PDT News and Rumors
12-21-2015, 05:29 PM
#7471
New Hire
Joined APC: Nov 2015
Posts: 6
Originally Posted by MKUltra
I thought I would chime in about my personal experience as a piedmonster.
I've been here more than 6 months, less than a year.
There is already over 100+ pilots behind me. The longer you wait to join the company the less useful the flow will be to you. Every 100 pilots is 2 extra years till your number is up to get to American. Im saying that based on attrition and people not hanging around for he flow.
Upgrade.. it's all for the taking if your up to it. The Piedmont training department is not easiest and I would have to admit I did struggle at points in the Sim and I was a sim instructor at a part 142 school. I will say our training is the hardest in the industry and I doubt many would disagree. I was matched with a captain upgrade during my initial training and he was very strong and yet there was a sim session where we literally sh!t the bed.
Tips on coming here... Be strong flying instruments. If you are flying inbound on the 120 radial and instructed to hold northwest on the 030 radial, right hand turns... If you can't spit out the entry procedure in 1 second and fly the hold without a flight director and moving map, you are not ready for training at piedmont.
Be strong with multi engine procedures.
The dash is an amazing plane. I have learned so much and humbled at the same time. There is no moving map, no reliable fms to build holds and approaches. It's old fashion be a pilot with a coffee in a hand the yoke in the other.
The crews.... The captains are great. There are a few that I don't care for but many of them are aged, matured and no more about flying the east coast in a dinosaur than Kareem knows about making a sky hook. Every trip I learn so much from the captains and many of them make excellent mentors with no ego. My opinions are valued and I'm treated as a crew member with a voice and not as a green FO.
I have felt many of the captains are working to get the new FOs ready to upgrade since many of them are preparing to either retire or flow.
The flow is real and I'm surprised by the people that are passing in order to stay at piedmont, but many have a QOL of life at Piedmont that is hard to beat. There is more to life than a pay check and Airbus.
That being said, I put myself right now at about 150 to 180 from flow.. That's 3 to 4 years I guess. I'm factoring in people quitting, pushed out, loss of medicals, people being plucked by alegiant, kallita, evergreen etc and others going to majors. There are some that leave to fly the dash overseas for lots of money and we have some military guys that will be gone after 6 months to a year of employment.
Im happy with my decision and have made some wonderfully friends here.
I will say this, the schedules are tough. Bank on only 11 days off and if you commute plan on x days in your bed when u start. The reserve rules suck but time on reserve at Mdt and sby is hardly anything. As we add airframes, who knows what will happen.
I am hoping the company and union renegotiate the contract to match or better republic and commutair pay, but many are not optimistic about that unless we stop getting pilots.
That's all I got, if you have any questions, I'll try to be unbiased and leave it just the facts.
I've been here more than 6 months, less than a year.
There is already over 100+ pilots behind me. The longer you wait to join the company the less useful the flow will be to you. Every 100 pilots is 2 extra years till your number is up to get to American. Im saying that based on attrition and people not hanging around for he flow.
Upgrade.. it's all for the taking if your up to it. The Piedmont training department is not easiest and I would have to admit I did struggle at points in the Sim and I was a sim instructor at a part 142 school. I will say our training is the hardest in the industry and I doubt many would disagree. I was matched with a captain upgrade during my initial training and he was very strong and yet there was a sim session where we literally sh!t the bed.
Tips on coming here... Be strong flying instruments. If you are flying inbound on the 120 radial and instructed to hold northwest on the 030 radial, right hand turns... If you can't spit out the entry procedure in 1 second and fly the hold without a flight director and moving map, you are not ready for training at piedmont.
Be strong with multi engine procedures.
The dash is an amazing plane. I have learned so much and humbled at the same time. There is no moving map, no reliable fms to build holds and approaches. It's old fashion be a pilot with a coffee in a hand the yoke in the other.
The crews.... The captains are great. There are a few that I don't care for but many of them are aged, matured and no more about flying the east coast in a dinosaur than Kareem knows about making a sky hook. Every trip I learn so much from the captains and many of them make excellent mentors with no ego. My opinions are valued and I'm treated as a crew member with a voice and not as a green FO.
I have felt many of the captains are working to get the new FOs ready to upgrade since many of them are preparing to either retire or flow.
The flow is real and I'm surprised by the people that are passing in order to stay at piedmont, but many have a QOL of life at Piedmont that is hard to beat. There is more to life than a pay check and Airbus.
That being said, I put myself right now at about 150 to 180 from flow.. That's 3 to 4 years I guess. I'm factoring in people quitting, pushed out, loss of medicals, people being plucked by alegiant, kallita, evergreen etc and others going to majors. There are some that leave to fly the dash overseas for lots of money and we have some military guys that will be gone after 6 months to a year of employment.
