Passed the checkride!!!

[juxtapilot]

Congrats!!! WOOHOO!

[av8rdrew]

That's amazing! Congrats. On one of your trips from SBY to PHL, be sure to look down on ol' 33N which is the field I trained at. Lemme know if you can spot it. With times like that there are some folks at 33N who would all be flying cross countries to SBY now.

All the best!

[azpilot84]

Originally Posted by JaceTheAce

No "jet bridge" course, no CRJ course, not even CFI, CFII, or MEI. Just a Commercial-Multi-Instrument ticket. I don't believe in those bridge courses or CRJ courses that you pay for... but, I will be earning my CFI as soon as I can so I can teach because I want that experience under my belt.

Congrats! Did you already have a degree when you applied?

[jynxyjoe]

hey is it true all the leases run out on the dashes in '09.

thats what all the piedmont guys say over here who bailed out. i guess there are a hell of a lot more comming this way.

[JaceTheAce]

Originally Posted by the_dmn8tr

Congrats!!! Where on the eastern seaboard are you going to be based flying the 37 passenger high wing aircraft?

I was awarded the LGA base.

Originally Posted by azpilot84

Congrats! Did you already have a degree when you applied?

Yes, I had already earned a Bachelor's degree before I applied. I think just about everyone had a Bachelor's degree in my class.

[MikeOH58]

Looking at the pay scales, it looks like Piedmont is one of the leaders in the regional industry for first year pay...Thats a feat in itself...That said, why does a company that is at the top of the first year pay scale at the bottom of the bottom of qualifications with the bare mininums....

This isn't a rant or a knock about low time, I just dont really understand why a place could be best in pay but have the lowest possible mininums...

Sort of like how Mesa uses low mininums to recruite, and Republic and Horizon use pay, which leaves them with higher miniums...

again, this isn't a knock...i'm just trying to figure out how this whole 121 world works 1 step at a time.

[JaceTheAce]

Originally Posted by MikeOH58

Looking at the pay scales, it looks like Piedmont is one of the leaders in the regional industry for first year pay...Thats a feat in itself...That said, why does a company that is at the top of the first year pay scale at the bottom of the bottom of qualifications with the bare mininums....

This isn't a rant or a knock about low time, I just dont really understand why a place could be best in pay but have the lowest possible mininums...

Sort of like how Mesa uses low mininums to recruite, and Republic and Horizon use pay, which leaves them with higher miniums...

again, this isn't a knock...i'm just trying to figure out how this whole 121 world works 1 step at a time.

I don't know why myself... ........maybe because we actually have to fly our airplanes?

[jynxyjoe]

Originally Posted by MikeOH58

Looking at the pay scales, it looks like Piedmont is one of the leaders in the regional industry for first year pay...Thats a feat in itself...That said, why does a company that is at the top of the first year pay scale at the bottom of the bottom of qualifications with the bare mininums....

This isn't a rant or a knock about low time, I just dont really understand why a place could be best in pay but have the lowest possible mininums...

Sort of like how Mesa uses low mininums to recruite, and Republic and Horizon use pay, which leaves them with higher miniums...

again, this isn't a knock...i'm just trying to figure out how this whole 121 world works 1 step at a time.

piedmont has a strong union and has a good business model. from the words out of ex-piedmont mouths, its also a place you will never upgrade at, like horizon. if you try and stick it out with a regional forever you may want to have a second job selling bathroom fixtures for when you are furlowed for the 3rd time or have been knocked back to an fo making 30 a year for the 4th time.

republic has good pay and a low upgrade time. everyone is going there. right now the sky is the limit especially for those guys high on the senority list... until about 5 years from now when their pilot base is too expensive then they will take one of these multiple choice business decisions:
a. "american eagle" them
b. "mesaba" them
c. "piedmont" them
d. "go jets" them
e. "pinnacle" them

if youre not on the top 10% of the senority list at the regional you are at get out ASAP when you reach your 1,000 pic

[schoolio]

Originally Posted by jynxyjoe

hey is it true all the leases run out on the dashes in '09.

thats what all the piedmont guys say over here who bailed out. i guess there are a hell of a lot more comming this way.

Not all. Just about half.

[t-cart]

jynxyjoe,Give him a break.He just got hired.Let him enjoy the moment. Fly Safe,,,,T.C.

[Skillet]

Good times, conrats man. PDT is a place I'd like to go, I love the Dash!!

