Piedmont

[fowingman]

Left Piedmont about 6 months ago, what's new there besides being short staffed? is that getting any better??

 

[NCFlyer]

what's new there besides being short staffed? is that getting any better??

You're kidding right?

Hired 10 new F/O's last month, lost 18 pilots, net loss of 8.

Most junior CA is 07/01 DOH, 1 month short of 6 years with the company.

Last upgrade class was Aug 06. We should see Monday if there will be any upgrades next month.

Maybe we'll see some change with the $5,000 bonus.

Everything is fine!

 

[CoAlpha]

really there is no reason that anyone should even consider PDT.

 

[fowingman]

ncflyer if you have 18,000 what thehell are you doing at pdt? get out, dont be a lifer there!

 

[4.0atRIDDLE]

piedmont sucks.

 

[NCFlyer]

ncflyer if you have 18,000 what the hell are you doing at PDT? get out, dont be a lifer there!

Too young to quit, too old to start over.

Been flying 29+ years, here nearly 20. My next move will be out of aviation, which I am working toward right now.

 

[NCFlyer]

really there is no reason that anyone should even consider PDT.

I can think of ($)5000 reasons someone might consider PDT for at least 1 year.

 

[CoAlpha]

I can think of ($)5000 reasons someone might consider PDT for at least 1 year.

Its not worth it!, I would of went to mesa,psa,tsa,great lakes,big sky (any other bottom feeder out there) after I look at my QOL now and compare it to PDT. That 1.5 years of my life was the worst QOL I have ever had, besides the great crews at pdt, everything else was worse than horrible.

If any of you guys looking to try to get a 121 job, take this advice. I know that you are excited at the chance to fly for an airline and all, but going to pdt is horrible. Expect to be fully depressed and hate your job there. There are other options for you, and if I could of done it all over I would of kept doing charter/ flight instruction in my hometown for another year, instead of moving to a sh|thole eastcoast dump.


just my .2

 

[On Your Six]

Its not worth it!, I would of went to mesa,psa,tsa,great lakes,big sky (any other bottom feeder out there) after I look at my QOL now and compare it to PDT. That 1.5 years of my life was the worst QOL I have ever had, besides the great crews at pdt, everything else was worse than horrible.

If any of you guys looking to try to get a 121 job, take this advice. I know that you are excited at the chance to fly for an airline and all, but going to pdt is horrible. Expect to be fully depressed and hate your job there. There are other options for you, and if I could of done it all over I would of kept doing charter/ flight instruction in my hometown for another year, instead of moving to a sh|thole eastcoast dump.


just my .2

Was the Dash 8 fun to fly? Did you learn a lot about flying while you were there? That's what I hear - very archaic but fun to fly.

Still, that ain't a reason to go to any airline. Pay and QOL are the priorities and that is why PDT is losing pilots fast...

 

[mu2]

CoAlpha, thank God you left. I would hate to be stuck with you on a 4 day! I like my job at PDT.

 

[G2T]

very archaic but fun to fly.

Archaic? I don't know that I would go that far. Have you ever sat up front in a dc-9?

 

[CoAlpha]

CoAlpha, thank God you left. I would hate to be stuck with you on a 4 day! I like my job at PDT.

I used to have a great time at PDT. PDT sucks and is doomed, that is a fact. I was never the angry guy. As I said before I think the crews at PDT were great, even the scary ALG guys turned out to be real nice, and taught me a lot.

 

[Rizzo]

I agree....awesome people at Piedmont. I love Joe Hall and Rob Hofmann!!!

 

[mu2]

CoAlpha, did you commute? I guess that can add to the hatred. What is different about the QOL you have now as opposed to PDT? I'm not trying to show you up, I just want to know.

 

[flypixs]

every crew I flew with at PDT was the blessing of my career, however the company itself is the worst there is. No future, no growth......
Why even waisting my time on this board. You guys should run, and run fast.

 

[WSurf]

Any company that has no growth pretty much sucks!

 

[CoAlpha]

CoAlpha, did you commute? I guess that can add to the hatred. What is different about the QOL you have now as opposed to PDT? I'm not trying to show you up, I just want to know.

Mu2

good guess I was a commuter. - not fun, you really dont know how bad commuting is UNTIL you dont have to commute anymore.

