Pinnacle advertises for pilots in USA Today!

[BizPilot]

dondk,

Yep, she is HOT (Blonde, blue eyes, 5'10, 150lbs, about 22.......and gravity hasn't taken a toll yet).

I guess I'm really not surprised, I've seen it happen so many times before in this industry. I remember when I graduated from College to go work my first CFI job....and I watched these young ladies who graduated with me go off to work for United Airlines with a quarter of the flight time I had!!

If I could do it all over again, I would ask God to be born Black and Female.

Just curious though, guys, not that I want to work for Pinnacle, but why is it so hard for a guy like me with 3000 hours TT to land a regional job? Are there any regionals that would hire me? Ideally, I would like to get back into corporate.......but the last company "downsized" and the plane was 1st to go.....so I'm not sure if that's what I want to do either.

 

[dondk]

Whaaaat ?

Interns or current employees?

Low paying job for 'x' amount of time, and you automatically get a pilot seniority number?

Please explain further, I'm

Corporate has an intern program, they always have.. It is just not "public" knowledge.
Years ago.. it was for rampers, CSR, basically anyone who worked for the company in some fashion. They would build thier time and then come over to flight op's.. If you look on the Sen list.. those with 5XXXX numbers are all interns.

Now.. in the past few years.. They do it differently.. You get some recommendations and they will hire you into crew scheduling or some other department with an "anticipated" class date. The average is about 6 months from the day you start in one of the other departments. When your time comes, you are awarded and internal pilot slot and go to class and so on.

The more recent interns are for the most part all female, all young, all attractive and yes.. all low time. The last bunch of interns did not even have 300TT... I do not know if they drew a salary during training though.. That is a question to ask them...

 

[dondk]

Just curious though, guys, not that I want to work for Pinnacle, but why is it so hard for a guy like me with 3000 hours TT to land a regional job? Are there any regionals that would hire me? Ideally, I would like to get back into corporate.......but the last company "downsized" and the plane was 1st to go.....so I'm not sure if that's what I want to do either.

Thoughts would be currency and equipment.. Hard to sell yourself when you fly 15 hours a month and burn holes in the sky in a 182.. NOT saying you do that....

I have a really good friend that has been doing the Corporate gig now for 3-4 years.. He has the same problem getting a regional interview.. Don't feel bad, the company's passing on you are the ones losing out.

If you look to the prop's.. you will find 1 or 2 that would take you quickly.

 

[Flyer1015]

Corporate has an intern program, they always have.. It is just not "public" knowledge.
Years ago.. it was for rampers, CSR, basically anyone who worked for the company in some fashion. They would build thier time and then come over to flight op's.. If you look on the Sen list.. those with 5XXXX numbers are all interns.

Now.. in the past few years.. They do it differently.. You get some recommendations and they will hire you into crew scheduling or some other department with an "anticipated" class date. The average is about 6 months from the day you start in one of the other departments. When your time comes, you are awarded and internal pilot slot and go to class and so on.

The more recent interns are for the most part all female, all young, all attractive and yes.. all low time. The last bunch of interns did not even have 300TT... I do not know if they drew a salary during training though.. That is a question to ask them...

Wait a minute. They get recommendations from other pilots, okay.

But are they applying to be pilots or crew schedulers??? Was there some kind of 'intern' box that they could check on the application?

This sounds like current employees transferring from one spot to another (crew scheduler to pilot), I don't see what an intern has to do here.

I think I'm still missing it

 

[Icelandair]

I'm going to put that im native American on my resume next time. Afterall i was born in America that makes me a native of America as much as someone born in Holland is a native Dutchman. Why do indians think they are the only ones who claim to be native to America?

 

[flyinglow]

This industry sucks. Makes you feel like a real smuck when you work so hard to get a albeit bad paying job, and then a place like Pinnacle institutes hiring practices like these. It makes us all look bad. Not to mention not safe, sooner or later the FAA will have to step in.

 

[Reebo]

dondk,

If I could do it all over again, I would ask God to be born Black and Female.

im sure the lord would honor your request. imagine living in the deep south around 1940 as a young black female. watch what you wish for, it just might come true. seriously, you should look at the hand you were delt and deal with it. im sure in those 3000 hrs you have amassed you have either flown with or met quite a few pilots. try making a few phone calls and network. how about those 4 years of college you talk about. im sure some of your college buddies know a few people. send a resume to EVERY regional that is hiring. be nice. xpress jet, skywest, chataqua, trans states are all hiring and cover all parts of the country, basically what im saying is quit crying and get to work. it wont be easy, but if a better flying job is what you want, then go get it.

