Piedmont Airlines is launching an industry-leading Cadet Program, for promising pilots.
The Cadet Program will lead the industry in terms of benefits, including tuition reimbursement, and engagement with students early on, while allowing the growing regional carrier to mentor and guide its next generation over an extended time period.
“As we grow our fleet of regional jets, Piedmont’s immediate need is experienced pilots who can upgrade quickly to the left seat,” said Piedmont’s president, Lyle Hogg. “But we also recognize that long term success means investing now in talented young pilots. We will count on them to fill the gap when our more senior aviators move on to American Airlines. It’s an excellent opportunity for seamless advancement from student, to pilot instructor and on to Piedmont where they’ll have the opportunity to move up to American through our seniority-based flow through agreement.”
Piedmont will partner with select colleges and flight schools to provide tuition reimbursement and other benefits to qualified pilots. Once a pilot achieves Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) status he or she will be eligible for the Cadet Program including placement at a Piedmont partner school as an instructor and tuition reimbursement up to $5,000. After reaching the necessary number of flight hours, the pilot will be placed into an FAA-required Airline Transport Pilot Certification Training Program (ATP-CTP) course and provided with transportation and accommodations, at no cost. Once the course is completed successfully, the pilot will begin Piedmont first officer training at the American Airlines Training Center in Charlotte. At the start of training, each cadet pilot will receive an additional $6,000 in tuition reimbursement for a total value of more than $16,000.
“That is a significant investment in our cadets,” said Hogg. “We want the very best men and women flying for Piedmont. The Cadet Program allows us to identify these individuals early on, mentor them through the critical first part of their careers and ultimately be successful when they move from Piedmont to American.”