Boycott Pinnacle Apps

[Irish Pilot]

It really is obnoxious. Think about it...

You are (obviously since you have been hired...maybe not) a qualified commercial airline pilot thats about to begin flying a jet with many passengers at hundreds of miles per hour at thousands of feet of altitude...

...and not only do you not get paid or "put up" in training, but the pay once you begin training is not much more than what a high-schooler would get walking in off the street full-time at Walmart.

Honestly.

The sad fact is that we all love this "job" so much that we would do it for next to nothing. Some of you even find a desire to pay for it (which I wont jack the thread by going in to). As mentioned...as long as there are pilots who will do it because of glossy jet eyes or quick upgrades or whatever it may be - it will be accepted in the industry. Ive been tempted...I wanted it so bad I could almost look past the no pay during training thing...but it is a shame.

Its insulting to look at how much time, effort, and money I spent getting to where I am and have to put up with horrible work schedules, time away from home, low pay, and not being paid during training. Its no surprise so many guys are dropping out of this industry.

One of the big reasons (besides my love for flying) I got into this industry was to stay away from the 9 to 5 desk job. Well I tell you what...having been in the aviation industry for a few years I have a whole new respect for guys who only work 9 to 5 for 5 days a week and are home everynight and have every weekend off no question.

Kind of makes you wonder.

I both love and hate this industry, but the sad fact is that I wouldnt be happy doing anything else. Ill do my part to try to help us getting it moving in the right direction...but Ive also got to do what I can to get by.

What a world eh?

 

[NuGuy]

Irish,

I agree with you, but you got a line 1000's deep ready to blow goats to do it. Funny thing about is that there is no pot of gold at the end of the rainbow anymore.

One born every minute....

Nu

 

[Yank McCobb]

Cpt,

I totally agree with everything you said in your post above. I have spent a great deal of time in this industry at every level, and seen what you describe at work over and over again. I certainly don't have any answers, but fully support the effort.

Take care and good luck.

 

[I.P. Freley]

The trend towards unpaid training (and not even putting you up) has got to stop.

What "trend" is this? The airlines that don't pay you in training, or put you up in a hotel, are the same airlines that did, or didn't do, this five years ago... Unless something has changed that I'm not aware of. Personally, I never applied to Pinnacle (or its' predecessor) or Skywest for these very reasons... And I don't think the list has grown any in the last half-dozen years.

 

[PCL_128]

Didn't Skywest just start this practice last year? I don't think it was always that way there.

 

[Towelie]

Nothing against Pinnacle drivers, but I would boycott just because of this new bogus interview test.

Asking CRJ questions? Get real. If the pilot group doesn't understand high altitude aerodynamics and/or how to fly the CRJ, then fix the training dept. not the interview test.

That is NOT a rip on Pinnacle drivers (again). I just get the vibe they are expecting things out of interview candidates in an effort to change the pilot group. That's like asking new babysitters if they have a criminal record after one of them molests your kid.

Unless I am missing something I think that is way messed up.

 

[PCL_128]

Right on Towelie! Unfortunately, our management is never going to use that much logic.

 

[Sydney]

I agree to boycott Pinnacle. They are so CHEAP! No pay during training, no hotel, no travel benefits, no use of company copier, etc. Having a shoestring budget will catch up to these Memphis hicks that think they can be an airline. Ever heard of investing in your employees!

 

[Rook]

Oh yeah? Well........

Screw it I got a four-day tomorrow.

Peace,
Rook

 

[EDUC8-or]

This is not a knock on any company! I'm a wannabe and I won't be applying to Pinnacle or SkyWest for the above stated reasons. By the way, was there one of those small print disclaimers in the USA Today ad that said you'd better know the CRJ systems before the Pinnacle interview?

Just by reading these boards, I'm guessing training is about 8 weeks. That's a long time to go without any paycheck, and it becomes even longer if you're supposed to pay for a hotel. Making $18,000 a year is bad enough, so getting paid in training is a prerequisite before I'll even send out an application.

 

[CandlerWun]

Note also that Pinnacle does not even technically hire you until you pass your checkride, so not only do get paid nothing during training, when you finally do start getting paid it is about 2 months after you started "working" there. That means that your longevity pay increase, and relief from first-year-pay misery, will come that much later than it otherwise would.

Josh M.

 

[donaldd]

Not that I'm against the idea, but T-Gates is right. Too many people have SJS (Shiny Jet Syndrome). You'll never stop the Pinnacles of the world from screwing over pilots. I just hope that our negotiating committee is working on this problem in our contract negotiations right now.

Hey PCL_128.......Did you have SPS (Shiny Prop Syndrome) when you PAID for flight time at Gulfstream!!!!!!!!!!!????

 

[Dave Benjamin]

Didn't Skywest just start this practice last year? I don't think it was always that way there.

Untrue. Many of the senior pilots I know there were unpaid during training. Of course their training period was much shorter compared to the RJ training today. Someone with more knowledge of SKYW history may be correcting me shortly but I think getting paid during training was a fairly shortlived practice from sometime in 1999 or 2000 until shortly after 9/11. Unlike many other carriers, SKYW was a notable exception during the PFT era. SKYW was never a PFT airline. Not many regionals can make that claim. Oddly enough the one regional we all like to bash, Mesa, was not PFT either.

IMHO not paying newhires reduces the hiring pool. It may even increase training costs. You might be able to spend less time in an expensive simulator with an experienced turbine pilot versus a CFI who is willing to work for free for 2 months.

 

[crashpad]

The smart applicants will put theirs in at Air Wisconsin, Not Pinnacle!
The expansion wave is over at Pinnacle, it's a dead end!

 

[AAv8r]

I can honestly say that I have already been living this...I can have a resume walked into skywest...but refuse because of the no pay while in training....I'm tired of feeling like a second class citizen...I think all commercial pilots should be in a union...wether your with an airline or not...the industry would change in a quick hurry