 

[Steveair]

Ohh to be bitter.... at least we don't have to sit behind a desk guys! As for Pinnacle, I just wish someone would tell me if I got the job or not!

 

[CLE145CA]

What is Pinnacle's 401(k) program like? Company match percentage? Defined contribution percentage? Anyone?

 

[jetflier]

As a bus driver for the city of New York, with full benefits and government guarenteed pension, top pay is 110000 with overtime.

I'm trading in my uniform......

 

[Trash8Mofo]

What is the realistic upgrade time at Painnacle? Any mins flight time to hold the left seat?

 

[Mtnjam]

Current upgrades at Pinnacle are 3,000tt, 1,000 jet. If you're off the street it's 3,500tt and 1,000 jet. Somewhere I heard the 500 in type but I don't think that applies. Several people from my new hire class went to the left seat and only one had CRJ time.
However I don't think upgrades will be going on forever and ever like they have been. They say things are going to slow down real quick. I was told the other day from a Capt. I flew with that with my T.T. and timing I could be stuck in the right seat for quite some time, but who really knows for sure?
Yes the "no paid" training is pretty rough!!! Even worse for the guys who make it all the way through training then get to OE and get the BOOT!!! I know somebody that happened to and that's alot of time,effort and $ spent in training for absolutely nothing!! That's the name of the game though.
If you know anyone at Pinnacle and are looking for a job, have them walk your resume in. Kim Monroe the HR. lady stood in front of our class and asked us all if we knew any "qualified" Pilots looking for a job. They are putting 64 people a month through training all the way until August is what I was told. That's alot of slots available.

 

[dondk]

Wait a minute. They get recommendations from other pilots, okay.

But are they applying to be pilots or crew schedulers??? Was there some kind of 'intern' box that they could check on the application?

This sounds like current employees transferring from one spot to another (crew scheduler to pilot), I don't see what an intern has to do here.

I think I'm still missing it

I am not going to pretend I know all of the vodoo magic that happens on Nonconnah Blvd.

The little knowledge I have on the intern process is as follows:

Hot chick "sunshine" knows someone in the company. She want's to be a pilot but does not meet the min's OR have the funds to do the GIA deal.
Sunshine meet's with HR, get's a brief tech review. Sunshine is conditionally offered a pilot position based on internship work in a department of the company's choice. The company places Sunshine in the department and makes sure she is a good worker. After a period of time, sunshine transfers to the flight op's department and starts class and eventually makes it to the line.

We have HARD min's (or we did at least). NO one with less than those min's were offered a job UNLESS they came through the GIA "partner" program OR you pay the company 10K in advance (company repay's you X amount over a year or two). To my knowledge, the last person to pay the 10K in advance was something like 4+ years ago, that particular program no longer is applicable due to the partner program.

Don't ask me how you can be an intern as that is the vodoo magic I don't know. I know the last 4-5 interns were usually on display for pilots in upgrade and recurrent.

You know, hey let's go tour dispatch.. while you are touring they bring out sunshine to say hello, then they mention sunshine is a intern with a class date of "X".. You can use you imagination of the comments from there.

 

[dondk]

Buzz on the line is.. 1 maybe 2 large CA vacancies, then back to maybe 6 per month. The newest Vacancy is for Aug 1 and is for 24 CA's.

We may see a large Sep Vacancy then small one's for a few more months. New hire classes through aug equates to maybe Oct/nov vacancy. Then maybe 1 or 2 adjustment vacancy's.

Before the most recent vacancy, CA slot's went to new hires. I would guess that this recent vacancy will have some new hires.

The ONLY other factor in this.. A bunch of guys/gals washed out year ago. ALL of them are now eligible for upgrade one more time. I cannot many of them not going a second time for upgrade. IF they go, then this AUG vacancy will be VERY senior.

that is my .02

 

[Enterprise]

Back in 2000 there was ad in USA Today for pilots from then Express Airlines I. This was sometime around when we first started to get jets and we had a big hiring boom that eventually led to the first round of street jet captains. It was a half page ad in the money section I think.

