Pinnacle Sampler Platter

[XJohXJ]

Good for the FO. I wish more pilots were like him. We have to stand up for our basic rights and reasonable QOL. We bid for our day's off for our own good reasons, and the company has no right to throw it all away on a whim.

 

[Tram]

I told scheduling to stick it the other day.. You guys would have been proud..

 

[CrownandCoke]

let me put it this way to you. I have been here a year and a half. Upgrade is less than 6 months away. A huge jump in pay, plus building that precious PIC time. After crew scheduling pulled a BS move on me, I called my buddy who works at ASA and begged him to get me a job there.

Things are bad here; we are trying to make them better, but when you have a management team like Pinnacle has, it is impossible. This is a sinking ship. Go to RAH no matter what. Hell, go to Great Lakes before Pinnacle.

 

[mayoplane]

Still happy, sorry!

Yeah, if you can live in base with Shuttle, go for that.

I have worked for another regional carrier. I don't feel that it was much better there at all. Are ASA, PSA, Colgan, Commuteair, Mesa..... people happy? ... Being a regional pilot can be rough no matter where you are. It's not about being a 9E pilot.

When I came to 9E a few years ago, people used to say, "You are smiling, you must be new. " A few years later, I am still smiling and I am not THAT new any more. I know tons of people who are happy at 9E.

People are happier to be at major/National carriers not because they got out of 9E, but because they are no longer regional pilots, or maybe they don't have to commute any more. You think only the 9E pilots are happy to get out, you are smoking crack. I will move on eventually, but I refused to be miserable and be negative while I am here.

 

[TurboAWD]

Again, I'm glad you are happy.

That said, 9E really is one of the worst jobs in the "regional" buisness. I worked at another regional too (piedmont)- much better. Care to say where you worked before?

Turbo

 

[405]

I thought unions were supposed to protect you from the bad management types and BS workrules...

Huh.

Maybe I'm uninformed.

 

[PCL_128]

I thought unions were supposed to protect you from the bad management types and BS workrules...

Huh.

Maybe I'm uninformed.

A union is not a magic wand. Unions do their part to make things better, but they can't make things perfect. Pinnacle would be an even worse place to work were it not for ALPA. Just ask the people that were there before ALPA came along. Joe H., #1, was one of the original ALPA organizers at what was then Express Airlines 1. I'm sure he'd be happy to tell just how much ALPA has done to make Pinnacle a far better place.

ALPA can't fix everything. No union can. But it can improve things, provide you with certain career protections, and give you a voice in your profession rather than being subject to every whim of corrupt and greedy airline managers.

 

[arthompson]

Let me add a bit to this..


the company is trying to put in a FO retention program.
Pinnacle is not that bad, if you live in domicile, have an easy commute and/or have limited other opportunities. So... if you are a 300 hour program pilot, Pinnacle works until you become more competitive.

I thought hiring the 300 hours pilots was the FO retention program?

 

[skyguy40]

I will soon be a abused by pinnacle as I have an upcoming class. I know what I am in for or at least I think I do. I worked for another bottom feeder before (TSA) and all management seem to go to the same low life school. I have not worked for them in the past year as they would not let me have a "leave of
absentense" for a medical issue concerning my wife. So my only recourse was to resign from my captain position. So I will go to Pinnacle hopeing for the quick upgrade and then moving on to somewhere better.

I will leave you with this thought: It can always be worse somewhere else. Think GoJets!!!

 

[bluefishbeagle]

Again, I'm glad you are happy.

That said, 9E really is one of the worst jobs in the "regional" buisness. I worked at another regional too (piedmont)- much better. Care to say where you worked before?

Turbo

Can't you tell, he's a Streamer.

 

[Speedbird34]

I have being happy at 9E. reserve but still smiling.
I have no desire to work for any regional airline in the USA nor do I consider any that much better than 9E.

 

[TurboAWD]

Can't you tell, he's a Streamer.

Ahh, should of looked at his A/C flown.

But then again, I thought we were talking about airlines, not Part 121 flight schools.

Turbo

 

[TurboAWD]

I have no desire to work for any regional airline in the USA nor do I consider any that much better than 9E.

And you are basing that on your extensive knowlege of the contracts at say, XJT, Horizon, Air Willy, etc?

All regionals are NOT the same.

Turbo

 

[mayoplane]

Not to offend you.

Care to say where you worked before?

Turbo

I said I am happy, not stupid. Too much personal info. .....I am not a streamer though. You all must be some hot-shot airline pilots to be talking like that! I'd love to work where you are at. I was a CFI like a lot of you on the board, the first airline before Sep 11.

