Piedmont Questions

[daviator28621]

I finally got the call from piedmont for an interview and if all goes well I will continue to smile.
I have a few questions about piedmont though.
Please don't flame me, I'm a newbie.

1.) What is the possibility of choosing domicile?

I want Roanoke, VA or New Bern, NC
Is there drawbacks to these bases?

2.) How does pay really work? I know garuntee is 72hours, but what is it really, for those who are experiencing it?

3.) What are the schedules like for new guys?
Please give example.


Thank you in advance
David

 

[jellynuts]

If you don't break guarantee as a FO right now then we are all in serious trouble. You get $5000 for getting hired anyways, so that's a good boost. As unfair as it is for the rest of us...

 

[NuGuy]

.

1.) What is the possibility of choosing domicile?

I want Roanoke, VA or New Bern, NC
Is there drawbacks to these bases?


Thank you in advance
David

Back in the day...

EWN always went fairly junior. Don't plan on commuting in the summer though, as all the planes are packed, and a fair number of the senior dudes commute as well.

Craven County, and New Bern especially, when I was there was sleepy with a capital S.

New Bern is WAY the heck out there, nearly to the Eastern Shore. Plan on at least a 2 hour drive to any substantial population center, like Raleigh.

If you're married with kids, then it might just be the ticket. Cost of living was very reasonable.

If you're single (and not a Marine), then times will be tough, as there are about 300 young men per female due to the 2 LARGE Marine bases at Cherry Pont and Jacksonville, NC. If you move up the road to Greenville, NC, where ECU is, you might have better opportunity (about 30 mins from the airport) and a better QoL.

Roanoke is just plain weird. I got the vibe that you pretty much had to be from there to enjoy it.

Charlottesville is a MUCH better place overall, IMHO. Spendy, but there is some nightlife and culture. DC is just up the road, and there is reasonable, if limited, skiing in the wintertime, plus tons of hiking, biking and all that.

Mind you, this info is some years old, you might want to get current intel.

Nu

 

[epic!]

Nu is right, New Bern is a sausage factory, you don't want to go there

 

[zasca]

People are blocking at least 90-100, without trying or picking up time. With all the cancellations and double premium pay, you could make double the guarantee easy. The double premium may be gone as all these new hires start flying and they park a plane in August. The last bid included every base except LGA. You will likely have no problem getting Roanoke right away, if not after a month.

Know nothing about those bases except that Roanoke is at least near VaTech and in mountains... oh and fairly short on FO's. (not like SYR tho)

 

[WickedPissa]

I finally got the call from piedmont for an interview and if all goes well I will continue to smile.
I have a few questions about piedmont though.
Please don't flame me, I'm a newbie.

1.) What is the possibility of choosing domicile?

I want Roanoke, VA or New Bern, NC
Is there drawbacks to these bases?

2.) How does pay really work? I know garuntee is 72hours, but what is it really, for those who are experiencing it?

3.) What are the schedules like for new guys?
Please give example.


Thank you in advance
David

Respectfully, do you really have a choice with 300 total time? I haven't looked at the regional board (or flight info for that matter) more than 2 or 3 times in the past year? If you can pick, Piedmont was by far the worst of my 3 121 carriers. The Dash 8 was a nice plane, but you don't care about that after getting only 10 days off a month, poor schedules with 2 deadheads a day, minimum pay days every day, being forced to switch domiciles often (most of the time a 2 leg commute to the messed up bases), the unlimited junior man (do it and grieve it) , bitter captains that hate being there and dwell on it 24/7 thier whole career so you can listen to it all day every day, misinformed fo's that took all the captain's b.s. as gospel and spreads the doom and gloom after only one week on line, crappy prop pay when another 300 hour guy makes more in his rj, assbackwards bases....basically the worst attitude negative evironment I have ever been in. I actually am happy where I am now, but my post is a reflection on the $hlttya$$ attitude Piedmont can drive into its hired help.

 

[WSurf]

I actually am happy were I am now,.

After 3 Airlines, you gotta tell us where you are now! Since your happy now, lets all of us know so we can send some resumes and be happy with you!!!!

 

[WickedPissa]

After 3 Airlines, you gotta tell us where you are now! Since your happy now, lets all of us know so we can send some resumes and be happy with you!!!!

Go to bed Surf, it's late. Actually, email me under the private thing. We've flown together. I'm so computer illiterate.

