary goal is to fly my tail off & build TPIC. I’ll be commuting regardless of base; BTDT so I know what to expect. Don’t mind being stuck on reserve so long as I’m likely to get used with some frequency. I would anticipate being picked up by a major or LLC within 5yrs, so flows / promised interviews are purely a backup plan.

GoJet DEC
PIC accumulation: Rapid
Flow: Spirit/Frontier - Slow
Sign-on Bonus: $50k
CA Reserve Length: ?
Commuter Clause: 4 hotels
Crediting for prior 121 puts pay 30-50% higher

CommutAir DEC
PIC accumulation: Rapid
Interview: United - eligible after 1000 PIC / 12mo
Sign-on Bonus: $45k
CA Reserve Length: 4mo - Used nearly daily (short on CAs)
Commuter Clause: 4 hotels

Piedmont DEC
PIC accumulation: Slow - training delays
Flow: AA - 5yrs
Sign-on Bonus: $45k
CA Reserve Length: ?
Commuter Clause: 2 hotels

Anything I’m missing that would work in favor of / detract from any specific offer?

I know you said flow doesn’t matter but I just want your metrics to be accurate. Flow for a new hire at PDT is 7-9 years right now. Also you’ll be commuting in day prior. We don’t have different reserve times that would afford you an extra day at home.

Our training footprint is getting smaller since the well is drying up. You would get used a fair amount but we are flying dash routes and a lot of flights are less than an hour. Time building is a slow process.

Don’t. Even. Consider. Piedmont.

Thanks for the clarification on flow timeline & training. Routinely tacking on extra days to reserve for commuting is pretty unappealing, considering I’ll likely only have 1-2 days off in-between as it is. I’d be willing to deal with it if it meant I was logging tons of hours. For slow accumulation... it doesn’t sound like PDT is going to suit my needs.

Literally anywhere butt piedmont.

It’s unfortunate because PDT has some of the best flight crews I’ve ever flown with and I have lots of fun at work. The potential is there, but mngnt is living in the past though and has their heads buried in the sand. They refuse to address things.

I’m a DEC at Piedmont. Been here about a year. I block about 50 hours a month on average. Still on reserve, you’d probably be on reserve till you left since we aren’t hiring many DECs. Piedmont has served its purpose for me and about what I expected coming in. They have some annoying reserve rules that make it extra tough on commuters. Also the complete lack of any scheduling software or transparency is a problem.

If I was looking again I’d probably go to Commutair. They are still in growing mode while piedmont May become somewhat stagnant.

I think Gojets future is a little rocky with possibly losing the delta flying. Also If your goal is PIC time you’ll spend most of your time flying in the right seat as a DEC.

GoJet isn't going anywhere. They're set up to have UA planes fill the void if/when they lose DL flying. They're actually perfectly staffed for such a scenario.

Piedmont has a 6+ month supply of FOs waiting to upgrade to Captain but can’t due to the company cancelling upgrade classes due to FO staffing plus all the folks hired in 2016/17 are finally getting their 1000hrs for upgrade so there will be a supply of pilots any DECs will be junior to who are ready to upgrade for a while. The company stopped taking airplanes so there’s not nearly as much of a need for DECs other than to plus up reserve staffing on the captain side.

Unless Piedmont starts to grow again, plan on 24-36+ months of 11 days off and 90 minute call outs and you won’t be disappointed. Once reserve staffing on the CA side becomes healthy, 300-400hrs a year of flying will probably be realistic.

Flow is about 9 years also.

Commutair.

[QUOTE=PDTFlyer;2830615]It’s unfortunate because PDT has some of the best flight crews I’ve ever flown with..

We do?