A Pdt Interview

[sucit]

Just thought some may find this interesting. I got this from aviationinterviews.com. I know this is nothing new for us to hear but thought you may find it uplifting.

Interview experience:
"All of the previous gouges still hold true, and they are planning on including a simulator evaluation now as well, mainly because so many people are failing it during their new hire class. Not doing well doesn't mean that they will turn you away though, as they are so short on FO's that even if they hired every single applicant, they would still be short. The reason for this shortage is due to massive FO attrition. The last captain upgrade class, which was 6 months ago, was filled with guys who have been waiting at least 4 years to upgrade (on a 30-year-old Dash 8), and they will probably be downgraded back to FO's soon, just to help fill the FO shortage. Straight from the training department's mouth, there are no upgrades planned in the foreseeable future. Also, aircraft leases are up in 2009, the pilot contract expires in 2009, and if you ask anyone in management about a plan for post-2009, they don't have an answer. I think they are just hoping for the airline to survive that long."

Why are any of us staying with this company? After three years would you make a lateral move or stick it out and see what happens??

 

[lear24]

I share the sentiment, seems awfully bitter to be a guy trying to get a job though. Sounds more like an angry current employee like me. Also, there are no 30 year old dash 8s in existence, that statement helps the whole thing lose credibility.

 

[sucit]

ok 25 year old dash, the point is they are old and a pile of crap

 

[sucit]

but you are probably right, could be an employee

 

[mu2]

Lear24, I agree. sucit you are only making the situation worse. Are one of those Captains that tell every FO, new or old to pack your stuff, and get out? STOP it's fucin annoying. Every time someone tells me that I want to punch them in the face. Why can't I wait until I get laid off to go some place else? Leave me and others alone! I can make my own decisions.

 

[sucit]

Easy turbo... no I am not one of those captains telling every FO to run like the wind. I am an FO that wished he would have listened to those CA when I got here over 3 years ago. If I would have, I would be in the left seat or very close to it. I am not telling anyone to run, just want to know why you are staying. I know it is frustrating listening to CA that have nothing good to say, but at some point you will understand why they say what they do. Everyone has their reasons for staying or going.

 

[loser]

The icing on the cake for me was when they fired Sean Kow. This place just isn't the same without him. He was the hottest flight attendant EVER!!

 

[JohnnyP]

.....

The icing on the cake for me was when they fired Sean Kow. This place just isn't the same without him. He was the hottest flight attendant EVER!!

Was that the ROA guy? Wore makeup, etc?

 

[jellynuts]

The three day I just got off of:

Day 1: Flew a plane with 4 Mel's, swapped into a plane with 6 Mel's
Day 2: Flew a plane with 5 Mel's (Just came out of a C check, didn't know that was possible)
Day 3: Only airplane for the day had an inop #2 Nav (grounding) and the #2 Torque gauge was all over the place with a #1 ECU inop

I have yet to finish a trip or day on-time this month. I'm gettin so sick of this place. Heard the feds were jumpseating down to sby to audit our maintenance records!

 

[avl_pilot]

I guess the simple answer to why I am still here is because I don't want to leave PDT for a downgrade in pay and/or quality of life (and yes I know that QOL isn't great here, but it's better than other places). There aren't many regionals out there that offer an increase in both pay and QOL, but when the day comes that one of them offers me a job I do plan on getting out as quickly as possible. Also, just wondering how many guys have their stuff in at other places? Just seems like lately that's the best way to start a conversation with a fellow piedmonster that you don't know.

 

[RobCat]

AVL Pilot how long have you been at PDT

 

[sucit]

R any of you thinking about getting out if you have been here 3 or more years? If they would run upgrade classes I would be about number 20-30 on the list to upgrade and would take any base. I am just not sure if it is worth grinding it out for the upgrade or split. 20-30 people could be another 2-3 years or even worse. If they dont get more new hires in these classes how are we going to cover all our flying? Would we have to start parking planes? And what about the flow through, if that does not happen I know I will not stay, anyone have new info on that?

 

[AirHead99]

Yeah dude this place is f'd. The training class right now is down to 2 new hires. FO's are leaving in droves and NOBODY wants to come here. Why come to Piedmont when everybody else is hiring into better equipment for more pay and fast upgrades??? The new employee referral program is a sign. Considering how stingy Farrow is with money they must really be getting desperate and it's only going to get worse. They're going to have a lot of cancellations for crew availability in the near future. What are they going to do? String us all along until Piedmont slowly fades away, that's what. Who knows what I'll do. For those of us that have been here 2-3 years starting over at this point at some other regional really sucks. The only hope we have is to flow up to mainline before we shut down for good. (haha I couldn't help from laughing as I wrote that. It will never happen) But seriously what was the number for that truck driving school? Truckmasters I think it was?

