Pinnacle info

[Lear70]

Hey Lear70, I have thanked you in the crew room and through email and on the airlinkpilots.com many times for your line construction help to all of us.

Samer deserves all the credit for DTW - if not for him, I wouldn't be doing anything with the schedules, and half of what I do is in self-defense since I'm on reserve (except for fighting for more ready reserve and home reserve lines which I can't hold), but you're welcome.

Suck it up s h i t bird and quit complaining about reserve. In a few more months you'll be off the couch.

Eeeeasy killer. We've been saying that for two and a half years. Every time it looks like the list is going to move, something happens (9/11, saabs go away, etc). If we want to b*tch about it, that's our prerogative - freedom of speech and all. And truth be told, we don't complain about reserve... we complain about how crew scheduling abuses the reserve system here. I sat reserve at my last 121 carrier THE ENTIRE TIME I WAS THERE, but didn't complain about it because they treated us decently and I had 14 days off a month. They went TU; "thems the breaks" as you so eloquently put it. Like I said, glad to have a job, but if the reserve guys want to grumble amongst themselves for the way this contract is bent and twisted, you don't have to listen.

If you don't like standard ops for this industy take your little 757 type you like to brag about and your Ebay/laptop business and go somewhere else. You don't have to work in the airline industry if you don't want to.

Love it when people bash me here anonymously . First, I don't have a 757 type. Secondly, I don't bring up my eBay work unless someone asks me about it which happens quite a bit - everyone wants a deal. Lastly, I'm not here to please anyone. I do the work I do for the Association because I like to contribute something to my profession and fellow pilot coworkers. Some people like me, some don't, can't please everyone and I'm certainly not going to work for people's approval. I don't need to "redeem" myself to you or anybody else and I'll go away when I find something better, as will everyone else in this industry; telling us to shut up or move on is juvenile.

 

[dondk]

I am going to chime in on this discussion...

Pinnacle is regional, thinking we are something else is the first common mistake. We are no better and in some cases no worse than ANY other regional out there. We have our specific issues that are specific to OUR management and OUR contract.

Reserves is an issue at Pinnacle that is due to a poor contract and even poorer management skills. Other regionals have better reserves systems and I am sure a few have worse. Our reserve system is poorly designed towards the junior people. Other have systems where the senior people would not be affected by reserve (never get called) but not at Pinnacle.. Heck they even junior manned the number one guy at the company... That should say enough about our reserves.

As for length of reserve, it is all cyclical... This time last year MSP was better than 12 months, before that MEM was close to 2 years, now it is DTW's turn. It all comes around, it just takes time. Next year it will be some other base and someone else will be bitchin...

We are a growing airline, that is right now the only real benefit we can offer to someone looking for a place to hang thier hat for a few years. The other regional growing is MESA, but that is a completly different story and reason. There are many others that are growing and hiring, but I do not think any are as small as we currently are. I wish all were growing and the days of having your choice of regionals were back. That is not coming anytime soon, so you need to chose what is right for you, just know in advance Pinnacle is by far not the worst nor the best, we are somewhere in the middle.

 

[jstanotherpilot]

Actually I did thank Samer more than the others involved including you Lear 70.

Was sitting next to you just the other day when you were talking about a 757 type. Sounded like you were saying you have one and was along the lines of dues payed and wanting to go somewhere else. I guess I misunderstood you. I just can't stand complainers but do admire that you tried to do something about it. I was and am irritated by the pilots who came right in and started out with Captain pay and then had the oddassity to complain about sitting reserve and being pushed back to FO pay for a couple months and now are back getting the good pay. Sitting reserve was the price to pay for getting Capt pay right off the bat. You were promised more growth faster. These guys took the bait. I would have too I'm sure, but I wouldn't have complained about being pushed around. The Capt pay would be worth the s h i t taken.

DondK Different subject : Isn't this why No.1 was junior manned?Am told No. 1 Capt was junior manned since most pilots don't seem to understand that the crew scheduling phones are taped going out as well as in. Crew sched was told to extend and junior man to the max to preserve and keep the total amont of crews on the payroll needed to the lowest practical, before they are to use a reserve. No. 1 was the last person on the list available who answered his phone. It wasn't that there was no reserves to do the job it was just that if crew sched doesn't follow what they have been mandated to do their jobs are in jeapordy.

 

[T-Gates]

Dondk's post is right on.

If I were in Memphis I would he holding an 11 day off hard line. But I HATE 6-Leg Daytrips and Highspeeds. So I chose to sit a long reserve here in DTW. It's all what you make it here. It shure as heck ain't the best place on the planet, but there are worse places...

Jstanotherpilot,

If you hate complainers that much, HOW do you stand even sitting in the crewroom? Thats the only thing us reserves are good at. Besides quoting from the "Sopranos".

