Pinnacle Airlines

[ASH]

HELLO!
I am trying to gain all available info on pinnacle, i.e. hiring status etc. Any posts from employees would be great. Any contact numbers or recommendations concerning them would be helpful.

Thanks!

 

[Gumby_dog]

minima

Hi..
The biggest thing I can tell you about Pinnacle (and I'm no expert) is that you need to have 1500TT before they will even consider interviewing you. I had a senior Captain who is a good friend of mine walk my resume in, and really talk it up...NO LUCK. They said as soon as I have the magic 1500, sure no prob..but until then, they just can't do it..it is toooooo competative out there.
In my opinion (again just mine, and MANY on this board won't agree with me) I think Pinnacle is a good company to work for, but I'm not actually working for them, so I would bow to current employee's input. My friend says he likes the company fine.
HOpe this helps??

 

[swhenry1]

Hey, Ash I am a Pinnacle CRJ pilot. The only thing that I can tell you inregards to getting hired is to know somebody that can walk in your resume and talk to HR personnally on your behalf. I know for a Fact that in the past 6mos they hired pilots from Gulfstream academy with as little as 600TT and put them right into the CRJ. Currently, we have classes on going now through 2004 because of aircraft deliveries, they plan to hire off the street around early spring.

 

[hmmm]

re Gulfstream

Only reason they hired those pilots is because Gulfstream codesharing for Northwest. It was part of the deal because old man Cooper at Gulfstream made most of his money off of pay for training FO's and without somehwere to put them it looks bad for business trying to acquire new paying FO's to put in Gulfstreams right seats. Cooper somewhat started his business out of my ol mans hangar. I work at Pinnacle now but never would have paid for it. You definitely need over 1500 hrs to get on if off the street as a well regarded senior pilot I know who was on the hiring board was trying to get a couple friends on below 1500 and it was washing out with out the time. And now furloughed NW mainline pilots are scheduled to be hired and rumored to already have class dates in february. Not good for our low timers wanted to upgrade soon.

 

[vere76]

pay for training loosers!!!!

 

[ForgedBlade]

Sure, come here if you want to sit reserve for 20 days each month, of which 12-15 of them will be spent at the airport wasting away while the company attempts to baby-sit you. The NWA guys will love it for sure.

By the way, it is "losers", not "loosers".

 

[dondk]

If you MUST know!!!

Just got back from MEM... From what I know this information is accurate...

Hiring... Yes still interviewing but it is EXPECTED to slow down or stop in the very near future. We are hiring GIA dudes who ponied up an additional $7,000+ in addition to the $18K or so for the B1900. The lowest time dude to come through had 510 hrs.

Washout rate is still around 30% and GIA are fulfilling most of that number.
1500/300 are the minimum's unless you pay or come from GIA. Currently most interviewee's are recommendations. Even with a LOR or a walk-in they are being overly selective on whom they invite for an interview and even more selective on who they offer a job to.

Currently we have about 625 pilots on the list, 44 or so jet's and bi-monthly classes of about 15... We are expected to get 84 jet's and are staffing at 5 crews per ship. Although there is still a "rumor" that we are suppose to go to 1300 pilots.

49 NWA furloughed guys have shown interest in coming to us, do not know how MANY actually took the job.

I have heard the last class should be in March or April until the jet orders catch up with our staffing. The last displacement (Saab's) is in January and with that the company is going to an 8 day upgrade course with 5 sim sessions before the type ride.

Like "ForgedBlade" said... plan on reserve for a VERY long time. MSP is the worst with an average of 14-16 months of FO reserve and years for CA reserve. The displacements will only aggravate the already lengthy reserve AND massive overstaffing. Airport reserve 15 days or more a month is the NORM not the exception

 

[Anaconda]

now i feel bad about complaining about the max of six ready reserves i was getting at comair...

airport rsv 15 days a month?! i feel for you guys...that $uck$

 

[DoinTime]

If you want to get one of the 12 day off reserve lines you'll be putting in 18-19 days of airport reserve per month.

 

[JJJ]

15 days or airport reserve a month the norm? I think that 15 days or airport reserve was the max, except the all airport-12 day off lines. The airport reserve days varied from 0 to about 14 with an average of aboout 6-8.

People are asking for accurate information. At the least we should provide accurate info. I know that we're all tired of sitting around at the airport, but that doesn't mean that it has to be sesationalized(sp).