[Duck_Twacy]

Congrats again Jace! Whenever you pass through VA drop a line.

Did someone walk in your resume?

I wouldn't mind flying the ol' Dash myself...enjoy it!

[surreal1221]

Congrats boss.

[JaceTheAce]

Originally Posted by Duck_Twacy

Congrats again Jace! Whenever you pass through VA drop a line.

Did someone walk in your resume?

I wouldn't mind flying the ol' Dash myself...enjoy it!

From what I can tell in the sim, I love this airplane! I can't wait to fly it.

RE: the resume... it might have had a bit of a push through the door.

[TheFlyingTurkey]

Originally Posted by MikeOH58

Looking at the pay scales, it looks like Piedmont is one of the leaders in the regional industry for first year pay...Thats a feat in itself...That said, why does a company that is at the top of the first year pay scale at the bottom of the bottom of qualifications with the bare mininums....

PDT is hurting for pilots. There has been a lot of attrition over the past year and a half. A lot of pilots get hired by PDT, pass the 121 checkride, fly for a couple of months, then with that experience they get hired at other airlines they would prefer to fly for.

Unfortunately this is hurting the pilot group at PDT. Schedules are a nightmare for reserve pilots. Flying on days off, junior manning, extending your trip to 6 days. I hear they are short a dispatcher now too.

When I flew for PDT (I left in 6/2006) I was on reserve and only flew 35 hours per month. Now on reserve you have to watch your hours and make sure you don't go over 100 in 30.

[TheFlyingTurkey]

Originally Posted by JaceTheAce

From what I can tell in the sim, I love this airplane! I can't wait to fly it.

Congrats Jace!

What a great feeling. I remember the day I passed the ride at PDT. I was so happy, relieved, and exhausted. What sucks is, it's the same ride captains get, but they won't let you have the type rating. I think it's a stupid union thing.

The Dash is great to fly. I hear a lot of guys say its tough to land. But with that big straight wing hanging out there it flies like a C172. Heck, with full flaps you can have approach speeds as slow as 95 KTS and land it on a dime.

My first landing in the Dash was at night to my SOE captain's base at ORF. We had 4 days off so I could tell he just wanted to get home. (Nothing like a little extra pressure) I got the Dash nice and stable on final, and I actually greased the landing. I couldn't believe it! What a great confidence boost! And I was psyched to come back in 4 days to fly the Dash again.

I went on to have some crappy landings. Learning the differences between the -100 and -300 made getting good landings down pat tough. But after a few months I had pretty consistent landings, and even had a few "nice landing" from the pax.

[HOTDOG]

Originally Posted by JaceTheAce

I passed my checkride for an eastern-area airline flying a high-wing 37 passenger turboprop commonly known to land in pretty short distances. I've got a pretty hefty amount of experience to gain ahead of me and I can't wait to start flying the line.

Times... hired at 201 TT and 33 ME since I'm sure it'll be asked.

Thanks everyone on here who has helped me get through training and the mentors I've met along the way...I will continue to need your guidance and some day when I have enough experience I will return the favor.

Congrats!

[777forever]

Congrats!

[BobDDuck]

Congrats Jace...

As for the Naysayers of my fellow Red Headed (ok, blue or white now) Stepchild WO, upgrade is hitting the 2004 hires so it's not that much longer then other places. Yes, leases are up for about half the fleet in 2009 but they may just renew them for all we know and on top of that they voted in a rate for Large Turbo Props. The FO rate sort of sucks, but the captain rate is actually better then a lot of 70 seat jet rates. I'd say right now PDT isn't that bad of a place to be.

Although of course, they ARE only flying a prop

[parmandjack]

Originally Posted by JaceTheAce

I passed my checkride for an eastern-area airline flying a high-wing 37 passenger turboprop commonly known to land in pretty short distances. I've got a pretty hefty amount of experience to gain ahead of me and I can't wait to start flying the line.

Times... hired at 201 TT and 33 ME since I'm sure it'll be asked.

Thanks everyone on here who has helped me get through training and the mentors I've met along the way...I will continue to need your guidance and some day when I have enough experience I will return the favor.

WOW! Fantastic dude!!!! congratulations.... and those times are amazing! Great news to new guys just starting out!!!! Have lotsa fun!

Congrats again!

[SRA_kbad]

Nice job Jason!
Maybe we'll cross paths during SOE. I start on Monday

[cfii2007]

YIKES!!!!!!!!!!!!

[SIUAv8r]

Congrats!! Have fun!