Pinnicle Air

[Lear70]

Been based in both. More to do in MSP on your off-time, but also a LOT colder than DTW in the winter!

DTW is cheaper than MSP, but not by much. Average crashpad at both runs about $150, you'll need a car in MSP or you can use the van service to the Barrington (most popular crashpad apartments) for about $75 a month extra if you don't want to worry about the car.

Commutability will depend on where you live. I live in Nashville and have 5 flights a day on NW, 4 flights a day on SW, all nonstop. MSP is harder to get to, but still doable.

Commuter policy isn't very friendly. You have to prove 3 flight attempts to make your show time or they will Missed-Trip you. A few of those and they show you the door out... permanently. But that beats moving to DTW - it's kind of a hole unless you live out in Ann Arbor or up in Birmingham / Grosse Pointe (half hour or more to work).

Good luck...

 

[dondk]

another cfii

Lear 70 is on the money..

I though Another CFII you were from the west coast? Most of our West Coast people commute to MSP.. A very few do DTW (just to hard).

Commuting (if even thinking of ) to MSP takes a bit of seniority to do it with little to no hotel expense, but it can be done! DTW has more times when it is more commutable than MSP.

YOu may be lucky to see some vacancies for MEM when you are almost done... It can be a bit cheaper there, but will definatley require transportation.

 

[another cfii]

Thanx for the advice. I don't intend to go back to the west coast often, and I know there's quite a few flights from DTW->MSP everyday, so that shouldn't be a problem. I would like to know what's life is like based in DTW. However, i do have my brother based in MSP.

I never thought about MEM because: 1) Probably maybe early next year before they keeping FO in town, 2) the flak jacket thing, 3) harder commute to MSP, then to the west coast. Other than that, I would love to keep my toes warm during the winters, and save a few bucks during my first few years here.

Happy Thanksgiving!

 

[de Pez]

Candidly, I understand how this whole Pinnacle "thing" seems attractive. Finally into a jet and all..However I had a friend there who just quit because he felt that he was being put in the position to be violated by some unscrupulous/unsafe Captains... Sounds harsh, but I believe what he says. He's been a turboprop Capt, and has some A-320 time, and was making $20/hr to put his career on the line.

The whipsawing NW has done between the Pinnacle and Mesaba pilot groups is just criminal.

Not that my opinion would make you rethink your decision, but at some point we have to draw the line regarding this "lowering of the bar." Regardless, good luck, and fly safe.

 

[Lear70]

After being here 2 1/2 years, coming from the left seat of a Boeing for another Part 121 company, I think I have maybe ONCE had to question the safety of another pilot, and that was simply someone having a bad day who needed a little reality check, and all was fine. You're going to find that at any company whether it's 91, 135, or 121... If you keep your wits about you and stand up when someone makes a bonehead mistake after their 4th high-speed (CDO), you'll be just fine.

As far as worrying about wearing your flak jacket? You have to worry about that at most of the crashpads near the DTW airport as well. Also, about those flights running between MSP and DTW: they run about 98% most of the time and often leave people at the gate, as do the MEM-MSP and MEM-DTW flights. Harder to commute between the domiciles (a lot of other big NW crewmembers do the same thing and they'll bump you every time).

Any other questions...? =)

p.s. Happy Turkey Day to everyone! On reserve in DTW and the company had both lunch and dinner catered into the airport for the crews working... they do it every year (as does Mesaba I believe). Cool base managers, not a corporate-ordered deal.

 

[dondk]

However I had a friend there who just quit because he felt that he was being put in the position to be violated by some unscrupulous/unsafe Captains...

As MUCH as I hate to say this.. I have worked at two other regionals before Pinnacle.. We had similar Captains there too.. it is an unfortunate way of life.

Regarding violations and captains.. most of the guys I know do not want to spend ONE extra day here if they can. Why get violated? that means many more days at Pinnacle. The motto I hear more often than not.. "lets do it as safe as possible, screw everything else"
Have I sat at the gate to make sure numbers were "right" on Highspeeds? Yes..
Have I sat at an outstation for some obscure maintenance reason when I have a flight to commute home on? yes..

most of the guys I fly with do it by the book or **CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED** close to it, I have yet to fly with one I would not want my family to fly with.. I am sure they are out there, they are at ALL airlines but to suggest we have more than another is just.. wrong....

 

[fly4ever]

And then there is the ongoing investigation of the crew that fell asleep and didn't wake up until after Polar coming into DTW. When they did wake up they were staring at a couple of F-16s. Safe? I think not.

 

[dondk]

And then there is the ongoing investigation of the crew that fell asleep and didn't wake up until after Polar coming into DTW. When they did wake up they were staring at a couple of F-16s. Safe? I think not.

I was tempted to post the response from our own personal board...

Anyway, in a nutshell the statement above is just PURE RUMOR, it was really good until the F-16 part was added.

One thing Pinnacle is REALLY good at... starting rumors... We have had some really juicy one's over the past year to get not only our own group fired up, but Mesaba's and even lately COEX. We have had rumors that also involved MESA and ACA. We have a select few who really have defined the "art" of rumors.

 

[Lear70]

This started out from a crew who missed their hand-off coming into DTW and therefore missed their crossing restriction over Polar by a few thousand feet. Sometimes coming over the lakes our radios get kinda scratchy and fade, especially if you're IMC in precip - thankyouverymuch Bombardier. Company had to ACARS them the new freq and by the time they checked in, they just simply couldn't make the restriction... It didn't cause any conflicts, they filed a NASA report, end of story.

Some people who will remain nameless started the rumor - since I'm on the communications committee it was easy to find out it was just a rumor but when I called those who started it, they asked me to shut up about it just to see how far it would go for fun, so I actually helped perpetuate it (seemed harmless enough at the time) since I spend so much time on ready reserve in the crew rooms and EVERYONE wanted to know about it...

Unfortunately, the rumor got a bit out of hand (case in point, someone from another airline is pointing fingers without any hard facts, evidence, or firsthand knowledge and citing safety concerns), so I put the kabosh on it on our private message board and our Safety Chair substantiated the basis of the rumor as described above.

dondk is right, I've worked at a lot of places before this, and Pinnacle has developed rumor starting into an ART FORM! The problem is, there's often SOMETHING going on which is true, which makes it harder to separate fact from fiction!

 

[fly4ever]

I stand corrected. The info came from one of your own. I'm sure there will be all kinds of rumors coming from our end of the hall after next weeks "negotiations" (as the company likes to call them). I hope you guys will support us any way you can, I'm sure we'll all be needing hip boots to wade through the company propaganda.

 

[JJJ]

I'm glad you guys at XJ FINALLY are going to get released. It has to be a huge relief for the pilot group. I've been there before. Pinnacle pilots are behind you.

 

[JJJ]

de Pez...

Did your friend ever talk to a check airman or the CP about these capts? I'm sure he is aware that there avenues to follow in these circumstances. I agree that there are capts here that shouldn't be capts, but that is same at every airline, even at mainline.

 

[fly4ever]

Thanks JJJ,

We are hoping it will all be over soon, whatever the outcome, but the fight is definitely worth it. When it's your turn in the barrel (again) your support will be noted and will be returned.

 

[T-Gates]

Yeah it's time for you guys at XJ to go kick some a$$......