We shouldn't complain.... some people would love to have a job where they could sit on their a$$, watch tv, movies, surf the internet and make $50,000

 

[Anaconda]

do they at least provide you with internet access or do you have to bring your own?

 

[JJJ]

There are internet connections on the SBS computers. It would be nice if they set up a wireless network though. Some how, I don't think that will happen

 

[dondk]

I Stand corrected

In November.. (DTW) yes we have 3 lines of all Airport reserve with 12 days off...

13 lines of regular reserve... with 10 days off...

2 are all home reserve
1 has 3 airport reserve days
1 has 5 airport reserve days
1 has 6 airport reserve days
2 have 10 airport reserve days
1 has 11 airport reserve days
2 have 12 airport reserve days
1 has 14 another has 15 airport reserve days.
and finally 1 has 18 airport reserve days and 10 days off....

In MSP for November
3 All Airport reserve with 12 days off
3 have all home reserve with 10 days off
3 have 3 airport reserve days
2 have 4 airport reserve days
1 have 5 airport reserve days
3 have 6 airport reserve days
1 have 7 airport reserve days
3 have 8 airport reserve days
1 with 9, 2 with 10, and finally 1 with 11 airport reserve days, all are with 10 days off.

I will agree it is "slightly" better than a few months ago. It should be added though the new guys are going to do at least 4-6 months of the 8 or better reserve days.

I also thought all of MSP (terminal) was now wireless... at least that is what they were touting before I got out of there a few months ago...

 

[hmmm]

50,000 a year???

Directed to JJJ ...

50,000 a year ???

(" We shouldn't complain.... some people would love to have a job where they could sit on their a$$, watch tv, movies, surf the internet and make $50,000" )

Where did you get that number.

19.58 per hour times 75hr guarantee equals 50,000???... Boy love your school.
Thought the discussion was about a prospective new guys question. Oh I guess you were talking about their future as a Capt because anybody hired now who is new in their career, i.e. low time, is not going to see 50,000 gross for years and years.

What Captains pay on reserve after two years works out to 36000 take home after ALPA dues, Fed tax, SS tax, Medicare tax, Medical Ins and 401k minimums at the 58.57 per hour rate on reserve with no per diem.
Thats off a copy of a friends paycheck stub right here in front of me.


My first year FO pay stub here says 615 take home bimonthly after taxes on reserve with no per diem and no 401k and no insurance cause can't afford my own ins and still eat. Thats 14760 take home per year.
Wheres the local MEM food stamp/welfare office? Anyone know?
I think I'll do a search now.

ummmmm hmmm

http://www.ssa.gov/pubs/10100.html

http://www.welfareinfo.org/

http://www.foodusa.org/

http://welfare.state.nv.us/elig_pay/fs_home.htm

http://www.makingwageswork.org/foodstamps.htm

 

[JJJ]

obviously I got that number from using CA pay. Making 50K and taking home 50K are different. Notice that I said make and not take home?

I feel you pain. I lived on FO wages for 3 years. what does you budget look like? I had an apt, ins, 401K, and managed to save a little bit. Granted my 13 yr old car is payed off and I only support myself. If you have a wife and kids, by all means go the welfare office and get some assistance. That's what it's there for.

I'm just glad that I have a job right now. We're all going to be here for a while, upgrades will happen, you will get a line, things will get better.

 

[JJJ]

I looked at the MAC website.... the have a wireless network set up that covers most of the airport except the A B and G concourses. All for the low price of 7.95 a day.

 

[hmmm]

To JJJ

Gotcha Capt

Just didn't want a youngin getting any ideas that would color their career judment.

We're good to hook now.

 

[JJJ]

roger dodger

 

[Rook]

LOL@ "Good to Hook"

Man oh man!

Rook

600'AGL Autopilot on.
'WHEW!'

 

[q100]

WELFARE?!?!?

JJJ,

I take great offense with your suggestion that it is okay for a regional airline pilot flying 50 passengers around in an RJ, all of whom have families and trust the pilots to be safe and competent, to be so poorly compensated that they should need to collect welfare. That is demented! Sick. Sad.

The sorry state of this industry (regionals) is not just due to current economic climes, but to pilots willing to fly for food just 'cos it's a jet (woohoo) and to the managers willing to play those people against everybody else. If Pinnacle is union (I confess to ignorance) then shame on all of you for being willing to lets FOs make under 20 grand a year. If not, shame on your managers.

Good luck guys, we all need it!