Pinnacle Air Services

[XJETDriver]

...and a hell of a lot better than the regionals. We start our FO's at $35K and 4 bars can get you up to near $70K on the 60.

Wow...what a joke!! Better?? Please tell me how?? And yes I am from NWA Arkansas and I know a lot of people in ASG. Nelson....yeah he is a great guy!!

 

[Downwind]

Better in my opinion. I'm not going to stick around at Pinnacle or XJet for 10 years. When I was offered the job at XJ in 2004 the first year was $17 and some change. Bad medical and worse bases. Upgrade running 5 years and FO maxing out in the low $30's.

Pinnacle offered base of $35K with 9K extra for road pay so $44K. Add in per diem extra and I'm in the $50K range with a type that will get me another job if I need it. Upgrade in 18-24 months to $65K base plus 9K road pay and I'm gross $74 plus annual raises (it's not much but there) and per diem and a two year captain is $77-80. It doesn't go up much from there now (no idea what fleet expansion will be) but it is there now and I'm not sticking around either for a decade. Plus I base where I want. Anywhere.

So yeah, it was a hell of a lot better for me. I have bills to pay. If I had taken the job that Bubba and Dawn offered I would be making $33K right now with a raise in June to $35K. So again, a lot better.

 

[D-Jumbo]

Downwind, very nice and informative post. As far as the DO and the company are concerned, I couldn't agree with you more. I just recently left from Pinnacle to go to a much bigger outfit, I sure mis working for Pinnacle and flying the learjet.
The DO (Xjetdriver - no names please) is a good guy; he is a hard-working and very honest guy, who is fair to the pilots but on the other hand needs to stand-up and answer for his actions to the owners, the two sometimes don't mix. As Downwind said, as long as you are honest and don't knowingly go outside the FOM, the DO will support you, if you don't he will rip you a new one. They will never ask you to fly anything that doesn't comply with the FAR's and/or the FOM.

Just my two cents. I very much enjoyed my 1 1/2 years at the company and would have absolutely no reservations to go back there.

Chears!!

 

[Rake]

How's the new job D-Jumbo? Things are a changing here. It should be good, we'll see.

 

[XJETDriver]

...When I was offered the job at XJ in 2004 the first year was $17 and some change. Bad medical and worse bases. Upgrade running 5 years and FO maxing out in the low $30's.

So yeah, it was a hell of a lot better for me. I have bills to pay. If I had taken the job that Bubba and Dawn offered I would be making $33K right now with a raise in June to $35K. So again, a lot better.

XJ?? I dont know anything about Mesaba. But I do know about XJT. Yeah, first year pay at Pinnacle would be better. But, the upgrade time is the same here at XJT. When you upgrade, pay would be better here and you would not have to put up with all the BS. So again, I really dont see why it would be a "hell of a lot better".

 

[Downwind]

D-Jumbo,

Good luck at the new gig and don't forget us little guys! Have fun.

 

[iLR60Mac]

Paths chosen, boys. Paths chosen.

 

[J3 Guy]

North West Arkansas was famous in the past for low pilot wages, usually from all the retired military pilots. They wanted to still fly, while they receive the retirement and did not care what they were paid. Hopefully things are turning around.
By the way, does anybody know anyone that actually makes the upper pay scales in the surveys?
I have only known maybe one person in the past 20 years that has come close.

J3

 

[FL410guy]

There many questions that are racing through jetride. Hopefully some of you at Pinnacle can address a few of them. Concerning your schedule, are you guys doing a 3 pilot rotation with the plane gone the entire time or does the plane come back to its base after trips? What locatations do you have assigned as bases? What type of equipment do you guys have and what are the plans for the future. Will you guys move into LCK new facilities with who's managment. Seems as if JetRide managment will say aidos to the pilots and go there own way with Airnet. What really concerns me is quality of life. How much time does one actually spend at home. We work a 14 days on call where we can be home at least half of the time on average. Being gone a straight 14 days is a long time to be gone especially if your only pulling in 70K. I heard that the signing was going to be today.... is this true???

This may very well be a good thing to happen but at the same time it pisses me off that nobody will fill us in on whats going on. Since you guys are a privately owned maybe someone can shead some light on the issue.