I guess the best things not being at PDT anymore are in no particular order.

1. signing in and out every trip and getting nailed all the time with JMs
2. getting into an aircraft in july and sitting down in a wet seat because the poor guy that just got outa the seat sweat so much.
3. APUs that never worked.
4. The usair system just pick something PHL ramp, super flow etc.
5. The flow through carrot that will never happen.
6. A MEC that really never did anything
7. JK and the clownshow training department.
8. The lines
10. kinda like 2 and 3, but add winter
11. calling scheduling and talking to (insert name here)
12. 8 leg days with 4 swaps
13. The maintenance
14. No upgrade in sight.
15. The pay (first year excluded)
16. The FAs (even though they were nice people) no eye candy at all.
17. The gloom of whats going to happen to the fleet/or what will mngt hold over our head when the contract it up.
18. The yelling involved in the line checks, you know the guy I am talking about, the FA once told me she could hear him yelling at us all the way up to HPN from PHL. In IMC and storms all the way up. What a a jerk.
19. The hotels
20. The lack of diversity in trips. IE north mdt,lga,syr dont fly south past PHL because the moron that sets the trips up cant figure it out. Never flew into hilton head once!! damit.

Anyways like I said before great people, good lessons learned. I would not ever do it again, and I think there are many other places that newhires should go. The 5k is not worth it. Not that where I am now is all roses (SKYW) but I dont hate flying anymore. And my job does not seem like a job anymore like it did at PDT. Best luck to that place.

 

[Sig]

Ahh, you're a puss.

Edit: The rest was just drivel anyway, except for one salient point: If you truly did have a check airman yelling at you AND those conditions were really... real, you truly did fcuk something up. Puss. Thank god you're gone- you're what we call "broke-d!ck." BuhBye.

 

[WSurf]

Mu2

good guess I was a commuter. - not fun, you really dont know how bad commuting is UNTIL you dont have to commute anymore.

I guess the best things not being at PDT anymore are in no particular order.

1. signing in and out every trip and getting nailed all the time with JMs
2. getting into an aircraft in july and sitting down in a wet seat because the poor guy that just got outa the seat sweat so much.
3. APUs that never worked.
4. The usair system just pick something PHL ramp, super flow etc.
5. The flow through carrot that will never happen.
6. A MEC that really never did anything
7. JK and the clownshow training department.
8. The lines
10. kinda like 2 and 3, but add winter
11. calling scheduling and talking to (insert name here)
12. 8 leg days with 4 swaps
13. The maintenance
14. No upgrade in sight.
15. The pay (first year excluded)
16. The FAs (even though they were nice people) no eye candy at all.
17. The gloom of whats going to happen to the fleet/or what will mngt hold over our head when the contract it up.
18. The yelling involved in the line checks, you know the guy I am talking about, the FA once told me she could hear him yelling at us all the way up to HPN from PHL. In IMC and storms all the way up. What a a jerk.
19. The hotels
20. The lack of diversity in trips. IE north mdt,lga,syr dont fly south past PHL because the moron that sets the trips up cant figure it out. Never flew into hilton head once!! damit.

Anyways like I said before great people, good lessons learned. I would not ever do it again, and I think there are many other places that newhires should go. The 5k is not worth it. Not that where I am now is all roses (SKYW) but I dont hate flying anymore. And my job does not seem like a job anymore like it did at PDT. Best luck to that place.

So basically your talking about almost all regional airlines! I dont recommend PDT to anyone that wants to upgrade in 3 years! Go to another regional! But if you live near or in any of the bases, you will make decent money. Plus I would put PDT working contract against anyones and it aint that shabby!

CoAlpa.... You weren't happy and you left! Thats Great! Now I am sure you get your share of bashing also at SKYW when it comes to payrates!

I woudn't go around bashing airlines! Look.... Who's on top one year, can easily be on the bottom the next!

 

[lear24]

Guys, relax, coAlpha was responding to a specific request to state why he didn't like working at PDT. Everyone's mileage will vary, he didn't have a good time, he left, and is now happy.

 

[CoAlpha]

Guys, relax, coAlpha was responding to a specific request to state why he didn't like working at PDT. Everyone's mileage will vary, he didn't have a good time, he left, and is now happy.