You are so irritated with people who choose to live happily even though this may not be the best job around here. I don't hate you for being so miserable. I just don't like the new people who start bitching so soon after getting to 9E. With all due respect, nobody asked you to come work here, if you hate it so much, just leave. Can we all just get along now?

 

[Ghetto Sled]

I don't work there yet, but I've got to agree with Mayoplane. Most jobs, like life, is what you make of it. I'm still just wondering if Pinnacle is that bad or if its just full of whining pilots. If you guys hate the commute so much stop complaining and move to base.

 

[dondk]

I may be slightly off base, but I am pretty sure Mayoplane is a DTW CA and has been with 9E a good 4 years.

I will agree that too many FO's come on here and blast 9E who have less than a year. To be truly miserable you have to do at least 3 years

All kidding aside, happiness is subjective. Secondly, if you have been flying pax for any bit of time you will know that there are people that will NEVER be happy no matter how hard you try.

As for moving to domicile... have you been to our domiciles? They are nothing to write home about.

Is Pinnacle bad? that depends on what you consider bad? Of all the regionals, we are near the bottom on pay and work rules. We are near the bottom on company relations and treatment by management. For equipment, and growth we are in the middle. For schedules we tend to be near the top. For reserve, we are near or the bottom. For training, we are near the bottom. For contract resolution, we are near the bottom.

so if you break it down...if you can pass training and pass PC's, you will have plenty of days off as a FO to find the second job to put food on the table. When you work, you may be abused and the company does not care, management will do very little to improve your work environment. No contract resolution in sight and a divided and VERY junior and inexperienced pilot group. You will get to fly newer jets that are generally well maintained with decent crews. The trips overall are decent. Oh.. you will never be #1 in either seat in ANY domicile. The best you can hope for in is the top 10% in about 3 years for the right seat and 15 years for the left seat.

so... that is it in a nutshell, good and bad and it all depends on what you can live with, live without and your tolerances for each. it is a PILOT'S market right now, not a company market. Pilot's have the choices and should use those choices to find the BEST fit for them.

 

[bluefishbeagle]

I don't work there yet, but I've got to agree with Mayoplane. Most jobs, like life, is what you make of it. I'm still just wondering if Pinnacle is that bad or if its just full of whining pilots. If you guys hate the commute so much stop complaining and move to base.

You demonstrate a complete lack of knowledge of why pilots commute. Very seldom is it by choice, rather necessity. Airline management hates commuters and it they had their way you would sleep and live at the airport.

When a large percentage of a pilot group is unhappy it is not because they are whiners, something else is happening. You live in a fantasy world my friend and are a huge part of the problem facing aviation professional today. You are easily manipulated by the current trend in airline management. In chasing your desire to "live the dream" you would swim through sewage and never smell the shxt.

 

[XJohXJ]

I think it's great when people enjoy their jobs, and it is absolutely fine to come on here and say as much, even when it is an airline currently in disfavor.

However, it is annoying when people say misinformed things like "all regionals are the same, nowhere else is any better", which is just plain incorrect, misleading, and ignorant.

 

[TurboAWD]

I think it's great when people enjoy their jobs, and it is absolutely fine to come on here and say as much, even when it is an airline currently in disfavor.

However, it is annoying when people say misinformed things like "all regionals are the same, nowhere else is any better", which is just plain incorrect, misleading, and ignorant.

That is my point exactly. And DonK put out a good evaluation of the good and bad at 9E (although the schedules aren't always good, some months mgmt decides to tweak the pairing generator because they think they have come up with a way save $0.02 cents and days off go down the toilet).

The thing is, it will never get better unless we try to make it better. And telling someone to "just leave" is ridiculous as well. Duh, seniority system. That said- I'm working on it.

Turbo

 

[Ghetto Sled]

You demonstrate a complete lack of knowledge of why pilots commute. Very seldom is it by choice, rather necessity.

When a large percentage of a pilot group is unhappy it is not because they are whiners, something else is happening. You live in a fantasy world my friend and are a huge part of the problem facing aviation professional today. You are easily manipulated by the current trend in airline management. In chasing your desire to "live the dream" you would swim through sewage and never smell the shxt.

BS. I've got a general idea and I can smell guys like you a mile away. I realize Pinnacle has problems, I just want to know what they are. I'm trying to make an informed decision. Weighing, what I hope will be, a quick upgrade and having to commute or living in base. Some of us do make decisions. If I choose Pinnacle, I want to know what I'm getting into so that I won't end gripping and moaning.

DonDk, I appreciate the info. Thanks for the help