 

[WickedPissa]

As in "were" i meant "where" for you speak and spell people.

 

[WSurf]

Man, I did need to go to bed! Had just driven home from Mytle Beach. Grrrrrr!

'So which airline is it you be at'


''Sorry, where you is";-)

Yo, Nizzle! What airline you be kickin it wit now!! ;-)


I have a bunch of friends at other regional airlines! Piedmont isn't the best by far! But it damn sure aint the worst!!

 

[daviator28621]

Where are you at that you are now happy?
I am married 25 years (married young) and am still happy, so night life is no biggie. I used to live within 45 mins of new bern so I know about the marine thing.
Piedmont seems to pay more for new guys than say colgan. $25 per hour + 5K bonus as opposed to $19 per hour flying the turbo fan.
After 2 years I'll have enough turbine time to go corporate if I want to.
Or I can upgrade to captain, and know what The Dash is pretty cool to fly. I have a friend who flew the Dash for several years as a captain because of the seniority thing, he had a great schedule so why fly the shiny jet.

 

[Grey Ghost]

What do you mean, "Finally got the call"?

 

[Whataburger]

Where are you at that you are now happy?
I am married 25 years (married young) and am still happy, so night life is no biggie. I used to live within 45 mins of new bern so I know about the marine thing.
Piedmont seems to pay more for new guys than say colgan. $25 per hour + 5K bonus as opposed to $19 per hour flying the turbo fan.
After 2 years I'll have enough turbine time to go corporate if I want to.
Or I can upgrade to captain, and know what The Dash is pretty cool to fly. I have a friend who flew the Dash for several years as a captain because of the seniority thing, he had a great schedule so why fly the shiny jet.

Keep in mind "great schedule" at Piedmont means being there for 10 years and finally getting 13-14 days off a month.

 

[zasca]

been here a few months and have 15 days off. But that's just Laguardia. Stay the ******************** out you greedy bastards, nobody must know the secret.

The whole griping captain thing is overblown. Just don't bring it up if you dont want to hear about it.


Scheduling is only getting worse though....

 

[FirstMate]

the unlimited junior man (do it and grieve it)

No unlimited JM's at PDT. 4 a year including JM Extenstions thats it! I had two in May. Workin on the last two...

 

[Sig]

No unlimited JM's at PDT.

Totally incorrect. We have pilots with 5 Junior Man "events", I'm certain some have more.

The problem is that these pilots hurt you and me by going outside of the contract and agreeing to do this flying.

Jerks.

 

[WSurf]

The problem is that these pilots hurt you and me by going outside of the contract and agreeing to do this flying.

Jerks.

Totally incorrect! I am gonna agree to disagree on that!
I am not capped out yet! I havent taken the double prem. pay because I want to be capped out first!!!!
Listen to me folks!! Take the junior mans before the double prem. pay!!

Now that being said Sig, once the Junior Mans are capped the F'in world is yours!

You have to make them pay when they call you! Ask for the world!!! I have had shed. call me and say there is no way we can do that!!! Only to have the 410 area code pop back on my phone 10 minutes later saying it was approved!! Remember, it cost the company a shizzzt load to cx a flight!

So if your capped out, just make sure to ask for alot more then just the additional 4 hrs!! I mean ask for a bunch more!

If you don't get it...... oh well... just tell them to have a great day!
And if you do get it, then you can go around and tell everyone, "man, you aint gonna believe this sh$t"!!!


So Sig, I guess its all in the way you handle it!!

 

[twighead]

I have to take issue with the unlimited Jr man satement as well. I've been capped for a couple of months and scheduling fully acknowledges that fact when I call them on it. They never deny that I am capped or tell me to "do it and grieve it".

 

[FirstMate]

Theorectically, yes, I guess one could take 5, 10, whatever the amount of JR mans per year. They CANNOT be forced on you by scheduling though. Why one would accept more than the amount in the contract is beyond me. Maybe they are working towards next years cap? I would personally get capped out for this year, THEN start accepting the double premiums/name your price game.

 

[Sig]

So Sig, I guess its all in the way you handle it!!

We're arguing the same side of the equation, W!

You're exactly right- the world is yours once you're capped.

Unfortunately, these gimps took an extra four hours' pay in lieu of a JM credit. So yes, JM events can occur without limit as long as folks sell the contract back for double premium pay.

You know I play the JM-Cap game! I think it will be too hard to play this year, what with 1 in 3 FOs on property hired in 2007.