pinnacle hiring

[resetjetfo]

Vacancy 4-08 has 1 MEM, 5 DTW, 1 MSP slots for CA. Allowing for secondaries, call it 15 max. Simply meant to show that CA slots seem to be decreasing now, not increasing.

 

[flap operator]

Space - why don't you apply at Mesaba?



FO

 

[xrayojilp1]

Way. Way, Waiittt, You were a street captain Lear?, It all becomes clear, uh huh huh huh, really though what does it matter a jet efis experience. We all know at Pinchnickel that a jet is the easiest plane to fly and an efis plane is the easiest of the jets. What is it they say? We should make the most money flying a piston and the second most flying a turboprop. Flying a jet is like study hall in high school. Give me a freakin' break!!!

 

[Lequip]

Careful!! I'd hate to see you upset the self-ritious pilots who think we should rank up there with attorneys and physicians and other top notch professions. The truth would hurt them that if they realized that any average dumba$$ can go from ZERO time to the right seat of an airline in 6 months. FACT! And, YES, the bigger the plane and the more toys it has the EASIER it is!! Stick some heavy crusty in a senica with no f/d or auto pilot or HSI, ect. ect and watch him be all over the sky as he attempts to hand fly a raw data approach down to mins. Better yet, make him do is 7 times in one day!! Admit it, this profession isn't all most pilots make it out to be. Nonetheless, I'm gonna keep cashing my fat paychecks!

 

[John_W_Thompson]

Thanks to all you posters from Pinnacle. I think for now I am going to hold off. The risk seems too great. The information has been invaluable. Thank you all.

Someone said Mesaba for me. They hire St. Capt? I think I will try Colgan too, since I have Saab 340 time too.

Space

 

[English]

Have Saab time, eh? Based on your posts above, I'd recommend going to Colgan. However, you mentioned avoiding USAir regionals. If that's still the case, try Shuttle America. Both companies have hired street captains in the past with Saab time.


If you really only care about the PIC turbine time, and nothing else like pay, QOL, maintenance, management/pilot relationships, etc., then Colgan, followed by Shuttle, will be your best bets, since you have Saab time.

 

[flap operator]

Mesaba does not hire street captains. Why don't you just be an FO first and earn your way through seniority to captain, like most of us are doing? Or is it street captain or bust for you?


FO

 

[English]

BTW, my reply was directed to Space Cowboy, who mentioned in an earlier post today that he had spent four years as an FO at an un-named regional airline.

 

[Lear70]

Way. Way, Waiittt, You were a street captain Lear?, It all becomes clear, uh huh huh huh, really though what does it matter a jet efis experience. We all know at Pinchnickel that a jet is the easiest plane to fly and an efis plane is the easiest of the jets. What is it they say? We should make the most money flying a piston and the second most flying a turboprop. Flying a jet is like study hall in high school. Give me a freakin' break!!!

If EFIS and FMS weren't important, then why did every street CA that had that experience have no trouble in the oral and sim while all the pinks went to guys without it? If flying the Saab was harder than the jet, then why the 70% bust rate for Saab CA to Jet CA prior to the hiring of street CA? Suuurrrre, the jet is easier to fly than the Saab, wonder what the senior Saab CA's who rolled the airplane upside down on a V1 cut or lost 1,000 feet of altitude on an approach stall on their checkride would say to that statement?

Why do you think EVERY operator out there who flies EFIS and FMS equipment lists "Previous EFIS and FMS experience a plus" on their job listings? Could it be, oh I don't know, that it saves the extra sim sessions for someone to get used to the glass?

Yes, this airplane is easy to fly, but then again the King Air was like a big C172, but as Lequip infers, it's not that difficult. Incidentally, I DO believe we rank right up there with attorneys and physicians... it's sad as a pilot, that you do not. Maybe your lack of self esteem is what is reflecting in your posts (which are ALL some of the most BITTER ramblings I've ever heard on this board).

 

[T-Gates]

All in good fun...

Hey, at least none of the street captains used the "Well, in the Saab we did it this way...." comment when they f*cked up in the RJ. As if it was a rational excuse. That got old after awhile. You just had to deal with the "Well on the 727......"

 

[dondk]

Street Captain

For those looking for a Street Captain position.,. you may be better off than you think...