 

[jstanotherpilot]

Ear plugs.

 

[ForgedBlade]

Reserves is an issue at Pinnacle that is due to a poor contract and even poorer management skills. Other regionals have better reserves systems and I am sure a few have worse. Our reserve system is poorly designed towards the junior people. Other have systems where the senior people would not be affected by reserve (never get called) but not at Pinnacle.. Heck they even junior manned the number one guy at the company... That should say enough about our reserves.

Nicely said!

 

[NEWSOUTH]

jstanotherpilot

With an ATP and your flight time....being on reserve as a FO in DTW....you have got other issues that are causing your anger. Why don't you let these guys discuss these issues without all your angry attacks? I feel sure you are redirecting your anger at Rich unjustly. Just give positive input or take a break man. Thank you for your consideration in this matter.

 

[PCL Flt-ops]

jstanotherpilot was kind of rough on Rich. Rich does a lot of good work for us all on the website. And his complaints about our reserve system are well justified. PINNACLE HAS ONE OF THE WORST RESERVE SYSTEMS. A good portion of our reserve is ready reserve. That means that you have to sit at the airport for 9 hours. Both our AM and PM ready reserve periods have 9-hour duty periods. You only get paid 3.75 hours for being at the airport and on duty all day. Many of our reserve lines have all ready reserve days. Many airlines (and some regionals) don't even have ready or "hot" reserve. Most of our reserve lines have only 10 days off. There are a few with 12 days off, but those are the crappy all-ready reserve lines. A lot of other airlines have reserve lines with 13, 14, and 15 days off. This company would never ever ever do anything like that- although they could. In general, our contract has poor overall work rules for reserve pilots. In our next contract, one of our objectives should be to eliminate ready reserve.

Now I'm going to get on my soapbox and tell you some of my feelings on this company:

Many of the schedulers are rude and uncooperative in helping you with schedule changes, etc.

It is common practice for many people in various corporate departments to not answer their phones and not even call you back. I think this policy is standard ops.

This company also treats you like a baby even though you are a professional pilot who flies a $23-million dollar jet. You have to go get a Doctor's note if you are sick more than once in 3 months. Pretty unbelievable isn't it? That right there summarizes the whole attitude of management at this place.

There's more than a few people here with lifetime memberships and I don't know how they can do it.

 

[TedCFII]

It is common practice for many people in various corporate departments to not answer their phones and not even call you back. I think this policy is standard ops.

Remember our "Guiding Principles"

Commiment to Communication!

 

[B190Captain]

jstanotherpilot was kind of rough on Rich. Rich does a lot of good work for us all on the website. And his complaints about our reserve system are well justified. PINNACLE HAS ONE OF THE WORST RESERVE SYSTEMS. A good portion of our reserve is ready reserve. That means that you have to sit at the airport for 9 hours. Both our AM and PM ready reserve periods have 9-hour duty periods. You only get paid 3.75 hours for being at the airport and on duty all day. Many of our reserve lines have all ready reserve days. Many airlines (and some regionals) don't even have ready or "hot" reserve. Most of our reserve lines have only 10 days off. There are a few with 12 days off, but those are the crappy all-ready reserve lines. A lot of other airlines have reserve lines with 13, 14, and 15 days off. This company would never ever ever do anything like that- although they could. In general, our contract has poor overall work rules for reserve pilots. In our next contract, one of our objectives should be to eliminate ready reserve.

Now I'm going to get on my soapbox and tell you some of my feelings on this company:

Many of the schedulers are rude and uncooperative in helping you with schedule changes, etc.

It is common practice for many people in various corporate departments to not answer their phones and not even call you back. I think this policy is standard ops.

This company also treats you like a baby even though you are a professional pilot who flies a $23-million dollar jet. You have to go get a Doctor's note if you are sick more than once in 3 months. Pretty unbelievable isn't it? That right there summarizes the whole attitude of management at this place.

There's more than a few people here with lifetime memberships and I don't know how they can do it.

Wow, talk about sh*tty. You guys really need to button down and stick it to them on your next contract negotiation and STAND YOUR GROUND!!

As for us and through a pretty solid negotiating team we managed to resolve some quality of life issues and we are not even close to your size. Our contract is due for reneg in 2005.

1. Ready reserve or HOT reserve: non-existent

2. Stand-up overnights (CDO's) : Not permitted by contract.

3. 4 hour minimum check in. 6 hour minimum on day off.

5. No scheduled layovers that are less than 9 hours.

6. All lines have 11 days off minimum.

Those are a few perks we have through tough negotiating. We also had a unanimous strike vote in our back pocket.

Good luck and PLEEEASE do something about your pay and they need to pay folks in initial training. To not pay them is just wrong!!