Piedmont?

[pscraig]

I've met several pilots who fly for Piedmont and they have overall positive comments, but does anyone here have any direct experience with them? I have two current FOs offering to write letters of recommendation and walk in my resume, one of which did his ATP rating with me. I almost have the minimum hours to apply, looking for any advice. I've seen the gouge on aviationinterviews.com.

Thanks!!

 

[Bog]

If you want to get hired and furloughed inside of 6 months, go there. Working for a wholly-owned carrier of US Airways is not a smart move. PSA would be the only one of the three (Allegheny being the other) where you might be safe. Airways can close the doors or sell them off, and having a fleet of very young aircraft will help them out.

Get your resume into Chautauqua, Skywest, Pinnacle, Air Whisky, and Mesa.

 

[Windchill]

A flying job is a flying job . . . I agree that it may be a risky move to fly for a US Airways subsidary, however, even if you are furloughed not too far afterward, you will have airline experience to help find your next gig.

If you can get on with Piedmont--go.
You could hold out for another airline not under US Air and "NOT" be able to put, airline experience on your resume, or you could take it, get paid to fly and gain experience . . . and IF furloughed, be more qualified to go elsewhere.

My $0.02

 

[jtrain609]

But the problem is that all those other very well qualified guys that get let go at Piedmont with you when (not if) USAir goes under, and they will be tryin to get the same job as you. You want to get into a company that does not have very realisitic solvancy problems. Instead you want to get in with a company that is a sure bet, because if USAir tanks (takin Piedmont with it), then you are going to have a ton of VERY well qualified pilots with a lot more time than you. If you had just gotten on with another company in the first place, your increasd senority number would save your butt.

As a reference; John Tenney's move to Midway. He coulda been sitting phat at Mesa, but made a bad move over to Midway. He has said himself you don't want to make that mistake. Learn from other's mistakes before you try to make your own.

Cheers


John Herreshoff

 

[SteveC]

There's the third option of applying everywhere, and if offered a position at Piedmont only, take it. Keep actively pursuing the *more desirable* carriers while working, and make the move as soon as possible (preferably before being *forced* to).

No reason to turn down a paying flying gig just because you're going to jump ship, unless there are some contract gotcha's that would hurt you.

Beggars can't be choosers....

 

[stuckingfk]

I wouldn't go.

US Air is going down the crapper and that no clog can stop it. I don't know about you, but I wouldn't go to a job knowing that I'll be out of a job in a few months to a year. Where will you be then? Especially with all the other pilots out on the street with way more experience than you.

Stay at your current job and keep logging the multi time. Then you will have more hours and maybe more competitive with a different regional.

Btw, what are your times?

 

[SteveC]

[ QUOTE ]
I wouldn't go.

US Air is going down the crapper and that no clog can stop it. I don't know about you, but I wouldn't go to a job knowing that I'll be out of a job in a few months to a year. Where will you be then? <snip>

[/ QUOTE ]
He'll be job hunting, but with maybe a few hundred hours of turbine 121 time, instead of a few hundred hours of dual given in piston engine aircraft.

Why not give up the CFI job? It's not like it's that hard to get another instructing gig, especially if he's got a fair amount of dual given already.

Really, I don't see much of a down side of going with an outfit like Piedmont, even if they are going to fold up.

Now if he had an option of any one of the other carriers, I'd say it's a much, much different story. But if the choice is between a hurting regional and a CFI gig, I'd say jump on the 121/turbine time.

But I've been know to run with scissors, too...

 

[pscraig]

[ QUOTE ]

Btw, what are your times?

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm at 700TT/575ME. I have been encouraged to apply at 850TT. I have a very good instructing job now, and I feel I have something to lose if I make a wrong choice.

Thanks for all the info!

 

[Bog]

[ QUOTE ]
I'm at 700TT/575ME.

[/ QUOTE ]

I had those kind of times when I got hired at Mesa in 00. Your total time isn't "there" but your multi is great. Apply everywhere. Don't worry about what published minimums are; those are flexible numbers.

You may be able to get on with PDT and rack up a few hours of 121 turbine SIC, but when the doors close you'll be back to hunting like everyone else. Why make life more difficult.

It's too bad the Airways group is headed for disaster. There are thousands of great people working there, and it's sad to see this happen to anyone.

 

[Kingairer]

You mention Mesa, CHQ etc. etc...I would guess that CHQ and Mesa would furlough hundreds intially if USAir goes to liquidation. Your TT is enough for anywhere else right now, If you can get the job now, Id do it. If you are flying corporate or something like that, then i wouldnt, but CFIing, go for it. There arent many regionals out there that arent tied to an airline that could have potential problems down the road. Yes USAir's seems to be the most serious, but you could go to PDT get your 4 digit flight times, and if you get furloughed you can hope to get pref hiring somewhere else. How fast are you building time? permonth...