There will be a class of 14 starting on Sept. 8th that is a for sure. They split the August 16th class of 28 into two groups due to backups in the training department and sim. (they only have one sim). I am pretty sure the interviews that are going on now are for a sept. 30th start date (or right around there). Everything IS dependent upon Airways and whether or not they can make a loan deadline that is due at the end of Sept. That should be the biggest telling sign and basically the "future" of the carrier as well as it's wholly owned subs.
Take a look at my post on both the regional or major section of this board, I posted a very "interesting" article I found while looking online at the Post Gazzette this morning.
I would hang in there, accept the offer, but pursue all other options that you may need one day down the line, if they didn't plan on "hiring" or being around then they surely wouldn't continue to interview and "offer" positions. They must go on with the mindset to "hire" to meet staffing needs regardless of what Airways is doing present day.
If you want to work for peanuts then pursue ExpressJet or Mesa, I believe Piedmont is in the top three with regards to pay. It all depends on personal preference here but I surely would not think $17,700 is "acceptable" as first year pay. You should be able to almost double that first year at PDT if you know how to work the system so I have been told.
Worst case scenario is you get on with Piedmont making some decent money and three months later Airways goes "bye-bye", you then have valuable 121 time under your belt, you have proven that you can make it through a 121 training program, 121 turbine time, etc, and you then are very marketable to go elsewhere to another regional. Doesn't sound like a bad deal to me.
Best case scenario is that somehow some way Airways makes or sells off it's "assets" to another carrier and you still have a job.
ALL ALG pilots have been stapled to the bottom of the list so you will have some protection should the carrier need to furlough in the future.
Without a crystal ball it is very hard to predict what is going to happen but it is a call that you must make..
good luck in whatever you decide to do-
Some would say the glass is half full, others would say it is half empty.
Do a board search, plenty of PDT threads
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