RumpleTumbler
Well-Known Member
What are the pros and cons of PDT bases? Which is best for new hire? Quickest off reserve? Will live in base.
Piedmont bases questions
- Thread starter RumpleTumbler
- Start date
SRA_kbad
Scooter Trash!!!
I was in Roanoke for most of my time at PDT. Great base! Great people! Made some lifetime friends there.
It really depends on what interests you. SBY and EWN are practically on the beach. ROA, CHO, and MDT are more inland, so you'll be closer (if not in) the mountains. EWN does mostly southern flying out of CLT. The rest are a mix of northern and southern. Personally, I would steer clear of MDT. It was the most senior when I was there.
Wherever you decide to go, make the most of it and enjoy it!
It really depends on what interests you. SBY and EWN are practically on the beach. ROA, CHO, and MDT are more inland, so you'll be closer (if not in) the mountains. EWN does mostly southern flying out of CLT. The rest are a mix of northern and southern. Personally, I would steer clear of MDT. It was the most senior when I was there.
Wherever you decide to go, make the most of it and enjoy it!
slowpdtdeath
Well-Known Member
The people make the bases great. That being said, every base has a few people that you never want to fly with. with the hiring and upgrade wheels finally turning again holding a line probably won't take too long
SeanD
Well-Known Member
Hey man, long time! Where are you at now?
TaleSpin
Well-Known Member
When I was at PDT, SBY was the fastest way to hold a line. Creat crews, plenty of crashpads. Living there is not expensive. For the winter season, Oct-Apr you can rent a place in Ocean City really cheap. That's about 40 minutes drive to the airport. They used to do both North and South flying out of SBY, so you get a nice mix of flying. MDT is the largest base and the most senior as well (long reserve time).
JaceTheAce
Well-Known Member
LGA was the best base for commuters, of course we all know what happened to that. MDT is the next best commutable base. Both UPS and FedEx have two night flights out of there and flights arrive at around 5:30am into there. US Airways has an Airbus that flies in and out of there most days to CLT, so you probably won't get bumped. ROA is probably the next commutable base, although be careful trying to get on a CRJ or ERJ because they are often weight restricted and often oversold. It's better to get on a Dash 8 300 so you can take the jumpseat. I know you say you're going to live in base, but knowing which bases have more flights in and out will make it easier when you want to non-rev somewhere on your days off.
MDT is a much different culture (Captains) than the other bases. Most of those people are older Allegheny pilots. ROA, EWR, SBY, and CHO have more of the original Piedmont and Hensen guys. It's hit or miss with the quirkiness of how the Captains like to run the ship (as with any airline), but generally the older they are the more grumpy and quirky they are. I found this to be more common in the MDT base.
MDT is a much different culture (Captains) than the other bases. Most of those people are older Allegheny pilots. ROA, EWR, SBY, and CHO have more of the original Piedmont and Hensen guys. It's hit or miss with the quirkiness of how the Captains like to run the ship (as with any airline), but generally the older they are the more grumpy and quirky they are. I found this to be more common in the MDT base.
SRA_kbad
Scooter Trash!!!
Hey Sean! How you doing man! I'm still in Charlotte, really like it here. Not at PDT anymore, thankfully. Still on the Dash though, mostly in Afghanistan.
What about you? What ya been up to?
Max Power
Well-Known Member
MDT was very senior, but I learned a great deal from those old timers. Middletown/Harrisburg is relatively inexpensive to live in. I was a line holder 2 months out of IOE but that was 5 years ago, a very different time.
You'd see mostly PHL flying, about 70%, occasionally some CLT. But the routes are always changing. They were running a Dash 100 from CLT to MDT then!
I live in Pittsburgh, so MDT was really my only choice. I learned much about flying in weather from those PHL routes.
You'd see mostly PHL flying, about 70%, occasionally some CLT. But the routes are always changing. They were running a Dash 100 from CLT to MDT then!
I live in Pittsburgh, so MDT was really my only choice. I learned much about flying in weather from those PHL routes.
Richman
JC’s Resident Curmudgeon
Was based in EWN, TPA and CHO when I was at PDT. Old school, I know...
EWN back in the day was really tiny. They hadn't even started the new bridge, we flew from the old terminal, there was no tower, and there was actually a FSS on the field. You could get a place on the water for just a little scratch.
For a single guy living there, well, it was tough. Remember you have Cherry Point and Jacksonville MCAS right down the street, so you need to consider the male/female ratio and the fact you're competing for a limited pool with like a bazillion buff 19-23 year olds. You can only take the ferry to the outer banks so many times. If I had it to do over, I'd have moved up the road to Greenville, where ECU is, and work that scene.
Tampa ranks as one of the great non-event cities of North America. One great big yawn. Same climate as you get in the laundromat by putting 8 quarters in the dryer and setting it to "Cotton". Filled with lots of people who seemed to settle there because that's where the Interstate stopped.
Cho'ville. Stunning scenery. Four actual seasons. Verging on pleasant. Nighmarish on game day. Virginia grows tiresome in it's lush beauty...too much like a painting sometimes. Three distinct populations in one city that didn't interact with each other at all. Locals, University people and outsiders, and everyone ran in their own circles. I bucked tradition and dated a local girl. Was the big talk around town, and is still whispered of today. Driving road to Lynchburg was like being in your own personal deLorean set to 1935.
Richman
EWN back in the day was really tiny. They hadn't even started the new bridge, we flew from the old terminal, there was no tower, and there was actually a FSS on the field. You could get a place on the water for just a little scratch.
For a single guy living there, well, it was tough. Remember you have Cherry Point and Jacksonville MCAS right down the street, so you need to consider the male/female ratio and the fact you're competing for a limited pool with like a bazillion buff 19-23 year olds. You can only take the ferry to the outer banks so many times. If I had it to do over, I'd have moved up the road to Greenville, where ECU is, and work that scene.
Tampa ranks as one of the great non-event cities of North America. One great big yawn. Same climate as you get in the laundromat by putting 8 quarters in the dryer and setting it to "Cotton". Filled with lots of people who seemed to settle there because that's where the Interstate stopped.
Cho'ville. Stunning scenery. Four actual seasons. Verging on pleasant. Nighmarish on game day. Virginia grows tiresome in it's lush beauty...too much like a painting sometimes. Three distinct populations in one city that didn't interact with each other at all. Locals, University people and outsiders, and everyone ran in their own circles. I bucked tradition and dated a local girl. Was the big talk around town, and is still whispered of today. Driving road to Lynchburg was like being in your own personal deLorean set to 1935.
Richman