Currently, the latest vacancy was changed and 1 street captain appeared and 1 mgmt to CA appeared (expected).
The recent class dates are being filled by later vacancy's.. In other words, we have the class slots, but no bodies to fill them (yet). Quick math shows us short about 30 bodies for all current vacancy's. We have classes (upgrade) filled through Sept.. For Oct and NOV we have classes but no people (about 24-32 upgrades). Finally, one of the street captains already filled an earlier vacancy class date.. They are more desperate than they are leading on about...

 

[John_W_Thompson]

I wish I could decide what to do. But I don't even have an interview yet. Thank you very much for that information.

 

[Lequip]

Space, with only 3500 hrs do you even qualify for a street captain? I sure hope not!

 

[Lear70]

You just had to deal with the "Well on the 727......"

Hey now... I resemble that remark!

 

[xrayojilp1]

why the 70% bust rate for Saab CA to Jet CA prior to the hiring of street CA?

I don't agree with your stats but if you really want to know the answer to any question at those times dealing with bust rates the answer is (last name rhymes with Satan, you know who I'm talking about) I had this guy for FMS class and he was a soft spoken Psychopath. When I went through on the jet I would have refused him for a checkride after having him for FMS class. He bragged the whole time about all the guys he busted and it was easy to tell how much he enjoyed failing people. He really got his rocks off on it. Guys like that are lower than whale Sh**. They bring down our entire profession with their lack of professionalism.

Dude are you calling ME bitter? Yikes?! I consider myself a realist. Reality is that this place sucks. And if you say that happieness is in the mind then happiness here = craziness. As far as flying being equal to a physician or attorney, I thought it was before I came here. This isn't a terrible profession at the major level, but here it is simply a blue collar job. You get six months of training or less and come sit as an apprentice for a few years. I consider flying as a whole, more like being a carpenter or an electrician. We also have a lot in common with policemen or firemen. And of course these are considered honorable professions.

Have fun bossman.

 

[miles otoole]

5000 hours and still at a regional? Overachievers unite!

 

[Lear70]

No not at all Pinch, I was referring the bitter comment to Lequip - he's pretty much a universal pot-stirrer on every subject he speaks about (although it's fun watching people get wrapped around the axle at him).

As far as 5,000 and still at a regional? Dude... where have YOU been lately? Most Captains at the regionals right now have anywhere from 5,000 to 7k or even 8,000 hours. When you're upgrading at 3,500 to 4,000 and flying 1,000 a year (lots of guys are timing out or will get close), even just a year in the right seat would put you at 5,000.

Welcome to the reality of modern airline life.

 

[xrayojilp1]

Hey Major Toole,

I noticed you are 10 years older than me and only have 4100 Hours? WTF have you been doing? Sitting lots of reserve I guess.

P.S. Military guys don't fly nearly as much as us regional dogs. I averaged over 700 hours a year for the past five years.

 

[John_W_Thompson]

Pinnacle informants, please respond - thank you.

Pinnacle pilots,

Q. Is there language in the contract preventing PCL from hiring street captains?

Q. If someone upgrades quickly at Pinnacle with only an ATPw (not rating) will it be a Fed ride since they'll be getting their first ATP rating? If it is a Fed ride is that a good thing at Pinnacle (I am referring to the recent posts about company FAA designee's failing street captains' on their checkrides).

Thanks very much as always -

Space

P. S. Any more speculation on quick upgrade opportunities?

BTW, I do not want to come over to piss everyone off. If that is how it will be I'd rather not come. At the end of the day, I would be an ultra Jr. CA anyway.

 

[Lear70]

Is there language in the contract preventing PCL from hiring street captains?

Nope. No language in the contract at all listing limitations and/or minimums for hiring or upgrade.

Q. If someone upgrades quickly at Pinnacle with only an ATPw (not rating) will it be a Fed ride since they'll be getting their first ATP rating? If it is a Fed ride is that a good thing at Pinnacle (I am referring to the recent posts about company FAA designee's failing street captains' on their checkrides).

That's slightly more complicated. We have APD's, Approved Pilot Designees (Designated Examiners) who, by contract, MUST be line pilots. The company violated that by hiring some furloughed Delta guys and giving the boot to our line guys in the training department (sent them back to the line). We recently won a grievance for this in arbitration but now it seems like quite a few of the street captain slots will go to some of the Delta guys to make them "line pilots" and just keep doing what they've been doing in the training department. Legal, but still screws the senior Check Airmen who were APD's and getting to be home every night and get paid more. Have to put a blurb in the next contract that APD assignment will go by seniority.

