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PDTpilot is there any chance for Piedmont to increase the pilot flow in the subsequent years to more than 5 a month??

Yes. It's contractual. At 900 pilots we'll be at 10/month. As we grow our flow increases... no limit to how high that number can grow to. As long as we can find the bodies.. Anyone hired in the next few months will get to AA the fastest

Thanks, that sounds great!!

How long will it take to flow from PDT to AA for a currently hired pilot?

Also, I have never worked at regional, before. When you say 'hired' is that from the time that the company offers a class date, or is that the actual beginning of training? I should think the latter.

PSA being Caitlyn?

Good Luck!

Its when you begin training. Piedmont WAS a very senior airline and the people flowing at the end of the year will be at around 15 years seniority. Some leaving now are in there 18-20 years. Many senior people are within 5-8 years of retiring and aren't going to give up there vacation or there QOL. I would day by the time the flow gets to this point next year it will be down to probably 8-9 years and will continue to drop.

do you see there being a drastic time frame change happening for those not being hired in the next 3-4 months. Im currently about 4 months from being qualified, but if the ends justify the means I could beg borrow and steal some additional hours if its gonna make a big difference as far as flow time.

5.5 IF all goes as planned

I am in the same boat as you, waker: five to six months out from reaching ATP mins. It may be wise not to be so rash at buying flight time solely because of some folks' opinions, no matter how well meaning, claim that something may or may not be seemingly assured. The regional game is far too fickle to forecast anything to any degree of certainty within the timespan of a few months. Just saying, unless you can fly with someone for free....

Prob 4 additional months... But still incrediblely short time at a regional. Good time to be getting in

That sucks, I am in contract at my company until this time next year.

I know its slightly far out, but what will it look like this time next year?

That sounds good. Exactly what I'd want to hear! Thanks for the info But I got to play devils advocate here and ask if anyone can discredit this. (Heard a lot on here that's too good to be true).

What I'm really saying is that's the dirt on Piedmont? What's the deterrent? It seems like most places have something that drives people away... What is that for PDT?

Don't want to bash here but just trying to get a comprehensive outlook!

How many legs does a peidmont crew do in any given day? JW.

If things stay good and flow is moving? Not that big a deal.. Assuming hiring 20/mo that is 80 guys.. could be more, could be less..

If things stagnate for some reason 80 guys is HUGE. I know for me (being awarded CA 3 times then downgraded 2 of those times due to being right on the edge of senior FO/junior CA for a couple years during Bankruptcy times.. 80 guys was the difference in probably well over $50K lost for me, probably more.. I am still ****ed off I didn't take my original 2 month earlier class date I had when I started years ago.. my time here, and time remaining would have been much better off.

Seniority is everything. The difference between weekends off, or a crap schedule, or not upgrading for a long time can be determined by 80 guys easily..

I wouldn't blow a bunch of money to get there quicker, but do whatever you can to get the absolute first class date possible, wherever you go...

I have a friend that is only 17 numbers senior to me. He gets what he wants with bids, day off schedules and Reserve requests.. (we bid the same things) I get pretty much nothing I want. Ever. Wishing I was just 18 numbers senior nearly every day at work when we bid for things. Lol.

Your whole airline career will be like this with seniority. Another friend of mine is pi$$ed because after all these years of waiting as an FO, He is having a baby, really needs the money.. and just missed the Captain upgrade by 1 single number. That one number will probably cost him about $7K in lost after tax earnings if the next upgrade award is 3 months later..

The biggest Piedmont complaints are aircraft type (prop) and bases. The 145 and PHL base are solving that. Older complains are training department too tough... Well, they are training future AA pilots so cowboy up! And last, stagnation of the company, with the new aircraft and flow, the lists are moving steadily.
PDT will look like a mini Envoy and AA will have its WO companies flowing at a roughly equal rate. The Envoy-PDT decision will come down to base preference, but right this minute and for a couple months PDT guys will upgrade quicker and flow quicker because of all the growth planned for PDT.

Three new guys posting in a row.

Sorry :( :(

Our schedules suck and the dash is old old old... Fun to fly but they are very much showing their age.