I do know of one male from scheduling that just got online as a pilot. My understanding is that is it a little more risky that what has been described here. You apply and interview from the job you first get (i.e. scheduling, CSA, mechanic) and you cannot do anything else for six months. That is the minimum time between job transfers. You have to then politic your way to get a pilot interview. The company for at least the last ten years has hired internal employees below minimums and the little contract rule about being senior in you class is a result of a broken promise in the late 90s. For a while we had the intern program that resulted in a large number of pilots here but there are also a few CSAs, schedulers, and mechanics. I know the policy is not very formal and when you cross over you have to start all over again for vacation and sick accrual.

 

[dondk]

I do know of one male from scheduling that just got online as a pilot. My understanding is that is it a little more risky that what has been described here. You apply and interview from the job you first get (i.e. scheduling, CSA, mechanic) and you cannot do anything else for six months. That is the minimum time between job transfers. You have to then politic your way to get a pilot interview. The company for at least the last ten years has hired internal employees below minimums and the little contract rule about being senior in you class is a result of a broken promise in the late 90s. For a while we had the intern program that resulted in a large number of pilots here but there are also a few CSAs, schedulers, and mechanics. I know the policy is not very formal and when you cross over you have to start all over again for vacation and sick accrual.

I know we have had a few males, but the females recently out number the males. We have also "screwed" over some of our interns. Most notably a few years back. A group we sent to class just to be told "wait a sec" then they filled 1 or 2 classes from the street before the interns. That set most of them back quite a bit on seniority and eventually affected thier upgrades.

The last few females though.. they were "offered" a job in another department with the understanding that they would be offered a shot at a pilot position. This came straight from one of them. I thought it was the other way too, until I was told otherwise.

The million dollar question though.. how does one get to that intern position? It is not official in any form that I have ever seen, just one of those nonconnah things we never REALLY understand

 

[Flyer1015]

Thanks, dondk.

You apply and interview from the job you first get (i.e. scheduling, CSA, mechanic) and you cannot do anything else for six months. That is the minimum time between job transfers. You have to then politic your way to get a pilot interview.

Politic your way to an interview ?

 

[405]

You know, hey let's go tour dispatch.. while you are touring they bring out sunshine to say hello, then they mention sunshine is a intern with a class date of "X".. You can use you imagination of the comments from there.

We're knuckle dragging beasts in dispatch. We eat raw meat. We eat our children. Drool covers the floor.

 

[Enterprise]

What I mean is that once you get a job within the company you meet the right people (TM and KM). You let it be known that you are a pilot and looking for an opportunity to move over to flight ops. After a while if you play your cards right you will get an interview. This is sort of the way it has happened to people in the past. It is very informal and does not work in the same manner for everyone. Like any flying job, there are ways in through the proverbial back door.

 

[dondk]

You know, hey let's go tour dispatch.. while you are touring they bring out sunshine to say hello, then they mention sunshine is a intern with a class date of "X".. You can use you imagination of the comments from there.

We're knuckle dragging beasts in dispatch. We eat raw meat. We eat our children. Drool covers the floor.

good signature 405.. touche..

During my last recurrent.. we were "presented" with the "blonde of the day" who just happened to be awaitng a class date for intial. I call it as I see it, and yes the dispatcher supervisor called her over to the window.

Call it as I see it... and how do you call it in the "cave" these days?

 

[405]

good signature 405.. touche..

During my last recurrent.. we were "presented" with the "blonde of the day" who just happened to be awaitng a class date for intial. I call it as I see it, and yes the dispatcher supervisor called her over to the window.

Call it as I see it... and how do you call it in the "cave" these days?

The cave is dark and evil with management. No scenery whatsoever. It's a really depressing place now.

 

[DoinTime]

What I mean is that once you get a job within the company you meet the right people (TM and KM). You let it be known that you are a pilot and looking for an opportunity to move over to flight ops. After a while if you play your cards right you will get an interview. This is sort of the way it has happened to people in the past. It is very informal and does not work in the same manner for everyone. Like any flying job, there are ways in through the proverbial back door.

The way the company administers "interns" now is just shy indentured servitude. Back in the "good old days" the internship program was run more like a traditional internship program. It had a start date and an end date, no real job title, and you worked for minimum wage, if anything. If they liked you when you left back to school you would get an interview.

Now your hired as a regular employee and strung along until someone decides to cut you a break, if ever. The real trick these days is to do your job good enough to not screw up regularly but not so good you become irreplaceable. Once the company starts depending on you you are screwed and will be stuck in a management hellhole for the rest of your life.

 

[8HRRULE]

The million dollar question though.. how does one get to that intern position? It is not official in any form that I have ever seen, just one of those nonconnah things we never REALLY understand

Yeah. Kind of like Regs. And pay increase.