Pinnacle Interview

[undpilot]

Has anyone been gettiing MSP right out of traiining or are most doing to DTW or MEM?

 

[dondk]

I answered it above... but to clarify for MSP...

The last MSP Vacancy was for July 1, it appears 7 pilots got in on secondaries and they were not "right out of class". It was also decreased by 3 pilots

NOTICE OF VACANCY 06-03

Posting Date - March 22, 2006
Initial Closing Date - 0800 AM April 05, 2006
Effective Date of Vacancies - August 01, 2006

7 FO CRJ MEM
23 FO CRJ DTW
7 FO CRJ MSP

This is the most recent vacancy, I would be surprised it ANY new hires will get MSP. The last true new hire, right out of class to get MSP was on the Jan 31 effective date. Do the math and getting into MSP is about a 7 month wait.

I guess the UND guys are not going to be too happy with having to move east or south.

I don't see a trend to change it, MSP will open and senior people will either take it for sport bidding or they have been waiting months to get back in or just to get in. This also means that reserve in MSP will be better than 8 months. MSP has 22 reserve lines for Apr, DTW is slightly less and MEM has 30 reserve lines.

 

[undpilot]

I answered it above... but to clarify for MSP...

The last MSP Vacancy was for July 1, it appears 7 pilots got in on secondaries and they were not "right out of class". It was also decreased by 3 pilots

NOTICE OF VACANCY 06-03

Posting Date - March 22, 2006
Initial Closing Date - 0800 AM April 05, 2006
Effective Date of Vacancies - August 01, 2006

7 FO CRJ MEM
23 FO CRJ DTW
7 FO CRJ MSP

This is the most recent vacancy, I would be surprised it ANY new hires will get MSP. The last true new hire, right out of class to get MSP was on the Jan 31 effective date. Do the math and getting into MSP is about a 7 month wait.

I guess the UND guys are not going to be too happy with having to move east or south.

I don't see a trend to change it, MSP will open and senior people will either take it for sport bidding or they have been waiting months to get back in or just to get in. This also means that reserve in MSP will be better than 8 months. MSP has 22 reserve lines for Apr, DTW is slightly less and MEM has 30 reserve lines.

Thanks for the responce......Before the interview they told us that they were hiring into all bases, guess this is not true anymore.

 

[Detroitpilot22]

don't worry, you will get msp before you know it. It won't be 7 months

 

[dondk]

don't worry, you will get msp before you know it. It won't be 7 months

Back in '02, with DTW being the junior base.. it took me 8 months to get back.

A person interviewing with us needs to realize that they "may" not get thier preferred domicile. I deal with too many pilots lately thinking the deserve things and domiciles is one of them.

I've lost track of complaints about being "stuck" in a domicile they don't want. Be honest up front and save me the work later

 

[Lear70]

ROFLMAO Don, that's one thing I don't have to stomach being down in MEM, is a lot of the complaints from new-hires. As senior as I've gotten (I can't believe I just typed that), I usually only fly with pilots who have been here 2 or 3 years and are in the domicile they want and just waiting for their time to upgrade (I still get a lot of people who were initially low-timers but by now they've caught up with the airplane and have 1,500 - 2,000 hours which is nice).

I thought you lived in D.C.? And what gives with the NWA guys not supporting MSA? Heard the Avros are leaving MEM permanently.

UND... not QUITE as bad as hiring GIA and ERAU grads, at least you didn't pay $25,000 - $50,000 above your tuition for a regional job. Still hate flying with 500 hour wonder kids... you're just not ready for a jet, hate to break it to ya'. 1% of you MIGHT be, but 99% of you will be a burden to your Captains and, when paired with a newly-upgraded, marginally-proficient Captain, you'll be a detriment to safety until you get 6 months to a year in the seat and catch up with the airplane.

Don't get me wrong, I don't blame you in ANY way for taking the job; I would have too at your time when I was instructing, especially if it hadn't been PFT back in '94 (it was and I refused to do it), just don't come in thinking you're the equivalent of a 1,500 hour freight pilot new-hire or somehow the equal of the Captain you're flying with in terms of experience. Be humble, ready to learn, and OPEN to the idea that the Captain might be able to teach you something and nobody will even mention your flight time. It's the people that come in with the "I'm better than other new-hires because I went to XXX school" that cause problems - they're closed to the idea they can learn anything new after their checkride and it makes for a LONG month.

You think our company would have wised up by now to the dangers of hiring low-time pilots and increased the pay, hotel, and per diem during training to attract higher-time pilots. No, wait a second, that would make sense.

At any rate, I'm surprised more F/O's don't sport bid, there's enough vacancies to still be doing it and it nets them an extra $800 a month in per diem plus no crashpads needed. Ever. In 2004 I cleared an extra $8,000 in pay by sport bidding and $3,200 in 2005 before I stopped in MEM so other people could upgrade with the slowing CA upgrade slots. $$$

 

[redflyer65]

Well said Lear. Congrats on getting out. Where are you headed? You hinted at Asia. Plan on taking the family too?

 

[Lear70]

Nope, the Asia thing was taking forever (NCA Cargo). It's a 3-phase interview process similar to Cathay Pacific and I was waiting for stage 3 which can take 4-6 months to schedule when a major called.

Start class on April 3rd, can't WAIT!!

One more trip to do the 30th-1st (bastards I.D.'d me for one turn on the 2nd even though I told them I was driving to my new company for training on the 2nd - guess I'll be getting in late). Oh well, one last screw-job from PCL... I guess I can take it since I KNOW it'll be my last!

 

[CrownandCoke]

I was a UND flight instructor as well. I am not a seasoned pilot, nor do I claim to be. I am just happy to have gotten on with the low time that I had.

 

[Lear70]

I was a UND flight instructor as well. I am not a seasoned pilot, nor do I claim to be. I am just happy to have gotten on with the low time that I had.

Great attitude, I'm sure you'll do just fine.

Hope you enjoy Pinnacle, it's a good place to build some time!