Great crews.
Rumors of great PHL schedules... They'd better be...
Great new President. Lyle Hogg. Google him.
Growing and The most solid flow deal out there. Envoys is good as well.

If pilots keep coming, we've been told very plainly we will keep getting planes and grow. Hopefully we're staffing for an additional 50 jets by then.

We've known all along they want 3 airlines of similar size. If that holds true you'll still be in good shape for a fast upgrade qualifying you for the other legacies with the flow in your back pocket just in case.

A bright Piedmont future of fleet growth based on old, worn out, used and increasingly unviable/unwanted 50 seat 145's (that haven't even been transferred from Envoy yet) is more of a gamble than going to Envoy I would think.. Seems like Envoy is increasing block hours every month and delaying transfers already to others now since we have the staffing to do the flying.

I have no problem with Piedmont.. but just an observation.

I didn't say our future would be built on 145's... But it will be on jets. They brought Lyle in specifically to grow this place to a similar size as ENY and PSA. Let's hope it works.

When does the PHL base officially open?
And when does the 145 start flying for PDT?
Thanks

Jan 1 for the dash with 52 spots initially on that plane.
Mid jan - early feb for the 145 base and revenue service.

First 145 to be delivered the end of the first week of OCT.

I wouldn't worry too much if I were a PDT pilot. They have a lot of growth potential. ( I too buy into the belief that Parker wants all three of his wholly owned carriers to be of equal size ) PSA guys probably need to worry. I foresee a lot of stagnation and cancelled aircraft orders in their future.

So who's gonna get into the 145 at PDT? Any new hires? Does anyone think it'll really matter getting into the props vs the jet as far as quality of time

This is what it's all about right here. We can all go home now. Good night

Probably be a mix after the first couple bids. If the PHL base does in fact have better schedules then yes. Kinda.

Gamble??? I think it's even funny that we are being compared to Envoy. We know all about worn out planes and old worn out 50 seat 145s will be used as training wheels to get Piedmont's Jet Certificate up and going. The plan is 60 145's and more if we can staff. Honestly I see that easily changing to 175's before the end of next year. Just look around and see what's going on at a few of the Contract Carriers???

Piedmont isn't a Gamble because if you do come here and growth stops guess what??? Your flow will be much faster then Envoy's and definitely a bunch faster then PSA's. There's no Gamble here unless you mean us merging with Envoy would be a gamble. I would think that would be because it would screw up our flow time to American by merging.

I could see a merger that pushes flow back a decade.

Get your eyes checked

Not happening. This would adversely affect wholly-owned recruiting and that is the last thing they want. Any merger would include the appropriate number of flow positions in the combined contract to keep the flow moving.

So if there is in fact a merger with PDT and envoy, would that mean the PDT pilots would lose their spot in the flow and be blended in with all the envoy people?

First, even after a merger...which is still unlikely to happen...it would take some time for a joint agreement to be put in place. Flow continues at each carrier as before. Then, once outlined you would see something that would give the same relative flow time to a pilot on either team. It really isn't worth worrying about.

Yeah I dunno. They'd still attract guys with the flow carrot but slow it down to keep their cheap feed flying. Once of course they have pdt fully staffed.

Regardless of flow, Parker would never merge envoy, PSA, or PDT. He is all about the divide and conquer whipsaw game. When you watch him talk about the regional carriers during the townhall meetings he is very proud of his ability to pit the regional carriers against each other. Not just in compensation but on performance matters as well. Maybe if AAG bought another carrier, I could maybe see him merge PDT with them but even then, I wouldn't be surprised if he didn't and kept it at 4 wholly owned.

Nope. There is a very clear plan for AA's wholly owned regionals. 3 airlines. Similar contracts. Similar flow. They are betting on the 3 airlines for their staffing future.

Would the real Cujo please stand up?

uh oh!!!!! wait that can't happen. Or can it......

Don't you guys worry about that at all. Worst case scenario PDT flow gets pushed back only a year or two so the expensive 824 over at Envoy can go first. Just be patient, there is plenty for everyone.