Im happy with my decision and have made some wonderfully friends here.
I will say this, the schedules are tough. Bank on only 11 days off and if you commute plan on x days in your bed when u start. The reserve rules suck but time on reserve at Mdt and sby is hardly anything. As we add airframes, who knows what will happen.
I am hoping the company and union renegotiate the contract to match or better republic and commutair pay, but many are not optimistic about that unless we stop getting pilots.
That's all I got, if you have any questions, I'll try to be unbiased and leave it just the facts.
12-22-2015, 06:19 AM
#7473
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jun 2015
Posts: 699
Originally Posted by payingdues
I totally agree with the ^^^^ toughest training. Do not forgoe the self study.
If you are putting forth effort and studying, but ever feel like you are going to fail out, the program is screwed up. It should be a building environment, not an environment that tears you down.
If you are a screw up and don't study, the instructors should recognize that very quickly and kick you out, long before you ever "sh1t the bed". It should never come to that. That is a sign of lack of experience as an instructor or a **** poor instructor to begin with.
12-22-2015, 06:23 AM
#7474
Line Holder
Joined APC: Sep 2010
Position: Dash 8 Q100-300 CA
Posts: 78
Warning, Warning.
Right on the money! Be very careful if you decide to upgrade with minimum time. Training department made it very clear "We need pilots, we need captains but NO ONE will be given a pass to take themselves out along with 50 people." I would wait at least until I have a summer and a winter under my belt. Learn as much as you can as an FO then If you feel comfortable telling Dispatch you don't feel comfortable with the weather you rather wait or to cancel the flight and not be intimidated to launch into a level 5 thunderstorm with tornado warnings then you will be ok. 90 percent of upgrade is common sense and knowing your Aircraft, the other 10 is paperwork. Good Luck to all.
Last edited by Setpropeller; 12-22-2015 at 06:33 AM.
12-22-2015, 06:26 AM
#7475
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Aug 2010
Posts: 248
Originally Posted by daOldMan
With more than 30 years in the industry, I can honestly say that the words "toughest in the industry" and "worst in the industry" are synonymous. There is absolutely no reason that a sim session should ever "sh1t the bed". That is poor instruction. Each session should build on the last, and if you "sh1t the bed", then your instructor screwed up and pushed you further than you were ready for.
If you are putting forth effort and studying, but ever feel like you are going to fail out, the program is screwed up. It should be a building environment, not an environment that tears you down.
If you are a screw up and don't study, the instructors should recognize that very quickly and kick you out, long before you ever "sh1t the bed". It should never come to that. That is a sign of lack of experience as an instructor or a **** poor instructor to begin with.
If you are putting forth effort and studying, but ever feel like you are going to fail out, the program is screwed up. It should be a building environment, not an environment that tears you down.
If you are a screw up and don't study, the instructors should recognize that very quickly and kick you out, long before you ever "sh1t the bed". It should never come to that. That is a sign of lack of experience as an instructor or a **** poor instructor to begin with.
EXACTLY! Making something tough just for the sake of making it tough, doesn't necessarily mean making it good.
12-22-2015, 06:47 AM
#7476
New Hire
Joined APC: May 2015
Posts: 7
I start training in Jaunary. I am just about finished up with the take home tests. Seems to be a huge amount of information just dropped in your lap with really no direction. I understand I will not be spoon fed information but any pointers before training would be great. Thanks.
12-22-2015, 07:56 AM
#7477
Happy at PDT
Joined APC: Jan 2014
Position: EMB-145 CA
Posts: 983
I'll admit both my initial and upgrade training were challenging...for different reasons. Don't be scared off by some online drum beaters, some of whom don't work here. My advice is to have solid non-glass cockpit instrument procedures knowledge and skills, know your limitations and immediate action items (there are quite a few) and normal and abnormal callouts cold EARLY. The CQ guide is a good study tool to keep you fresh on systems questions and limitations. Chapters 7 and 9 in the POH are your new best friends, along with the Non-Normal Checklist. Read them until you are sick of them...then read them some more. I also recommend the expanded normal checklist in the POH as it dissects the checklist and brings in all the elements. Feel free to PM me with questions!
12-23-2015, 10:04 AM
#7479
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Feb 2013
Posts: 148
Originally Posted by GoFastTurnLeft
I start training in Jaunary. I am just about finished up with the take home tests. Seems to be a huge amount of information just dropped in your lap with really no direction. I understand I will not be spoon fed information but any pointers before training would be great. Thanks.
PM me if you have any questions, have fun in training it's a good time.
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