Mesa or Pinnacle??

[Spinplate]

Hey guys!! My first thread!! Ive been on this site for a few weeks now and would love (or not) to hear your opinion on my situation. I have an interview in a week with Pinnacle and than I have one with Mesa 8 days later. I live in Phoenix and would love to have a PHX base...not sure if that would happen right off the bat, but good chance for me to come back to PHX if I was with Mesa. Anyway, whats everyones opinion on both of those companies? Is one better than the other? Also, I got a call from ExpressJet asking me to fax an updated resume to them with a reference #, that was 2 weeks ago. Are they slow at the hiring/interview process? Please no negative crap unless you have worked for either one than I guess its OK. Thank guys! I know they have crappy things about them. Also, it took Pinnacle 1 day to call me from faxing my resume in and Mesa called me 30 minutes after I submitted my stuff via email and finishing my app on airlinesapp.com

 

[spitfire1500]

Golly gee.....your first thread thats swell ....print it and save it!! Go to Mesa....youll be another number below me in seniority!!

 

[Heavy Set]

If living in PHX is important to you, then Mesa would be the choice - so long as you could hold a spot there. You wouldn't necessarily want to join and then find out you can only hold MCO or another base.

Anyone know the likelihood of a newhire being able to hold CRJ out of PHX - good or bad odds? Are newhires on the CRJ-200 out of PHX also flying the 900?

 

[Spinplate]

If Im in the CRJ or Dash 8 I have a good chance to snag PHX at some point. And from what a Capt. friend of mine told me, they do some differences training and they all fly the 200/700/900's.

 

[bitememesa]

Bring in the numbers below me too...come to Mesa. We're all differences trained which means any Mesa CRJ pilot flies all 3 t ypes. Right now we have pilots in TRN mode for the CRJ (bout 75%), the ERJ (bout 15%), the Dash (6%) and the B1900 (4%) yes Air Midwest is hiring. As of right now the Jr. pilot in PHX is around 1475 Global Seniority out of a total of 1598. Could you hold PHX right from the start? No. Could you hold ORD or IAD? Yes. I have a feeling though that even ORD is gonna go a bit towards the senior side, but at least it'd be an easier commute than IAD. If you want my recommendation and I'm gonna give it to you anyway, make sure you just keep bidding what you want...ie PHX or whichever base will give you the highest relative seniority. With the training department so ramped up right now, I would give a conservative estimate of being able to hold PHX in roughly a year from hire date (probably sooner the way people are abandoning this place...I moved 40 numbers last month) and would say not to sign a lease in PHL (that's closing soon...but The Lagoon is nice)
That's bloody amazing that they called you 30 minutes after you sent in your stuff. Either the new pilot recruiter is nearly as good as LC was, or that just happened to be the one time in 2 weeks they check it...who knows.

It's good to see us that desperate though.

 

[5ontheglide]

hmmm

Bottom Feeder & Bottom Feeder Feeder, then again... there is always *************************. Stay in touch with XJT - they're your only hope!

 

[Dirty Sanchez]

As much as I despise Mesa- if you plan to stay in PHX and have a shot of being based here, go to Mesa. I have been commuting to both DTW and MSP for 9E for over a year and it is brutal. Now the A319/20s are weight restricted because of the heat and I end up being positive spaced to work at least half the time during summer months.

My $.02...

 

[islandhopper]

If I'm in the CRJ or Dash 8 I have a good chance to snag PHX at some point. And from what a Capt. friend of mine told me, they do some differences training and they all fly the 200/700/900's.

Beware the bait & switch! They had my entire class at mesa going to the ERJ, then three days before class started they sent the whole lot of us off to ICT for a Beech 1900 Air Big Mess class.

This was after spending nearly a month studying ERJ systems... And after spending much needed cash on ERJ study guides.... Planning everything for a CLT/PHL or DCA domicile and just being spun and switched at the last minute kind of pissed off quite a few of us. Then the ZV class was a nightmare.

One thing you can count on at Mesa.. They will screw you over and lie to you repeatedly. If you go in there thinking ANYTHING ELSE you will be disappointed. If you in there thinking more along the lines of "the feeling is mutual" you get what you want they get what they want.... It doesn't hurt as much. My vote is for anywhere else but Mesa... And the way I understand it Pinnacles Training department is going to be rather in depth now that they had that fatal last year... Mesa has killed people too, at least pinnacle didnt have any revenue in the back.

The whole idea is to GET OUT OF THE REGIONALS AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. Dont ever forget that and you will be OK.

 

[PBRstreetgang]

Lets see, a big kick in the nutz, or pry your eyes out with a rusty fork. Way to shoot for the bottom!
PBR

 

[psysicx]

How senior is the Dash 8? Denver or Grand Junction wouldn't be to bad of a commute.

 

[Spinplate]

ALL RIGHT!!! IM LOVIN IT SO FAR!! anyone else from PHX that commutes? Anyone know how easy it is to get Memphis based with Pinnacle? I have family there (an extra place to crash). Someone wrote on another thread that MEM is closed for now and Minneapolis and Detroit were the only bases. Can anyone confirm this? Thanks again for all off your help and honest opinions!!

 

[Spinplate]

I could definitely live with Denver!!! Turboprop or Jet..... it doesnt matter to me!

 

[Dirty Sanchez]

You should be able to get any base you want- MEM, DTW, or MSP. If not in training, then after the first vacancy.

 

[white E]

This was after spending nearly a month studying ERJ systems... And after spending much needed cash on ERJ study guides.... Planning everything for a CLT/PHL or DCA domicile and just being spun and switched at the last minute kind of pissed off quite a few of us. Then the ZV class was a nightmare

If you were in class for 3 day then why were you studying for 1 month and planning thise domiciles? Welcome to Mesa. That sounds like a typical story. I wounldn't ever depend on any assignment regardless of company.

Mesa is a tough place to work. (I'm trying not to highlight myself) Most of the problems occur when you are associating with HQ in PHX. As far as the flying, it all depends on who is sitting to your left. Usually the crews are a ton of fun and then it is up to you what you make of it. Now if you want to get paid on time, awarded on time..blah blah blah..that is a different story.

 

[Spinplate]

Im going to call CoEx on Monday to see whats going on with my resume. They called me 2 weeks ago for an updated resume with ref. # on it. Since I have the MEsa and Pinnacle interview I would definitely like to go interview with CoEx. The pilots seem to be happier and it looks like they have their $hit together too. Oh well.... I'll just do any many miny moe.

 

[NoJoy]

Mesa is short on Dash FOs for PHX and DEN. They are hiring for those positions now. If you get the Dash-you will get one of those bases. The commute to DEN from PHX is fairly easy.

 

[Spinplate]

Thx NoJoy!! Thats good news!!! Now heres the question? Is there a downside to getting the Dash-8 over the CRJ. I know the upside is faster upgrade to Captain but is there a potential downside. Do majors look at Turboprop PIC time differently than actual Jet PIC? Thanks guys!

 

[NoJoy]

Right now the upgrade in the Dash is slow. That can change. It is about 2 years. The jet is around 3-4 years. Again this can vary and change within a year depending on where you are based.
The magors are concerned with Turbine PIC time. Either turbo prop or jet PIC time will get you where you want to go with some healthy internal recommendations. SkyWest is also growing out of DEN on the jet side, if you want to stay close to PHX.
Hope this helps. PM me for more info.

 

[samballs]

If you go to mesa we will all hate you, and if you go to pinnacle you'll hate yourself....

 

[crzepilot]

Yeah go to MESA!

I just need another person I can deny a jumpseat you scumbag. I promise no matter what these guys excuses are, I'm now out for them.