Future of Pinnacle?

[Flying Ninja]

Hahahaha...yeah, I don't need to be medically disqualified. Having my bank accounts sucked dry by attending CAPT has effectively grounded me from any flying. But you may be right, I have suffered mentally as a result of CAPT's inaction and inability to provide any effective post graduation support to my class. Only one out of the six people in my class actually got a job (if you call sitting at a desk for a year and then sitting on a 747 a year facing the 3 o'clock position looking at guages flying). This has not only caused anguish and pain, but also sitting on the sidelines with no income and no leads. After all, with the low hours you graduate with, who would want to touch us? I just thought since this was an Embry-Riddle program that they MUST know what they were doing when they ventured into the CAPT concept of flight training into regional flying.

By the way, I didn't say that Lear70 didn't know what he was talking about. I just wanted to let him know that you don't go to CAPT with any ratings, that's all.

 

[Rossa]

Ninja,

Thanks for being honest - you should educate other potential PFTers!! Those days are GONE!! There are too many experienced people on the street!
The guys that run these outfits are crooks, just like KIT DARBY - don't believe the BS!!!!!!!!! There aren't that many jobs being created, especially when you factor in the ones that are being lost!!
Try to get some real experience - CFI, or freight!! Or better yet, get out before you become as disgruntled as the guys on this board, myself included.

 

[HOURBUILDER]

Pinnacle is losing a lot of pilot but hiring a lot,

right now they have 30 guys coming out of the sim
30 other starting the sim and 30 other starting ground school

 

[MarineGrunt]

Pinnacle is losing a lot of pilot but hiring a lot,

right now they have 30 guys coming out of the sim
30 other starting the sim and 30 other starting ground school

Is it true that only a fraction have been making it through the interviews? Almost everyone on the gouge say that 2/8, 3/10 made it, etc........

 

[Vref+Factor]

holy smokes!!!! Didn't the union come to bat for you?

Word on the street is that they have been firing people like its a bodily function. Hopefully Red Tail land will right itself when all of this Bankruptcy crap is behind us.

I was 4 days away from union protection. No sick calls, no missed trips, dazzling evals from all my captains. ... good times huh?

 

[ataopsdave]

Pinnacle will be around for a while, but don't be surprised to see the airline shrink dramatically. The company is losing 40-50 pilots a month and not hiring to replace them; that should tell you something.

Lear

As usual...not exactly the truth

Truth is we are losing alot of people but they are also replacing them all...we are hiring approx 45/month...They also just posted openings for 3 ground school instructors and they are not for recurrent ground school because they use check airmen to teach those...so those 3 instructors will be for new hire and upgrade only...there will also be openings posted for sim instructors shortly...It is true though that this is not the best place to work but I have been here for 1.5 years and have never been junior-manned and I was extended last week for the first time but I could have refused it if I wanted...I also have 95% of my trip swaps approved...in fact in each of the last two months they approved trip swaps that resulted in me gaining an extra day off in the last two months...however we will probably be extremely short with the summer schedule starting next month...hopefully this answered somebody's questions

ATAOPSDAVE

 

[wmudriver]

PNCL lost 15 planes and are still shorthanded...unbelievable. Has anyone heard if any XJ'ers gone over to PNCL?
Any significant progress on your section 6 negotiations? Any end in sight? Has mgmt given you guys an artificial deadline to complete a deal by? Good luck...we all need it.

 

[ataopsdave]

PNCL lost 15 planes and are still shorthanded...unbelievable. Has anyone heard if any XJ'ers gone over to PNCL?
Any significant progress on your section 6 negotiations? Any end in sight? Has mgmt given you guys an artificial deadline to complete a deal by? Good luck...we all need it.

Actually we just got an email from the union saying that to date we have TA'd 20 out of the 31 sections but they are starting on compensation, insurance, and retirement

 

[blackbox]

Actually we just got an email from the union saying that to date we have TA'd 20 out of the 31 sections but they are starting on compensation, insurance, and retirement

But we also got a Union publication where the MEC stated that we are too far apart on compensation and dont expect a contract anytime soon.

 

[Fly4PayNoMore]

I was 4 days away from union protection. No sick calls, no missed trips, dazzling evals from all my captains. ... good times huh?

Hey Vref:

I know the captain you are talking about...word is he is on his way out! I reported him a couple of times, with no response from the company! It was extremely frustrating to hear story upon story from other FO's, yet the company did nothing.

I got a kick out of the meeting I had with the base mgr. at the end of my probationary period. I also had no marks against me, along with gleaming reports from the captains I flew with. They told me that, "From this point on, feel free to" report anything or anyone that I felt may compromise safety. What a joke, my input had no impact 15 minutes prior to that!

Those are the reasons I left that company and am happy to be gone.

 

[flx757]

\\



Aren't you something! You talk so big hiding behind a keyboard!

Aren't YOU so big...hiding behind your many usernames pretending to be something you are not....Rhoid, TheGuat, RJDC, LucyFurr, TheGuppyKiller, E170GuppyKiller, GuppyKiller, TheMissingLink, OUT, 410Dude, FreightNazi, ABXpert, among many others.

 

[JustaNumber]

I got a kick out of the meeting I had with the base mgr. at the end of my probationary period. I also had no marks against me, along with gleaming reports from the captains I flew with. They told me that, "From this point on, feel free to" report anything or anyone that I felt may compromise safety. What a joke, my input had no impact 15 minutes prior to that!

Please tell me this isn't true! A pilot's probationary period is supposed to mean that he is not represented by the union during his first year. Nothing more, nothing less. As a First Officer and professional aviator, your primary responsibility, no, make that obligation, to every person who has ever set foot in your airplane, is to question anything or anyone who you feel may compromise safety.

