A Pdt Interview

[NuGuy]

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.

I have to agree with Prop,

Run, don't walk. I was a long time PDTer, and wish I had bailed sooner into my 5 year exile into FO he11. Heck, in the time I spent at PDT, I could have left TWO airlines and still upgraded twice.

Back before 9/11, PDT could sucker you in. Decent pay, decent QoL, and crew bases that were actually located someplace that didn't resemble a de-militarized zone. Unless you live IN base, there's no reason for the career oriented pilot to go/stay.

PDT is still flying AC that were "seasoned" when I was hired in 93. In 93, I was promised that flow through was "imminent".

Nu

 

[MEL'ed]

PDT Maintenance

Heard the feds were jumpseating down to sby to audit our maintenance records!

Had asst. POI Frank in the JS from PIT-BWI yesterday. He told us that FAA regional district put together an adhoc group to investigate out maint practices and procedures. They would be mainly snooping around chicken land, but they could go anywhere. Sounded like the local guys didn't like what they saw, so they reported us to region and they thought it was a big enough problem to put a several man team on the situation. Frank actually seemed more interested in the fact that our selcal didn't work, than how we were flying (Good thing). Glad to see the FAA knows what's going on, and they are worried about it.

 

[Sig]

Frank actually seemed more interested in the fact that our selcal didn't work, than how we were flying (Good thing).

Great thing.

As far as I hear, the newhires are atrocious pilots. Not their fault, hang it on the company- they're hiring so short of the KILLER------>CAPABLE continuum that the CAs have to work that much harder.

 

[twighead]

Had asst. POI Frank in the JS from PIT-BWI yesterday. He told us that FAA regional district put together an adhoc group to investigate out maint practices and procedures. They would be mainly snooping around chicken land, but they could go anywhere. Sounded like the local guys didn't like what they saw, so they reported us to region and they thought it was a big enough problem to put a several man team on the situation. Frank actually seemed more interested in the fact that our selcal didn't work, than how we were flying (Good thing). Glad to see the FAA knows what's going on, and they are worried about it.

I was talking to a capt today that had one of the inspectors, who will be performing the maintenance audit, in his jumpseat. As they go to takeoff, the ditching hatch releases a waterfall onto the guy's lap. He had to cover himself with the trash bag that was hanging next to him.

Classic!

I can't think of a better introduction to PDT's dash 8's.

 

[woxonwoxof]

I don't think the selcal ever works when you actually need it.

 

[GlenQ]

I was talking to a capt today that had one of the inspectors, who will be performing the maintenance audit, in his jumpseat. As they go to takeoff, the ditching hatch releases a waterfall onto the guy's lap. He had to cover himself with the trash bag that was hanging next to him.

Classic!

I can't think of a better introduction to PDT's dash 8's.

I'm guessing that audit didn't go so well ...

 

[ranger17]

Don't know how the audit went, but I was the FO on the flight were we gave the Fed a bath (talk about a sinking ship). He mentioned it about 3 times when we made it to BWI and that it needed to be written up. Sounds like it was going to be a whole week in the chicken coup looking at anything and everything. That was last mon, anyone here anything about how the audit went?

 

[MEL'ed]

Did you write it up? If so, does water dripping through the hatch ground the a/c? I have heard it does.

 

[OPECJet]

Don't know anything about an audit, but I heard we had one make an emergency landing after losing a hydraulic system.

Since this company refuses to put that sort of info out to its pilot group, can anyone confirm?

 

[Sig]

I proved a point about how both planes today were easily tied up in MX if I just looked a little.

Not to mention the HYDQ transfer "procedure," which is just a godsend for an operational slowdown.

 

[Cheese Blood]

Gonzo

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?

I was at PDT just over three years and I just bailed. Granted the job I am going to is a step up and pays better, but I was always looking for the door.

Good luck PDT'ers I wish y'all the best.

Cheeseblood, out

 

[twighead]

Did you write it up? If so, does water dripping through the hatch ground the a/c? I have heard it does.

Well this is another good part of the story. When the capt told mx that he had the write up, they tried to get him to hold off writing it up untill they were at station where it could be looked at- That is, untill he told them the FAA inspector that was sitting in his jumpseat said it needs to be looked at. Then of course they back-peddled.

To answer your question though, I'm not sure if it's grounding or not.

 

[LowlyPropCapt]

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!!

He's a customer service agent on the "F'd" concourse in Philly now. Really... I am not kidding.

 

[doug_or]

He's a customer service agent on the "F'd" concourse in Philly now. Really... I am not kidding.

Thought he lived on longggislaghnd. Is he commuting to work? Did he move? I know he was trying to get on as a CSA @ LGA (demanding to be hired directly in as a supervisor).

 

[GlenQ]

Speaking of PDT interviews...looks like they just droped the mins on the website to 500TT

 

[avl_pilot]

And it looks like the lower time people aren't just coming from UND or PU anymore. Just talked to a buddy who got an interview w/around 600TT and didn't even go to a college w/an aviation program.

 

[GlenQ]

And it looks like the lower time people aren't just coming from UND or PU anymore. Just talked to a buddy who got an interview w/around 600TT and didn't even go to a college w/an aviation program.

Yeah, it looks like those new mins on the website of 500TT are applicable to anyone (but it still says 100ME)...maybe lowering that ME min is still reserved for the aviation degree people. Did your friend who had no aviation degree have less than 100ME too?

 

[Sig]

who got an interview w/around 600TT and didn't even go to a college w/an aviation program.

Say it ain't so! I only had some 1100 ME when I got hired. What the heck?

 

[GlenQ]

Say it ain't so! I only had some 1100 ME when I got hired. What the heck?

PC-12 eh?...that wouldn't happen to be for Alpha Flying would it?
(Just a guess, that's the only place I know who flies them)

 

[avl_pilot]

Yeah, it looks like those new mins on the website of 500TT are applicable to anyone (but it still says 100ME)...maybe lowering that ME min is still reserved for the aviation degree people. Did your friend who had no aviation degree have less than 100ME too?

I think he's got around 50-60 multi., which I believe would be high time now a day's.:erm: