Any Pinnacle Quick-Upgrade Capts Here?

[Caboclo]

I'm just curious, is Pinnacle really upgrading high time new hires after 100 hours, or is that all just koolaid? Or is it a dumb question?

 

[silver02ex]

I'm just curious, is Pinnacle really upgrading high time new hires after 100 hours, or is that all just koolaid? Or is it a dumb question?

My sim partner in upgrade had 80 hrs on the line.

 

[GOULET!]

Will these Captain's ever be line holders? Seems to me you would spend eternity on the bottom of the reserve list. Where are the "street" captains being based?

 

[Flybet3]

Will these Captain's ever be line holders? Seems to me you would spend eternity on the bottom of the reserve list. Where are the "street" captains being based?

The whole point about being a Quick upgrade or Street Captain is to get the PIC and try to move on. Not to get off Reserve in 2 months. Would it be nice to off reserve fast. Well yeah, but o well.

 

[DoinTime]

After you're done with a couple years on reserve at PCL you never want to fly again, so whats the point in building the time?

 

[relief tube]

scary stuff....

 

[suupah]

After you're done with a couple years on reserve at PCL you never want to fly again, so whats the point in building the time?

The sad truth. I have a good friend that gave up aviation forever because of PCL Reserve

 

[Caboclo]

At one point a few months back, CNN was reporting that Pinnacle was cancelling flights for lack of crew. Therefore one would assume that pretty much everyone is getting all the flight time they can handle, regardless of whether it's on reserve or an actual line. Is that not the case, or is reserve considered so horrible just because you don't know where you're going from one day to the next?

 

[Caboclo]

Hey Silver02, what kind of prior experience did that 80 hour upgrade have?

 

[silver02ex]

Hey Silver02, what kind of prior experience did that 80 hour upgrade have?

He's an ex Independence.

 

[GOULET!]

Would they really put somebody off the street in the left seat without any CRJ time after just 100 hours in the right seat? Seems like just a ploy to get you in the door and then keep you in the right seat for 6 months.

 

[Lazy8]

.....

 

[CRJ200pilot]

We (pinnacle) recently had a bunch of comair guys with 2500+ crj time get hired. Most are bidding CRJ900 flying out of our new base ATL. CA and FO. Ive been here for 4 years and upgraded last year and in MEM I was 4 away from rsv. THANK GOD I got a line....But in DTW I hold 15 days off 90+ hours per month. it is true rsv does suck at PNCL unless you live in a domicile. then its not too bad, but I dont know i havent been on resv with this company since new hire fo. WE are always short captains though....always. I got more info if you need it

 

[Windsor]

My sim partner from initial went back to upgrade with only 80 hours or so pncl time. He was an ex-indy guy. Busted his type ride first time thru. Made it on the second attempt though. Have heard that the street guys with little or no CRJ time have been struggling a bit in upgrade.

 

[SilverandSore]

...it is true rsv does suck at PNCL unless you live in a domicile. then its not too bad...

Name an airline where this isn't true...

 

[T-prop]

Name an airline where this isn't true...

Eagle's system is probably one of the best. I could commute, bid on open trips the day before reserve started and could change my reserve days all through sabre. Avoided the weird CA's and bad overnights.

 

[Cpt Oveur]

Seems like PCL is having trouble staffing the 900's. A PCL mechanic in Atlanta said the airplane sits at the NWA hangar isn't because of mechanical problems or schedules, it's because of a lack of crews. What's the deal there?

 

[skyguy40]

I am one of the fast upgrades. Well, kind of. I started in Sept. 2007 and just got my 100 hours. But i do have an upgrade class now in Feb. 2008. My upgrade "oral" is with "pink slip P*****'s". I wonder how thats going to go?

I am an ex Trans States guy with no CRJ time, only EMB. Good luck and hope this helps.

 

[silver02ex]

"pink slip P*****'s". I wonder how thats going to go?

Know your systems well... My sim partner had him for his type ride, and I thought he give a very fair type ride.

 

[PCL_128]

Name an airline where this isn't true...

Yes, but Pinnacle brings it to whole new levels of hell.