If that management's philosophy is indeed true, I will never allow myself or any of my loved ones to fly on any Pinnacle airplane.

 

[Lear70]

Lear

As usual...not exactly the truth

Easy to say, hiding behind the cover of anonymity.

So answer me this:

How many Captains have been in each vacancy, including the one about to be awarded?

How many Captains have left every month since the first of the year?

Hint: there's a big deficit in Captain staffing. When you come up with the number, post it here, I'll let you know if it's correct (my info come's directly from the Chief Pilot's office and the manager SOC).

Truth is we are losing alot of people but they are also replacing them all...we are hiring approx 45/month...

Incorrect. Pinnacle isn't replacing the Captains and is just BARELY keeping up with F/O attrition.

They also just posted openings for 3 ground school instructors and they are not for recurrent ground school because they use check airmen to teach those...so those 3 instructors will be for new hire and upgrade only...there will also be openings posted for sim instructors shortly...

NOW who's only telling half the story?

You neglected to mention those instructors are primarily for attrition. The pro instructors are finding better jobs elsewhere.

It is true though that this is not the best place to work but I have been here for 1.5 years and have never been junior-manned and I was extended last week for the first time but I could have refused it if I wanted...

Then you're in the minority. Things were very well-staffed for almost all of last year, mostly because the 15 airplanes went away; that's going to change come summer. Wait and see...

I also have 95% of my trip swaps approved...in fact in each of the last two months they approved trip swaps that resulted in me gaining an extra day off in the last two months...

Wow. A WHOLE day off. I would lay bets that you either swapped into a day they needed coverage DESPERATELY (interface) or did them some other favor to get that day off. Two of the scheduling supervisors there are friends of mine; how do you think I get almost all my trip swaps/drops approved? I haven't submitted one through the normal chain in about a year and I got all mine approved because I knew how the system worked.

however we will probably be extremely short with the summer schedule starting next month...

Now you're getting warmer...

Was there a lot longer than you, sport. There isn't much you can tell me about Pinnacle I don't already know. Just make sure you know all the history before lecturing someone else about how much they've posted is true.

p.s. Ninja, good info. Sorry to hear the CAPT program hasn't worked for most who went through it, it's a sh*tty deal... hopefully it'll get publicized and people will begin to see the dirty little secret of PFT for what it really is.

 

[BOHICAgain]

Was there a lot longer than you, sport. There isn't much you can tell me about Pinnacle I don't already know. Just make sure you know all the history before lecturing someone else about how much they've posted is true.

.

How life in the South?? Traning and what AC u on?? U lucky B@stard good luck...how long is upgrade looking 4 u

 

[Dirty Sanchez]

Actually, I went to CAPT and didn't pay any regional airline a penny. I paid a sh!t load to CAPT to sit on my a$$ without a job, however. People go into CAPT with 0 hours (until recently they allowed people with some training to go in - CAPT needed the money). But not that any of this matters since ERAU dropped CAPT like a cheap date who doesn't put out.

Sucker!! At least you have some valuable MD-80 FTD time...

 

[Lear70]

How life in the South?? Traning and what AC u on?? U lucky B@stard good luck...how long is upgrade looking 4 u

Humid. Very humid. But I don't mind!

Only the most senior (oldest) 5 guys got the 737, everyone else got the 717 - seems to be where most of the growth is as it's mostly the 717 guys who are going to 737 CA. That may change shortly when the last of the 717's gets delivered, and only 737's are coming on property. Probably more like 50/50 class split after that.

Upgrade is going to run about 3 1/2 to 4 years for most of us hired right now unless the delivery schedule picks up or a LOT of senior F/O's bypass the upgrade until they can hold a line. 108 aircraft on property, taking delivery of 2 a month, that's 24 a year, 4 years until the fleet size doubles which, of course, is what it will take to put us in the left seat.

Yeah, I can't believe how lucky I got, this place is GREAT! I'm loving every second of it but they haven't turned on the fire hose yet. I have to go study, need my memory items, limitations, and profiles memorized before I get to class tomorrow...

Later,

 

[dondk]

Actually we just got an email from the union saying that to date we have TA'd 20 out of the 31 sections but they are starting on compensation, insurance, and retirement

There is the company kool aid and then there is the union kool aid...

The difference is the company's version you need to hold onto your ankles. The union version is you only know 5% of what is REALLY happening..

Our union comminication is the worst I have ever seen.

 

[dondk]

Lear

As usual...not exactly the truth

Truth is we are losing alot of people but they are also replacing them all...we are hiring approx 45/month...They also just posted openings for 3 ground school instructors and they are not for recurrent ground school because they use check airmen to teach those...so those 3 instructors will be for new hire and upgrade only...there will also be openings posted for sim instructors shortly...It is true though that this is not the best place to work but I have been here for 1.5 years and have never been junior-manned and I was extended last week for the first time but I could have refused it if I wanted...I also have 95% of my trip swaps approved...in fact in each of the last two months they approved trip swaps that resulted in me gaining an extra day off in the last two months...however we will probably be extremely short with the summer schedule starting next month...hopefully this answered somebody's questions

ATAOPSDAVE

we will be negative FO's in a week or so... Negative Captains by the end of the month..

 

[sociald]

Hey vref...NO sick calls?

At least one bro... stuck in fll last Aug I think...

 

[ataopsdave]

There is the company kool aid and then there is the union kool aid...

The difference is the company's version you need to hold onto your ankles. The union version is you only know 5% of what is REALLY happening..

Our union comminication is the worst I have ever seen.

Dondk

You are right about that...it would be nice to know what is really going on