To answer your question more specifically, a pilot who does not posess the ATP rating will be taking a ride that is both a Type Ride and an ATP Checkride at the same time, given by the APD. The simulator is a different animal, like everywhere else, but once you get the pitch settings, power settings, and rudder displacement down, it's not that hard. Trouble is you don't get much time to figure all that out while you're learning the systems and automation at the same time. Like I said... Firehose.

P. S. Any more speculation on quick upgrade opportunities?

Still way too early to tell and I hear there's a lot going on over there on Nonconnah... some rumors have the company going into classes already in session for new-hire F/O's and picking out people to be street captains right now. Just a rumor of course, but we're short on people coming into Nov and Dec.

BTW, I do not want to come over to piss everyone off. If that is how it will be I'd rather not come. At the end of the day, I would be an ultra Jr. CA anyway.

You won't piss everyone off... just the F/O's who are a few hundred hours short of the time, will have the time by the date class would start but aren't allowed to project their time, and have to watch as they miss vacancies they are otherwise qualified for. They won't be pissed AT you, but you'll remind them of it which will piss them off anyway.

 

[dondk]

some rumors have the company going into classes already in session for new-hire F/O's and picking out people to be street captains right now. Just a rumor of course, but we're short on people coming into Nov and Dec.

Rumor=FACT it is happening and HAS happened.. only 1 to bite, but the next class starts next week...

 

[Lear70]

Rumor=FACT it is happening and HAS happened.. only 1 to bite, but the next class starts next week...

Only 1 ??!! That's just weeiiiirrrd. Must've been a low-time new-hire class, or something they said to them like "You'll probably fail, but here it is anyway". Sounds like something sum "Dumba*s" down on "Non-caring" would say (editorial acknowledgement for the new JH trademark word).

I think it's total B.S. not to allow our experienced F/O's who have been here for two or three years (or more) not to project their time within 90 days at some basic rate of like 75 hours per month - those are the guys who would do just fine in the upgrade class, but what do I know...

 

[dondk]

Only 1 ??!! That's just weeiiiirrrd. Must've been a low-time new-hire class, or something they said to them like "You'll probably fail, but here it is anyway". Sounds like something sum "Dumba*s" down on "Non-caring" would say (editorial acknowledgement for the new JH trademark word).

I think it's total B.S. not to allow our experienced F/O's who have been here for two or three years (or more) not to project their time within 90 days at some basic rate of like 75 hours per month - those are the guys who would do just fine in the upgrade class, but what do I know...

Class actually has 24, several have the time but are scared $hitless of biting the bullet. Those who passed come/came from non glass or non-121 environments. Can't say I blame them personally... Next class of 24 starts on Monday, the powers that be are looking in that class too..

We projected 2 years ago.. but can't or better yet will not now.. Talk about forgetting a precedence. They could project, but the BS argument from the powers that be argue that with fast class dates (not out 4 months) they are not willing to let peep's slide under the 3K min (although they do, but don't say anything). I guess you can call it the double standard that we are all well aquainted with.

 

[English]

I think it's total B.S. not to allow our experienced F/O's who have been here for two or three years (or more) not to project their time within 90 days at some basic rate of like 75 hours per month - those are the guys who would do just fine in the upgrade class, but what do I know...

I agree with you on this, especially because they let applicants do this.

I was hired as a street captain on the Saab in March 2001 when I had 2200 hours. Their mins for street captains were 2500 hours. They hired me and said they'd put me in a class the day I hit 2500, which I estimated to be in eearly June. They scheduled me for the class anticipating I'd have 2500 by the June class date.

Seems if they'd do this for potential employees, they'd do it for current ones, too.

 

[Lear70]

I guess you can call it the double standard that we are all well aquainted with.

*snicker*... that about says it all. I'm on moving days and they tried to JA me today... I just laughed and said, "No, thanks". Guess I'll be testing the waters on the new policy in Gary's office next week.

And remember, "Never compromise savings... errr... SAFETY!" Yeah, sure Phil.

 

[DoinTime]

*snicker*... that about says it all. I'm on moving days and they tried to JA me today... I just laughed and said, "No, thanks". Guess I'll be testing the waters on the new policy in Gary's office next week.

And remember, "Never compromise savings... errr... SAFETY!" Yeah, sure Phil.

That new policy doesn't go into effect until Sep. 15th....We need to have a junior manning refusal party!