CCBC And Piedmont/American Airlines Partner To Offer Pilot Cadet Program

Monaca, PA – Community College of Beaver County and Piedmont Airlines, which is part of the American Airlines Group, have formed a new partnership to offer CCBC professional pilot graduates an unprecedented opportunity to earn a guaranteed career with American Airlines.

The Piedmont Airlines Pilot Cadet Program is a mutually beneficial pilot recruitment, retention, and employment program offered by Piedmont and partner universities, colleges, and flight schools that provides students with a direct career pathway to American Airlines.

“This is a win-win-win partnership for CCBC, Piedmont, and CCBC piloting students,” said Col. Bill Pinter, former Dean of Aviation Sciences and now Dean of High School Academies and Dual Enrollment Programs at CCBC. “The Cadet Program provides our student graduates with an outstanding opportunity to interview once as they fast-track their career towards becoming an American Airlines Captain and receive significant bonus pay compensation. Specifically, the Piedmont Cadet Program bridges the gap for CCBC students between graduation and professionally flying commercial airliners.”

CCBC’s nationally-known professional pilot associate degree program requires each graduate to obtain a minimum of a commercial pilot certificate with a multi-engine land and instrument rating. Professional pilot students completing the associate degree at CCBC are required to earn FAA flight certifications, including Private Pilot Certificate, Commercial Pilot Certificate, Instrument Rating, and Multi-Engine Rating.

Once qualified as a certified flight instructor (CFI), students then become eligible for the Piedmont Cadet Program as they approach 500 hours of flying time.  As a part of this program, CCBC’s professional pilot graduates then have the opportunity to interview with and to be hired by Piedmont as a cadet. This is the last interview they will have as they are guaranteed flow-through employment with American Airlines within 5 years of starting at Piedmont Airlines.

Benefits to this partnership program include a $15,000 signing bonus, the ability to build flight time early on in a young pilot’s career, quick upgrade to Captain, flight benefits on American Airlines, low-cost insurance, vacation and sick leave, and relocation pay.

“CCBC offers a top program that graduates quality pilots,” said Lynette Darnell, Cadet Program Manager at Piedmont. “Piedmont looks for great programs that are already in place and offers this amazing opportunity to students. Only the schools who are one of Piedmont’s partners can enroll students in the Pilot Cadet Program.”

Ultimately, the program incentivizes certified flight instructors while addressing the need for a future supply of high-quality pilots.

While Piedmont started the Cadet Program approximately 6 months ago, Piedmont has a 10-year contract to continue to send qualified pilots to train and work for American Airlines as a way to address the projected future shortage of pilots nationwide.

“We need to build a pipeline of pilots who are ready to advance in their careers,” said Darnell. “Piedmont developed this new Pilot Cadet Program with its partners to help meet future piloting demands.”

Yet another unique advantage of the program is that students will only have to interview once with Piedmont. After entering the Cadet Program, they can advance their career at American Airlines with no additional interviews. The advancement to American Airlines is based on seniority, and due to Piedmont’s small pilot group, students can expect to move to American Airlines in as little as five years.

“Through this Program, Piedmont offers the fastest flow to American Airlines and the fastest upgrade time from First Officer to Captain,” added Darnell. “Piedmont cadets could earn enough flight hours to become First Officer with Piedmont in about one to one and a half years. CCBC graduates who become our Cadets could earn rank from First Officer at Piedmont to First Officer at American Airlines in an average of five years.”

Those who enroll in the program can also choose to stay at Piedmont as a pilot. Piedmont has crew bases in Philadelphia and Harrisburg in PA; Salisbury/Ocean City, MD; and Roanoke, VA.

To learn more about the CCBC and Piedmont Pilot Cadet program and pathway to American Airlines, visit ccbc.edu/piedmont.

To learn more about CCBC’s professional pilot program, visit ccbc.edu/professionalpilot.