PDT News and Rumors
04-11-2011 | 06:29 PM
#2511
Kerbal Rocket Surgeon
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 1,099
Likes: 0
From: DTW 717A
04-12-2011 | 05:22 AM
#2513
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 829
Likes: 0
From: 737 Left
I just don't understand why anyone wants to work at PDT.
There are other airlines hiring, explore the options, apply elsewhere. Ok, PDT does have some great people to work with, but it also has one of the WORST and most overtly hostile management teams in the industry.
I just want to give some perspective, I left at the end of March. To that date, there were over 40 people who had quit since the beginning of the year. Other than the guys who went to the M.E. to fly Dash's there, the rest left to other regionals. There is a good reason why we with 2-4 years of longevity up'd and left. Until I left, that was 5 people per week. That says a lot considering they have right around 400 pilots. At that rate, they'd turn over 50% of the pilot workforce in a year.
Related to my situation, I live 10 min from LGA. I was based there. I made the choice to commute with the closest options being ORD, MSP, and IAH. My likely base (when done with training) is IAH. Commuting at the bottom of the list at my company should afford me better career progression, higher pay, and a substantial gain in QOL.
I can only say this, they will abuse you, line holder or reserve. You will put your certificate on the line every year you head down to training. They have check airmen (CKA)/designated examiners who offer free passes in recurrent and checkrides in order to get someone to turn in a fellow pilot who talked anonymously to the paper. Yes it happened. The MEC chairman received 36 emails and phone calls from members, and what did he do? Sent a letter asking the CKA to stop.
It is a company that will promise everything to keep attrition under control, and when it comes time to deliver, NADA.
RJs, Bridge, Flow, Q400s, any 2nd hand 100/300s, Pref hiring again... What comes true you ask? Something right?
RJs: Nope
Bridge: Nope
Flow: Big NOPE.
Q400s: More Nope.
100/300s: Nope, too expensive.
Oh but there is one, PDT/ALG merged in 2004, 100+ airplanes, with a Regional Industry leading contract.
4 years later 55 airplanes.
5 years later 44 airplanes.
7 years later, 2+ years into contract negotiations, and NO PROGRESS at all, on a bottom of the barrel CONCESSIONARY contract. For comparison, Mesa now has better contractual protections virtually accross the board than PDT. I mean if that doesn't say enough, really what will.
Promises, promises, none are true. But they are a fraction of what they were 7 years ago, and they are desperately trying to fill vacancies. You do the math.
All else I can say, go in with your eyes open, and don't complain when you get lied to, contract willfully violated on a regular basis, and intimidated at the threat of not just loss of employment, but certificate jeopardy as well.
Enjoy your career at PDT, like I said you'll fly with some great people, I made some spectacular friends, and long term connections, but I was only there as long as I was (3+ years) because there were NO other opportunities. There are now, so do yourselves a favor, go find them.
-Piedmonster
There are other airlines hiring, explore the options, apply elsewhere. Ok, PDT does have some great people to work with, but it also has one of the WORST and most overtly hostile management teams in the industry.
I just want to give some perspective, I left at the end of March. To that date, there were over 40 people who had quit since the beginning of the year. Other than the guys who went to the M.E. to fly Dash's there, the rest left to other regionals. There is a good reason why we with 2-4 years of longevity up'd and left. Until I left, that was 5 people per week. That says a lot considering they have right around 400 pilots. At that rate, they'd turn over 50% of the pilot workforce in a year.
Related to my situation, I live 10 min from LGA. I was based there. I made the choice to commute with the closest options being ORD, MSP, and IAH. My likely base (when done with training) is IAH. Commuting at the bottom of the list at my company should afford me better career progression, higher pay, and a substantial gain in QOL.
I can only say this, they will abuse you, line holder or reserve. You will put your certificate on the line every year you head down to training. They have check airmen (CKA)/designated examiners who offer free passes in recurrent and checkrides in order to get someone to turn in a fellow pilot who talked anonymously to the paper. Yes it happened. The MEC chairman received 36 emails and phone calls from members, and what did he do? Sent a letter asking the CKA to stop.
It is a company that will promise everything to keep attrition under control, and when it comes time to deliver, NADA.
RJs, Bridge, Flow, Q400s, any 2nd hand 100/300s, Pref hiring again... What comes true you ask? Something right?
RJs: Nope
Bridge: Nope
Flow: Big NOPE.
Q400s: More Nope.
100/300s: Nope, too expensive.
Oh but there is one, PDT/ALG merged in 2004, 100+ airplanes, with a Regional Industry leading contract.
4 years later 55 airplanes.
5 years later 44 airplanes.
7 years later, 2+ years into contract negotiations, and NO PROGRESS at all, on a bottom of the barrel CONCESSIONARY contract. For comparison, Mesa now has better contractual protections virtually accross the board than PDT. I mean if that doesn't say enough, really what will.
Promises, promises, none are true. But they are a fraction of what they were 7 years ago, and they are desperately trying to fill vacancies. You do the math.
All else I can say, go in with your eyes open, and don't complain when you get lied to, contract willfully violated on a regular basis, and intimidated at the threat of not just loss of employment, but certificate jeopardy as well.
Enjoy your career at PDT, like I said you'll fly with some great people, I made some spectacular friends, and long term connections, but I was only there as long as I was (3+ years) because there were NO other opportunities. There are now, so do yourselves a favor, go find them.
-Piedmonster
04-12-2011 | 05:25 AM
#2514
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 321
Likes: 0
From: CL-65 / Gear Wrangler
There is none. The company refuses to talk to the association, and even the NMB called Scrobola out on that. They are using it as a tactic to waste the association funds.
04-12-2011 | 07:41 AM
#2515
Thread Starter
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 771
Likes: 0
From: bar stool
For interview, as well as the training. All the new-hires or at least most that have washed out, from what I recall, had problems with basic instrument stuff. So get that down and it should be much easier.
04-14-2011 | 10:14 AM
#2519
Line Holder
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 71
Likes: 0
From: ERJ F/O
04-14-2011 | 03:24 PM
#2520
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 321
Likes: 0
From: CL-65 / Gear Wrangler
Turned out it wasn't my PRIA, but the DOT drug test results that they have to send. It's a different department. I called PDT today, and what do you know: There's 1 lady who handles sending those records. "she had been out of the office traveling for business for the past 3 weeks, but she'll be back tomorrow."
So any airline that requested these same records for anyone else has been on hold if it was any time in the past 3 weeks. Unbelievable. I got really agitated and the lady I talked to said she'd call the other lady and ask her if she could log in from the road, and send the records (all digital which is shocking for PDT) today.
I guess it happened, cause the people department let me know a few hours later that they got them.
Is anyone surprised by any of this?
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