 

[Lazy8]

Seems like PCL is having trouble staffing the 900's. A PCL mechanic in Atlanta said the airplane sits at the NWA hangar isn't because of mechanical problems or schedules, it's because of a lack of crews. What's the deal there?

From what I understand on the last company conference call PNCL doesn't even have mx employees in Atlanta. They can't justify opening a mx base there with so little aircraft. I suppose this could have been a contract mx guy? They're flying the -900's to Memphis for maintenance.

As for the -900's being understaffed... well... This is Pinnacle. When have we ever staffed anything properly? ...and they are flying the -900 on the -200 payrates (which are the lowest rates in the industry) ...not to mention the seat locks. Just seems like a sh*tty deal all the way around to me. It's okay if you live in ATL, but that's about it.

 

[COOPERVANE]

dude....

 

[Dirty Sanchez]

Seems like PCL is having trouble staffing the 900's. A PCL mechanic in Atlanta said the airplane sits at the NWA hangar isn't because of mechanical problems or schedules, it's because of a lack of crews. What's the deal there?

In January there were 8 lines in ATL, 4 reserve. The airplane sitting at the NWA hangar is a spare. No deal there.

 

[sligo1]

Street Captains

My sim partner from initial went back to upgrade with only 80 hours or so pncl time. He was an ex-indy guy. Busted his type ride first time thru. Made it on the second attempt though. Have heard that the street guys with little or no CRJ time have been struggling a bit in upgrade.

I can tell you from experience that flying at Pinnacle as a "street CA", well at best will beat the crap out of you. You will always be on reserve til your senority catches up, alot of deadhead and one or two leg trips, min days off etc. It is okay for the experience but thats all. Not sure about the bust rate now, but three years ago there were quite a few of us with no CRJ experience or F/O time in the aircraft. No one I know personally from the street busted a ride, in fact there was a high failure rate in the school house-upgrading F/O's. And it was a very picky group at the school house, due to the recent accident in MS.

 

[atpcliff]

Hi!

All of the USA Jet pilots, basically, are on reserve except for the -9 PAX pilots who are flying a 6 day line.

All of the days off are hard days off (you WILL be home, and you will only work those days if YOU want to, for lots more pay). They normally give you 2 blocks of days off or all in one block (5/5 or 10 or 6/6, 8/4 or 12 for -9 guys).

One of the best jobs for guys in DTW is a PAX reserve week. You will sit for 6 days on a 2 hour callout and never fly.

cliff
YIP

 

[Inconceivable]

re: "pink slip P*****'s"

All I can say is I am sorry. This individual is truly a horse's a$s. Lives in a twisted world where he thinks people need to be treated like it is the 1960's military. Funny thing is, in the Corps he was the kind of "officer" we would laugh at behind his back. Some people just don't realize they are civilians.

I wonder how much his abusive interview technique contributes to new-hire no-shows. Pinnacle is no United--if that was the 'welcome aboard" I got, I would go somewhere else too!

 

[Smarta$$]

An airline with fast upgrades that still can't get enough people should tell you something very important. This place sucks and is getting worse every day. This management does nothing but kick us in the nuts and collect a very large paycheck.

 

[aa73]

Just curious... why the ATL base for PCL? Isn't PCL a Northwest Airlink commuter? (MSP, MEM, DTW.) Or did they start flying for DL?

thanks,
73

 

[norskman2]

Just curious... why the ATL base for PCL? Isn't PCL a Northwest Airlink commuter? (MSP, MEM, DTW.) Or did they start flying for DL?

thanks,
73

Pinnacle signed a 10-year service agreement with Delta last year to fly 16 ATL-based -900s with options for more.

 

[aa73]

Pinnacle signed a 10-year service agreement with Delta last year to fly 16 ATL-based -900s with options for more.

Thanks. So hard to keep track of all the deals being signed these days!

I remember back in the days when a commuter was only based where its major code share partner's hubs were. Now you've got RAH. for example, based in IND and CMH... two cities that have absolutely nothing to do with UAL DL and USAir (the airlines that RAH flies for.)