 

[FL410guy]

This comes from a creditable sorce... We should hear something sometime between now and monday. It seems that everyone will benifit from this merger. Pinnalce pilots pay will be leveled with ours with little increase. Good for them. Jetride will remain normal with little change. It seems that LCK will be PA's new head quarters as far as the dispatch goes. I'm curious how they are going to work out the management positions. Seems as if they are going to use the jetride infrastructure. Well see what happens

 

[dc101]

Some of the things you are saying is true and some isn't. The closing is going to be in the next few days but the dispatch will be moving. I haven't heard too much about pay but I know it will be changing and so will schedules. It is a good merger for all of us currently employed by Pinnacle or JetRide, but it is going to be a bumpy ride at first. No one is saying much to anyone in either organization but we should expect an announcement soon. Good luck everyone!

 

[Downwind]

There many questions that are racing through jetride. Hopefully some of you at Pinnacle can address a few of them. Concerning your schedule, are you guys doing a 3 pilot rotation with the plane gone the entire time or does the plane come back to its base after trips?

The remote airplanes fly with a crew of 2 for 15 days. The crew swap happens on the 15th day if the airplane is accessible to an airport with airline service. If not, the rotation is shortened or lengthened a day or two to get the airplane and crew within airline service.

What locatations do you have assigned as bases?

ASG and LAS. Two lears 35/55 in LAS and a CE650, 1 31A, and 60 in ASG. The rest are remote. The 45's are having a time finding a home right now.

The remote guys live where ever they want. You are just responsible for getting to a major airport and they airline you out.

What type of equipment do you guys have and what are the plans for the future.

Have 3-31A's, 2-45's, 3-60's, 1-55, 1-35, 1-CE650, 2-DA50's.

Planned ????? Believe it when it's on property.
Will you guys move into LCK new facilities with who's managment.

No idea.

Seems as if JetRide managment will say aidos to the pilots and go there own way with Airnet. What really concerns me is quality of life. How much time does one actually spend at home. We work a 14 days on call where we can be home at least half of the time on average. Being gone a straight 14 days is a long time to be gone especially if your only pulling in 70K. I heard that the signing was going to be today.... is this true???

Remotes are 15/15. Based guys have no schedule right now really. Again, understaffed. They are trying for 3/aircraft to give 10 hard off. Too many guys moving up to bigger and better.

This may very well be a good thing to happen but at the same time it pisses me off that nobody will fill us in on whats going on.

Preaching to the choir brother.

Since you guys are a privately owned maybe someone can shead some light on the issue.

I've made calls before that something wouldn't happen and it did, so........

Jetride has a lot of good assets, people, and procedures in place. I hope that in the end this will be great for both of us. I think it will be bumpy for a while though.

I'll pick up the first round with the first Jetride crew I come across and maybe we can put some faces to screen names.

Good luck guys!:beer:

 

[FL410guy]

Thanks a lot for the reply. We were in LAS this last Sunday and passed one of your 60's parked at Signature. Would have been nice to shoot the bull for a while. Anyways, thanks again... Now can we start that damn drum roll

 

[Dave J]

Downwind you just need to by me beer. How come you got more info then me.

 

[Downwind]

Dave J,

I did. At the BBQ joint. Right before we got pulled over. But I'll still buy another.

 

[TigerDriver]

maybe I'm missing something, as far as the remote pilots that you are talking about. Are they assigned to an aircraft at a remote base or are they sent to an aircraft wherever it happens to be? thanks

 

[FL410guy]

Remote pilots are like our floater pilots. Except instead of 8/6 its 15/15.

 

[TigerDriver]

wonder if jetride guys will be able to bid into a schedule like that? probablly one of the growing pains to come.

 

[starcheckdriver]

What do you Pinnacle guys wear for uniforms?

 

[Downwind]

maybe I'm missing something, as far as the remote pilots that you are talking about. Are they assigned to an aircraft at a remote base or are they sent to an aircraft wherever it happens to be? thanks

There is no remote base. You pick up and leave the aircraft where it is (assuming that airport is within reasonable distance of airline service). We are generally assigned to an aircraft. Subject to MX, relief, vacation, etc. You will generally be in the same ship 80% of the time.

What do you Pinnacle guys wear for uniforms?

Black non-descript shoes, blue wool pants, white Van Husen aviator shirt (short and long sleeve), tie, epaulets, no wings, blue wool jacket for cooler temps w/ sleeve strips and wings, Peronne leather jacket for colder temps with epaulets and velcro patch. Optional sweaters. Pilots must match at all times.