Bringing a wealth of experience as a Direct Entry Captain

During a conversation with Piedmont’s Flight Training department, Captain Peter Ische learned that Piedmont was hiring Direct Entry Captains and was encouraged to consider the opportunity. After 17 years of flying for the same airline, he decided to leave his seniority behind and join a company with more stability.

Originally from Charlotte, North Carolina, Peter grew up as the son of a commercial pilot. His father flew for the original Piedmont Airlines, leading Peter to grow up around airplanes. Peter obtained his Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology with a minor in Marketing from Appalachian State University. After graduation, Peter took flying lessons in Charlotte to pursue a pilot career. He attended the Flight Safety Academy in Vero Beach, Florida, earning his private pilot license as a Certified Flight Instructor (CFI).

Peter returned to Charlotte and began building hours as an instructor working for a local Fixed Base Operator. After a year and a half, he joined CCAir flying the Jetstream 32. Peter departed CCAir after it was purchased by another carrier and went to work as a First Officer for Continental Express (formerly known as ExpressJet), flying the Embraer 145. After speaking with Piedmont’s Flight Training department, Peter decided to apply for a Direct Entry Captain position and joined Piedmont in October 2018.

Seeking stability with Piedmont, Peter knew he would eventually flow to American Airlines and would no longer have to commute to a base. He began flying the line in May 2019. When a Simulator Instructor position became available, the Flight Training Department approached him to see if he was interested. With his 17 years of experience flying Embraer 145s and being well-versed in the aircraft, he applied for the job and started teaching in January of 2020. Three months later, at the beginning of the COVID pandemic Peter was sent back to fly the line until he was recalled to the Training department 18 months later in September 2021.

“I enjoy instructing and find it rewarding,” shares Peter. “As an instructor, I strive to see my students progress and succeed. Therefore, I understand the importance of creating a positive training environment where students feel comfortable asking questions. Making training fun and enjoyable allows students to relax and retain more information.” With the vast amount of experience and knowledge in the Flight Training department, the instructors always work together and share their experience working with different crews and techniques. “As a collective, there is an abundant amount of knowledge in the Training department that we all pass on to our pilots.”

Peter proudly says that joining Piedmont was a great decision. “The pilot group is smaller than other airlines and feels like a tight-knit family. I know many Piedmont pilots talk about the family feel here and it is true. I look forward to training our pilots to be their best and the best in the industry.”

Interested in joining an airline with a small, tight-knit pilot group and guaranteed flow to American? Piedmont welcomes you to join our team. We are hiring Direct Entry Captains and offering up to $187,500 in bonuses. To learn more, click here.