 

[sucit]

I think we all agree, we are f'd. What really makes me made is they are telling us they support the flow through and are looking at other options for ac and more 300's. What a joke, they can't get enough people to fly what we have much less more people to cover additional ac and a flow!!!!

 

[avl_pilot]

AVL Pilot how long have you been at PDT

Just over a year, but it feels like its been longer than that, I sat reserve for just under a year.:crying: I think time here is like dog years.

 

[mu2]

Looks like the mins on the website are still 1000tt and 200me. Competitive mins are 1500tt and 300 multi. Maybe if they lowered the mins like everyone else they might get some apps. It sucks that it has come to that, but that's just how it is now.

 

[AirHead99]

Those mins aren't accurate. They've been hiring guys right at 500 total time for a while now, but recently have been going lower than that. Beggars can't be choosers you know?

 

[sucit]

not putting the correct mins on the websight, HAAAAA just goes to show you how far this co has there heads up their aaarrs. They should be all over that. what a joke

 

[PropPiedmont]

I guess the simple answer to why I am still here is because I don't want to leave PDT for a downgrade in pay and/or quality of life (and yes I know that QOL isn't great here, but it's better than other places). There aren't many regionals out there that offer an increase in both pay and QOL, but when the day comes that one of them offers me a job I do plan on getting out as quickly as possible. Also, just wondering how many guys have their stuff in at other places? Just seems like lately that's the best way to start a conversation with a fellow piedmonster that you don't know.

There are good reasons to stay at Piedmont and there are better reasons to leave. If you want to make a career out of being a pilot, then there is no good reason to stay at PDT. If you're working at PDT until the FAA calls to offer that ATC slot you wanted or you are just trying to pay the bills, living paycheck to paycheck, then PDT is a good place to be.

Yes, by leaving PDT and making a lateral move to another regional will suck. Especially, if you are one of those six year FOs. But, at some point you will need to cut your losses and get on at Republic/Chatauqua, COEX, Pinnacle, Colgan, ASA/SkyWest, or go corporate/cargo. Yes, there will probably be a minor paycut or loss of some part of QoL, but it will be short term when compared to staying at PDT.

There are no good reasons to stick it out at PDT if you plan on being a career pilot. Unless you were a lucky guy who got one of the 12 upgrades last year trying to hit 1,300 hours PIC, then run like HeII from PDT. They will suck you in with their lies, they will tell you that they are going to paint airplanes, they will tell you they are looking for more Dash 8s, they will tell you that they have never had a better working relationship with mainline management, but they will never prove any of these things to be true.

I challenge you to find one postive action that PDT management said was going to happen and it actually did. A postive action that benefits you as a pilot in the form of job security.

When I recently left PDT, I found a folder that I kept all of the company letters that were sent out to the pilot group from pre-9/11 up to 2007. I have letters from Leonard, Farrow, Siegel, Parker, Gangwal, and three other CEOs. They were very entertaining to read. Not one thing in those letters has come to be.

Steve Farrow knows the plans for PDT. He choses not to inform the employee group for two reasons:
1. He is not stupid,
2. He was instructed not to release any info regarding PDT's future.

At many other regional airlines you can start logging PIC JET time in two years and a year or two later (while making $60K a year) you'll have all the PIC time you will need to interview at any major airline. Why delay getting on with FedEx or SouthWest? Go to the other regionals, get your time, pay your dues, and have fun while you do it. Don't worry about if PDT will be operating after 2009, don't worry about a 6 year to 7 year to indefinte upgrade. Set your pride aside for a minute and look at the facts. Yeah, maybe you've been convinced from your conterparts that "Contract Carriers" are bad and ruined PDT, but in the reality PDT will not provide you with the proper tools (PIC Time) to move on with your career.

I worked at PDT for almost 7 years. I have a lot of friends at PDT. PDT had the best contract/QoL in the regional airline industry when I started there, but it no longer does. There are better places to be than PDT. I wish PDT the best, but I also wish my friends the best and staying at PDT right now is not the best thing for them. If you think the best plan is to stay at PDT then do it. But, don't start complaining (not you avl_pilot) about how bad PDT is compared to other places. Go to one of those other places and experience it for yourself. There are always trade offs.

And as a disclaimer, avl_pilot, please don't take this post to be directed at you, I just used your previous post to get started. If you're happy at PDT, that's great. You need to help pass you're secrets on to the disgruntled PDT pilot group.

 

[avl_pilot]

No worry's prop, I know what your saying is true for almost every pilot at PDT. I just hope that everyone who has left or is going to leave finds a company that makes them happy.