Thanks, i am happy now, and i was not at pdt. Thats all that matters in life.

Guys im sure you are great people, I never insulted you I just did not like pdt.

 

[doug_or]

I also left PDT, and while I did have some negative feelings at the time, the more I've seen of what its like elsewhere, the more I realize PDT wasn't that bad. Upgrade is bad @ PDT, but its better than QX and AE, and my understanding (I'm sure someone will quickly correct me if I'm wrong) is that its not that far off from ASA or Mesaba. The contract may not be what it used to be, but with a few exceptions its still pretty good for a regional contract. The hotels aren't great, but looking around, they're about what everyone else is staying at. At the end of the day its not the best place to be, but you could do a heck of a lot worse. I have no regrets about leaving, but I left for the domeciles (and a little to escape L.B.), not for the upgrades.


As for the FAs- they knew what they were doing and were almost all mature responisible adults. I'm not a baby sitter. Most of them were kind enoguh to pass up a Maxim once in a while, which took care of the eye candy. You can't get the Maxim girls pregnant on an overnight no matter how many shots you do. I'm starting to sound way drunker than I am so I'm gonna go ahead and start typing right about.... now.

except one thing:

don't forget-

Jets suck

 

[CL600Pilot]

Was the Dash 8 fun to fly? Did you learn a lot about flying while you were there? That's what I hear - very archaic but fun to fly.

Still, that ain't a reason to go to any airline. Pay and QOL are the priorities and that is why PDT is losing pilots fast...

I have about 1200 hours in the Dash from pre-merger ALG and I thought it was a blast to fly. I have about the same amount of time in a CRJ and all things being equal (pay, QOL, etc.) I'd pick the Dash everyday of the week and twice on Sundays.

It's not as archaic as everyone thinks. The Dash 8 first entered service in 1984 with Henson (Piedmont) a mere 8 years before the CRJ first entered service. I can't find the exact date for the -200/-300 start of service but I'm guessing it was early '90s(??). Yeah it's a little bit 'old school' but the airplane was designed and built to fill a particular role with a particular mission profile which it does extremely well. And the new Dashes are actually much more advanced than the C/ERJs from what I've heard - I've ot a chance to fly the new generation.

 

[dooork]

So basically your talking about almost all regional airlines! I dont recommend PDT to anyone that wants to upgrade in 3 years! Go to another regional! But if you live near or in any of the bases, you will make decent money. Plus I would put PDT working contract against anyones and it aint that shabby!

CoAlpa.... You weren't happy and you left! Thats Great! Now I am sure you get your share of bashing also at SKYW when it comes to payrates!

I woudn't go around bashing airlines! Look.... Who's on top one year, can easily be on the bottom the next!

You would'nt but you do.

 

[WSurf]

You would'nt but you do.

Thats true! But the longer I have been in this industry the more I have seen dramitic changes. Seems to change one's idea of regionals, by saying that they all pretty much suck a$$! Make the best of where your at, if you don't like it there then move on!

 

[OPECJet]

http://www.canada.com/montrealgazet....html?id=61e8f951-427c-4654-90ba-5b1bf412b4ae
I'll throw some flames on the fire. Only one line about PDT in there.

 

[Sig]

Only one line about PDT in there.

It's a fart in the wind, D. ATRs are being thrown around to push a cheap deal from DeHavilland... but then again, what the heck do I know?

 

[OPECJet]

You are correct. A fart in the wind at best. Not the first time something like that has been out there either. Just throwing it out there.

 

[WSurf]

It's a fart in the wind, D. ATRs are being thrown around to push a cheap deal from DeHavilland... but then again, what the heck do I know?

Makes smart buisness sense! However, either airplane would be a nice addition! Even though I would love the Q400's, I have problem luggin around slower in a big fat ATR72.

Remember----- When it comes to your paycheck, SPEED KILLS!!!!!!!

 

[flypixs]

Makes smart buisness sense! However, either airplane would be a nice addition! Even though I would love the Q400's, I have problem luggin around slower in a big fat ATR72.

Remember----- When it comes to your paycheck, SPEED KILLS!!!!!!!

What the hell. You know J B is useless, T M is useless, and now we are going to say good bye to the best scheduler we had in a long time. Make sure you call her in the morning and to wish her the best of luck.