Commuting question for Piedmont Airlines pilots
- Thread starter Beep
- Start date
Beep
Well-Known Member
Getting in and out of MDT is fairly easy. I show the night befor and usually take a early show for my trip. This gets me back to MDT by 1400 at the end of the trip giving me around 4 options to get home.
Going into MDT I can use main line going into PHl, or delta going through DTW. Heading home same drill but with the option of fed at night or down to CLT. Hope this helps.
Going into MDT I can use main line going into PHl, or delta going through DTW. Heading home same drill but with the option of fed at night or down to CLT. Hope this helps.
Beep
Well-Known Member
Thanks for the info!
JaceTheAce
Well-Known Member
I commuted to LGA when the base was open, but when I got displaced to MDT that was the "easiest" base to commute to and from. With the UPS and FedEx options along with more mainline equipment than the rest of the bases, it was easier. ROA is always weight-restricted with regional aircraft, CHO has limited service with regional aircraft, EWN has very limited service, and SBY might as well be a grass field out in the middle of no where.
With MDT you can skip out on the tail-end deadheads from PHL-MDT and go wherever you want from PHL.
The problem with Piedmont is they still have outstation basing. If they want to attract pilots to their operation they're gonna have to change to hub-basing. They will NEVER change. Pilots don't move for regional jobs anymore - we live where we want to live and commute to and from work.
With MDT you can skip out on the tail-end deadheads from PHL-MDT and go wherever you want from PHL.
The problem with Piedmont is they still have outstation basing. If they want to attract pilots to their operation they're gonna have to change to hub-basing. They will NEVER change. Pilots don't move for regional jobs anymore - we live where we want to live and commute to and from work.
Richman
JC’s Resident Curmudgeon
When I got on at PDT, it was TPA, JAX, EWN, LYH and "the 'bury".
SBY had too much of a weird NE costal fishing village vibe to it, and LYH had too much of a 1930's thing going on...and not the good kind. I couldn't hold TPA or JAX, so I went to EWN.
Slee-py. Not much to do. 2.5 hour drive just to get to RDU. Not many people realize how far out into the ocean NC sticks...it was 90 minutes just to get to I-95. 300 Marine to female ratio. VERY inexpensive living, but that was 2 decades ago, so things may have changed.
Did a stint in TPA and later CHO when it opened. TPA has no soul, but CHO was OK. Virginia can be tiresome in it's lush beauty and quaint covered bridges...at least where CHO is. We used to joke that every mile traveled south from CHO, you traveled a year into the past. The UVA thing got old and people were otherwise rabidly cliquish. It was the locals, the university people and everyone else, and nobody mixed. I dated a local girl, and it was apparently a huge scandal in her circle of friends.
Don't mean to dump on anyone's favorite places. Places are always different through other sets of eyes.
Richman
SBY had too much of a weird NE costal fishing village vibe to it, and LYH had too much of a 1930's thing going on...and not the good kind. I couldn't hold TPA or JAX, so I went to EWN.
Slee-py. Not much to do. 2.5 hour drive just to get to RDU. Not many people realize how far out into the ocean NC sticks...it was 90 minutes just to get to I-95. 300 Marine to female ratio. VERY inexpensive living, but that was 2 decades ago, so things may have changed.
Did a stint in TPA and later CHO when it opened. TPA has no soul, but CHO was OK. Virginia can be tiresome in it's lush beauty and quaint covered bridges...at least where CHO is. We used to joke that every mile traveled south from CHO, you traveled a year into the past. The UVA thing got old and people were otherwise rabidly cliquish. It was the locals, the university people and everyone else, and nobody mixed. I dated a local girl, and it was apparently a huge scandal in her circle of friends.
Don't mean to dump on anyone's favorite places. Places are always different through other sets of eyes.
Richman
Beep
Well-Known Member
Thank you, I appreciate it!
Hello,
I'm considering PDT, however, I'm concerned about the commute from CMH. Does anyone have any experience with this route to any of the PDT bases? Ive read there may be some hub bases opening up, will this make the commute easier?
I'm trying to compare this regional with PSA which has a DAY base, a much easier commute but I think PDT has more to offer at this point in my situation such as the CPT course.
Just weighing my options.
I'm considering PDT, however, I'm concerned about the commute from CMH. Does anyone have any experience with this route to any of the PDT bases? Ive read there may be some hub bases opening up, will this make the commute easier?
I'm trying to compare this regional with PSA which has a DAY base, a much easier commute but I think PDT has more to offer at this point in my situation such as the CPT course.
Just weighing my options.
PlaneFun
Well-Known Member
It honestly depends on the base! For instance, SBY is the hardest one. Only thing that flies in there is PDT itself. The 100's are 8/10 times weight restricted. (From PHL) Then you the 300 (From CLT) which only flies twice a day and has you praying you'll get the JS because it's full every single day. In the summer it's even worse due to the popularity of Ocean City. All other bases ROA, MDT, EWN, CHO, you have various way of commuting in besides PDT. Since it's out station bases and a double-hop commute for most.. You really need to give yourself more than allowed time for commuting. ROA is the most popular base with standby lists being the highest 15 people competing for 1 open seat. ROA, SBY, MDT are the mtc bases.. So lots of times the terminating flight cancels. The airplane will ferry in from another city for mtc. So my best words of advice are to never rely on the last flight of the night to one of those bases if you need to work in the morning!
Pendergast
Well-Known Member
Would anyone know, between ROA and MDT, which base would be easier to commute with better QOL in terms of actually getting a seat vs flight availability?
From what I've gathered, MDT is further up north but has a bit more options including JetBlue and has options to transfer either from CLT or PHL. Any insight would be appreciated.
From what I've gathered, MDT is further up north but has a bit more options including JetBlue and has options to transfer either from CLT or PHL. Any insight would be appreciated.
Soku39
Well-Known Member
Please make your life easy and just work at PSA. DAY is junior and you can hold it out of training, You'll have a line soon after you start, and even if you sit reserve, who cares you live an hour away. PDT's reserve will undoubtedly be longer as well. There are always day trips and 2 days in open time that you could pick up. The airline is a joke, but it is still rapidly expanding. I don't know why you would want a two leg commute to an outstation base, when you could just drive an hour to work.
Soku39
Well-Known Member
I understand that you haven't been a 121 guy before, but the difference between driving 45 mins to an hour fifteen depending on which side of Cbus you live on, vs taking 8+ hours to make a two leg commute to a PDT outstation base like EWN, where oh by the way it's not like commuting to ORD or ATL where there's trains, buses and a million ways of getting around without a car for cheap or free, is like night and day. If you really want to feel that pain no one's gonna stop you, but please just drive to work. Being based in DAY, or anywhere else small is pretty great too. No wasting time with walking across huge terminals to get to KCM, waiting on the bus from the employee let etc etc, it's laid back and I enjoy it.
Pendergast
Well-Known Member
How is commuting to ROA? Seems like more regional fly from CLT and probably won't have a long list like ROA??