ATP from Piedmont???

[DieselDash]

There isn't anyone at Piedmont (FO's and junior CA's) that I've talked to lately that aren't currently or on the verge of leaving. I hate the thought of spending $2,000 for the ATP ratting but I don't want to wait for another 9 years to upgrade at Piedmont (I've already put in 3 years). A laterall move to another regional seems like a great idea at this point.

 

[N813CA]

DieselDash

Just be careful. I left Piedmont 4 years ago to go to Comair which was 2 years to upgrade. I have been here for 4 years now. 6 years as an FO. If I would have staid I would be captain at PDT. vbmenu_register("postmenu_1238617", true);

 

[LowlyPropCapt]

There isn't anyone at Piedmont (FO's and junior CA's) that I've talked to lately that aren't currently or on the verge of leaving. I hate the thought of spending $2,000 for the ATP ratting but I don't want to wait for another 9 years to upgrade at Piedmont (I've already put in 3 years). A laterall move to another regional seems like a great idea at this point.

9 years? A touch of an exaggeration, don't you think? If you've put in three, I wonder if it will really be more than another year or two at the most. What do we have... 18 retirements this year? Then of course there is the usual attrition due to hiring at other carriers, medical, etc. No, I don't think 9 years is accurate at all.

Be careful with the lateral move. I did it nearly seven years ago TO Piedmont, and it worked out O.K. for me all things considered. I would have upgraded much faster were it not for certain crazy zealots of middle eastern persuasion...

I honestly beleive that leaving ONLY for the upgrade can be fraught with hazards. No airline's growth (not even Repchautshuttle's!) lasts forever and upgrade times can and do change on a dime. I remember when Piedmont's was running two years and four months! What a shame it would be to leave only to have a long reserve sit on the bottom of someone elses list.

On the other hand, if you really hate it here or if your quality of life really would improve drastically by switching airlines, then by all means go for it. I can think of no better reason to leave than personal happiness. Life is too damn short.

Oh yeah, by the way, I am one of those fairly junior CAs you alluded to. Not on the verge of leaving, unless of course SWA or CO or UPS finally rings my number. I'd be a bigger dumbass than I already am if I didn't try to get the hook up at a "major."

Good luck!

 

[LearLove]

Two quick questions:
1. When I go through recurrent this year, (IF I pass) can they give me my ATP rating or is that not possible? I'm sure the answer is probably no, but I figured I would throw it out there!

2. My ATP written is set to expire in two months. I know as long as I am at PDT it remains good, but is that true if I were to go to ATP in Chicago to take the checkride???

I've been thinking about leaving like everyone else, but would like to have the ATP out of the way and it would be very benificial to me where I'd be going.

Thanks and let the flaming begin!!:smash:

Like most of us your looking for the easiest, less costly way to get it done. That said i'd say go to ATP's (any location) and knock out the ATP in 2 days.

Basically there are 3 qualifications/things in this career that make you marketable in the 121 bizz. (besides having an internal rec or naked pic's of the company you want to jump to cheif pilot/management)

1. ATP rating
2. general 121 exp.
3. 121 turb PIC
4. * see below


Knocking out 2 of the 3 is the best you can do right now. When you interview kindly/professionaly (without sounding like you are bitching)explain to your interviewer that you were eager/ready to upgrade at PDT however its a very senior airline bla bla bla.

*(possibly there could be a number 4, which is a type rating in some kind of turb equip, but a type with no PIC/line exp. in the aircraft in many cases won't do you much good. I wouldn't consider this unless your last name is Hilton or Kennedy and you've got $$$ burning a whole in your pocket. Your $$ would go much further saved in the bank in case you had to make the ultimate sacrifice and jump to another 121 regional/commuter (for fast upgrade) to supplemant first year pay)

 

[trainer8]

Sorry Boy-o. PDT does it different than everyone else. The type ride is indeed the LOFT under our AQP program. The maneuvers that are required on a normal ride have already been demonstrated on the "train to proficiency" Manuevers Validation (done 4 sims before the LOFT if memory serves...). There is no oral, per say, as there would be on a normal ATP/Type ride. Again the knowledge is demonstrated earlier in the ground training phase.

No chance in hell that they will do a type ride on a FO CQ ride. They won't cover enough line items to do the ATP.

'Tis true...The whole process is, in fact, part of the ride. You can't get to the end without progressing thru the beginning.

T8

 

[skychicken]

Has anybody done the ATP checkride through ATP? If so how hard was it???

 

[lastout]

i second the wariness of a lateral. i switched this year and while i am not miserable...there truly is not a better pilot group out there than those at the PDT. they really made it a pleasure to be there all else aside (and the dash is a stellar piece of metal!!)

just my 2 cents. the quality of life contract wise ain't too bad and at least it's a known quantity. like i said, i am fairly content where i am now and there are some great folks here too but you won't find the comraderie PDT has at most places!

good luck regardless. i'm really keepin the fingers crossed for something good to come the PDT way (then i can kick myself a little harder for leaving!)

lowly-- hows it going brother? i promise to keep you posted next time i get a layover in your neck of the woods.

 

[RedTailSwinger]

LOFT = LINE ORIENTED FLIGHT TRAINING Not type ride. The type is prior to the LOFT..therefore...ATP during type ride. Unless your 121 carrier does it differently then everyone else.

Piedmont has an AQP training program so Im guessing they don't have the typical Appendix F type ride.

Airlines with AQP programs typically validate all of the "type ride" manuevers prior to the actual type ride. Therefore the type ride can be a line flight scenario with some type of abnormal.