Fact: if you were hired by Piedmont in 2014, you would be flying for American Airlines today.

“Flow” to American Airlines was a revolutionary concept in 2014. Now, five years later, the direct path to American Airlines is paying off for thousands of pilots.  Is it time for your course correction? Here are some clues:

You’re looking for status.

Some regional pilots will always be regional pilots – but not at Piedmont. On your first day of training, you’ll receive an American Airlines ID number.  You’ll travel as an American Airlines employee, use an American Airlines email address and receive American Airlines profit sharing. 

On an icy winter afternoon in Rhode Island in 1982, Lyle Hogg, currently the president/CEO of Piedmont Airlines — one of American Airlines wholly-owned regional carriers — helped land Pilgrim Airlines Flight 458 as the cockpit became engulfed in fire. Despite the flames melting their headsets and burning their uniforms, then First Officer Hogg and Captain Thomas Prinster managed to navigate down from 4,000 feet and landed successfully on a frozen reservoir, saving the lives of nine passengers onboard. 

For his heroic efforts, Captain Hogg will be recognized by the Rhode Island Aviation Hall of Fame, along with six other honorees, at a ceremony this Saturday, Nov. 23.

Includes $25,500 and American Airlines flight benefits

 

For most pilots coming out of flight school, the road to 1500 hours – the amount of flying a pilot must log to be hired by a commercial airline -  is long and expensive. Getting paid as a flight instructor or sky diving pilot can help, but the reality for most is renting a plane on weekends, plunking down money for time and fuel, flying a few hours and repeating the following weekend. 

To help alleviate the burden, Piedmont Airlines is offering a new, flexible cadet program and incentives of $25,500 for pilots who need to build hours. Unlike traditional cadet programs, Piedmont’s flexible program doesn’t tie pilots to a particular school, occupation or time frame.

Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics (PIA), Piedmont and American hosted high school students interested in aviation at American’s line maintenance facility in DCA. Twenty-seven students from the aviation program at Dr. James A. Forrest Technology Center in Leonardtown, Maryland enjoyed a day of learning about aviation maintenance and airport tours.

Piedmont has a new mission and vision statement – a “roadmap” for how we run our operation, care for our team members and communicate with each other.

“For the last several years, our number one goal has been to create a culture of caring and compliance at Piedmont,” said Piedmont CEO Lyle Hogg. “Building a culture takes a long time – it doesn’t happen overnight – so we knew that would be our number one goal for a while. It made sense to take that goal and craft a mission statement.”

Piedmont does pilot interviews differently. From small group settings to application reimbursement, we value your time and appreciate your questions. Here’s what you can expect when you visit with our team:

SALISBURY, Maryland – Piedmont Airlines, Inc. a wholly owned subsidiary of American Airlines Group, announced a significant pay increase for its 700 pilots, as well as an increase in pay and a new bonus structure for new hire pilots. The letter of agreement (LOA) between Piedmont and the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) comes despite the pilot contract not being amendable until 2024. 

Piedmont CEO Lyle Hogg says the new agreement reflects the company’s commitment to recruiting the best pilots and training them for a future at American Airlines.

L3 Airline Academy has the Pathway Programs to connect you with your future pilot career. L3's rich history in aviation and thorough airline oriented curriculum ensures that each cadet is armed with the resources, experiences, and knowledge required to become a successful pilot. Join L3 and Piedmont for an informational "Be A Pilot Career Expo." This tour includes the following: