Recent Pinnacle Interviewed - Whats Up With The New Test?

[No.W.]

I have 3000 in the CRJ, a type and I have no Idea what the CRJ Critical AOA is. Either I slipped through the cracks or it doesn't matter....

Thank God, I'm not the only one!

 

[bg1686]

Does anyone know if the reason that Pinnacle has tightened up their interviews has anything to do with their recent mishap at Milwaukee?

 

[Kaman]

Hello,

I had two students when I was instructing that went down to Comair Academy, or whatever they are calling it these days. Neither one of them liked it, and said that the training they recieved at the "Mom&Pop" I worked for better prepared them for real-world IFR flying. I'm not saying that the ab initio process is flawed, because it has worked for years in the military and with many foreign carriers.
I think that the comments I've read here are a reflection of a basic lack of maturity and life experience. These kids get the big marketing hoopla about flying, but they don't have anything to compare it to. It's a shame, really. We are growing a large segment of the pilot profession thats more worried about minutae vice the "big picture".
My view is that short-cuts lead to short-comings. We aren't paid for what we do 99.99% of the time (routine line flying). We are paid for the times when the chips are down. Be it weather, mechanical difficulty at the least to downright life-threatening emergencies. Some of which aren't addressed in the CFM, FOPP, Memory items or QRH. EXPERIENCE is the only thing that will take the place of these items in the aforementioned scenarios.
I consider myself fortunate, because I learned through observation as a military flightcrewmember of how a professional aviator operates an aircraft and manages a crew. I learned the fundamentals of CRM and more importantly flight discipline. These are things that you will not learn in any "Academy". I also was lucky enough to flight instruct for 18 months where I really "learned" to fly and act as PIC. This lead to a positive, yet no-less challenging stint flying 135 cargo in a twin single-pilot. Currently, I fly as an SIC in the mighty Beech 1900. Where once again I am learning and being exposed to the decison-making process involved in being a 121 PIC.
It has been hard work getting this far and the bottom line is that these folks going to the "Academy" ( Academy is generic for any of them that is offering "fastest route to an RJ" advertizing spin). I think that these people are really short-changing themselves and are not complete pilots in my opinion. I know that some of you will vehemently disagree, but thats the way I see it.

A final bit of advice....NEVER, EVER be a LIABILITY to the Pilot-in-Command. If you are a crappy F/O then you know the rest of the story...

Regards,

ex-Navy Rotorhead

 

[Irish Pilot]

No disrespect to the people who have commented about academy stuff...but can ya take it to another thread? Im trying to get answers and suggestions here and my thread is tanking because of the change in direction!

 

[Kaman]

Sorry for the Hijacking my friend, but someone mentioned some colusion going on between Gulfstream and Pinnacle. Go to Gulfstream spend ALOT of dough...pass the test...get hired at Pinnacle. Or something to that effect. With your times and ATP I'd go to Comair, ASA or Air Wisconsin...Forget Pinnacle (Jet Gulfstream)

 

[Irish Pilot]

Sorry for the Hijacking my friend, but someone mentioned some colusion going on between Gulfstream and Pinnacle. Go to Gulfstream spend ALOT of dough...pass the test...get hired at Pinnacle. Or something to that effect. With your times and ATP I'd go to Comair, ASA or Air Wisconsin...Forget Pinnacle (Jet Gulfstream)

yeah the whole point here is to get back to MSP though.

 

[CRJGOAT]

Respect

That man "Rhoid" needs to respect there are two dead people! They were two great guys! Maybe they should teach you ethics at the academy

 

[Workin'Stiff]

yeah the whole point here is to get back to MSP though.

Don't know if you've tried XJ, Irish. But we are hiring a lot of people and the move back to MSP is happing relatively quickly for newhires.

 

[Irish Pilot]

Don't know if you've tried XJ, Irish. But we are hiring a lot of people and the move back to MSP is happing relatively quickly for newhires.

My stuff has been walked in and I am very much hoping to hear from them.

 

[filejw]

I think you will find the FAA and NWA behind this.Pinnacle is under lots of pressure to get their #### in order.

 

[Mtnjam]

50% Innacurate

I can say that a 50% failure is not the correct number for training at Pinnacle. Nobody fails out of Ground School. If you fail out of Ground School then you're a real doof and you don't belong at an airline at least, however I will say that the Ground School is not that great. It's pretty much a self study course with the Firehose effect, but everyone in my class "FO" wise made it through Ground School and Passed their Orals the first try, however a few of the Street Captains didn't do too hot............Various Reasons......
The people that did fail in my class failed during sim training. Either couldn't get signed off for the Check ride or failed their Check ride more than once. A few people from the past few classes got the boot during OE which is what I found to be one of the more stressful and hardest parts of the whole thing because Sim world compared to Line flying along with ACARS introduction is enough to make your head do a 360. But once you get it, life gets easier.
It takes alot of dedication and hard work to get through the training at Pinnacle but it can be done. Gulfstream Guys are no more. They are no longer being hired from what I've heard, infact they just went through and weeded out all of them during training just recently. They were sent home. Fair?? I don't think so because alot of them quit their jobs, etc,etc and now they are on the street again. Studying is the game and I think that's the way it is whether you do PSA,XJ,Pinnacle, Comair, or whatever. Now the 50% figure everyone is speaking of is from Captain upgrades and FO's combined. I don't know why Captain upgrades are failing, not concerned about it this time. Most of the FO's make it through. They work with you and they want to see you succeed, but if you've got an attitude then you might as well not even show up for training the first day.

 

[Inconceivable]

I have 3000 in the CRJ, a type and I have no Idea what the CRJ Critical AOA is. Either I slipped through the cracks or it doesn't matter....

I am curious how one determines the AOA while flying the CRJ.

Is that the secret screen that comes up on ED2 when your spill coffee into the pedastal?

 

[L.Skywalker]

I, seriously, would really like to know!

 

[CapnVegetto]

I have about 500 hours of CRJ time.

Do I know the critical AOA? I have absolutely no idea.

Is there any way whatsoever to tell your AOA inflight from the CRJ flight deck? Nope.

Is there an AOA indicator anywhere on the CRJ? Nope.

Will this knowledge help you in any way, shape, or form in the operation of the CRJ. Nope.

So....do I give two-tenths of a flying rat's a$$ what the critical AOA of the CRJ is? Nope.

 

[Raskal]

I have about 500 hours of CRJ time.

Do I know the critical AOA? I have absolutely no idea.

Is there any way whatsoever to tell your AOA inflight from the CRJ flight deck? Nope.

Is there an AOA indicator anywhere on the CRJ? Nope.

Will this knowledge help you in any way, shape, or form in the operation of the CRJ. Nope.

So....do I give two-tenths of a flying rat's a$$ what the critical AOA of the CRJ is? Nope.

I'm glad I'm not the only one wondering what the hell is the point of that question. I don't fly a CRJ, and the jet I fly does have an AOA, but why do they want to know? Is it to weed out the guys who actually know this meaningless tidbit of $hit? I hope so.

 

[PeanuckleCRJ]

That new test is stupid. Why test people on an aircraft they have never flown before?? There should be NO canuck jet questions on there. I've got 1200 hours in the bird and am a recent upgrade...don't have a clue what the critical AOA on the bird is. When the stick starts shaking, clean up your pants and recover. That about covers that.

 

[L.Skywalker]

Ha...clean up your pants...thats funny! but guys, c'mon, the test is there, and that question is on it. What's my option, question the question on the test during the interview?

 

[PCL_128]

What's my option?

Don't interview at a company that is so obviously f'd up. Doesn't this ridiculous test make you realize that Pinnacle must be a pretty screwed up place to be? I've got over 2200 in type and I don't even know what the critical AOA is, yet they expect you to. Doesn't that set off some warning bells in your mind? Hold out for Chit-taco or some other place. Don't just come to Pinch-nickle just because it's the only place calling you right now. Wait a little bit and you'll get an interview from a decent company. You'll thank yourself for it later.

 

[Kaman]

Anyone tried to call Bombardier, and ask an engineer? The critical AoA is designed into the airplane when it is built based on what the airplane is designed to do. Personally, I have no clue what the critical AoA for the Beech 1900 is and it's not anywhere in the CFM that I've seen.
I have no idea why Pinnacle would ask that on a pre-hire exam, except as a depth of knowledge-type question. Perhaps Pinnacle's effort to do things on the cheap has come home to roost. So, in order to screen "qualified" appicants they have re-written the test.

Regards,

ex-Navy Rotorhead

 

[imacdog]

Is it possible that they are asking that to see who will try to BS them?

 

[CapnVegetto]

There are all kinds of things that don't make sense to me in the CRJ that I'd love to ask Bombardier engineers.

1. Why the hell does the backup hydraulic pump not come on automatically to pick up slack when you lose the engine driven pump? (or on the #3 system, the main electric pump)?

2. Why does the checklist not call for you to turn off the ENG SPD switch in the event of an N1 or N2 overspeed? (ENG SPD switch turns on and off the fuel computer, and an overspeed is more than likely either a stuck fuel valve or a bad fuel computer.....had this happen to me in the LR-35 and turning off the fuel computer corrected the problem.....even though it's NOT in the checklist)

If anybody knows these......I'd sure love to know myself.

 

[deadstick]

Rhoid HAS to be live bait.

Awhile back, wasn't there some DCA PPL student who had "Delta Pilot" in the profile....or was that the call girl....? I guess Rhoid was too stupid to get into "The Yard" after high school, got turned down by "The Company" for being a tool, and was left with buying his way into "The Academy." And then there was somebody tooting the Tab horn in a similar manner. Good grief.

If this lawn-dart-wanna-be is for real, I guess the "tution" check for "Judgement and Professionalism 101" bounced. To second EMB170Pilot...."DORK!"

 

[Rez O. Lewshun]

We aren't paid for what we do 99.99% of the time (routine line flying). We are paid for the times when the chips are down. Be it weather, mechanical difficulty at the least to downright life-threatening emergencies

Respectfully, we are paid what we negotiate.

 

[328dude]

There are all kinds of things that don't make sense to me in the CRJ that I'd love to ask Bombardier engineers.

1. Why the hell does the backup hydraulic pump not come on automatically to pick up slack when you lose the engine driven pump? (or on the #3 system, the main electric pump)?

2. Why does the checklist not call for you to turn off the ENG SPD switch in the event of an N1 or N2 overspeed? (ENG SPD switch turns on and off the fuel computer, and an overspeed is more than likely either a stuck fuel valve or a bad fuel computer.....had this happen to me in the LR-35 and turning off the fuel computer corrected the problem.....even though it's NOT in the checklist)

If anybody knows these......I'd sure love to know myself.

1. Fixed on the 700
2. Fixed on the 700 since there are no speed switches.

Capn: I agree there are some dumb things on the 200 that don't mae sense and I'm sure your aware how following the QRH in some instances will actually make things worse. They seem to have fixed most of these things on the 700 since they did away with most of the "Fluff" panels.

In regards to the critical AOA of the CRJ? Got me, maybe Rhoid can enlighten all us CRJ guys. I'm also glad I'm not the only one. If you can't see it, don't worry about it.

 

[Irish Pilot]

Well...decided against her. It sounds like a great company in its own way but I dont think that Pinnacle is the right fit for me. Ive got my fingers crossed to hear from Mesaba though soon. Thanks for all your replies.

 

[CapnVegetto]

1. Fixed on the 700
2. Fixed on the 700 since there are no speed switches.

Capn: I agree there are some dumb things on the 200 that don't mae sense and I'm sure your aware how following the QRH in some instances will actually make things worse. They seem to have fixed most of these things on the 700 since they did away with most of the "Fluff" panels.

In regards to the critical AOA of the CRJ? Got me, maybe Rhoid can enlighten all us CRJ guys. I'm also glad I'm not the only one. If you can't see it, don't worry about it.

The 700 is the plane I lost the #2 hydraulic system in. I just remember it being really stupid, b/c the actual checklist called for closing the HYD SOV, and writing off the #2 system, but I remember looking at the checklist and thinking, "why the hell do we not turn on the backup pump?" (It did not come on automatically.) When we turned the pump on, we got the system back, and a different EICAS message (HYD EDP 2A). Of course, we technically were not supposed to do this, b/c the checklist did not call for it, but we were thinking what the hell kind of dumba$$ checklist is this? We called company, the mechanics asked us the same thing....'why didn't you turn on the backup pump?'...because the checklist didn't tell us to, and we'd get in trouble if we did something not on the checklist.

Frickin' Canadien engineering eh? I don't understand what it's all abooot.

 

[PCL_128]

Well...decided against her. It sounds like a great company in its own way but I dont think that Pinnacle is the right fit for me. Ive got my fingers crossed to hear from Mesaba though soon. Thanks for all your replies.

Smart man.

 

[Flyingdutchman]

Brothers:

The critical AOA of a CRJ is (depending on a few things; such as weight of paint etc etc) about 23-27 degrees.

Basic knowledge kids!!!


(don't shoot me -- just giving ya'll crap with my 'basic knowledge' remark)

take care!

 

[1.3XVso]

Thank

Calling them dumb$hits, is speaking well of them then?

May you rot in hell, you wannabe fu-king moron!

Please someone decipher who this idiot is so we can paint his name through the industry and make his life hell, I would enjoy that very much.

You can take your "academy" and shove it in your a$$, you are paying your daddy's money (through the nose) for smoke up your a$$, I can so picture who you are, you are the loser at the interview who shows up talking about how "we use jepps at the academy, I've never even seen NOS charts, cause they are preparing us from the start to be airline pilots"

Fu-cking tool!

You probably wore a pilot shirt and 4 stripes in your 152, oh dont forget the hat with the scrambled eggs, gold or silver you moron?

I can hear u in the bar, talking to the fat chick, "Im a jet pilot baby, wanna see my license?"

"The Academy" WOW!

You know I was sitting next to one of these green idiots from one of these "academys" the other day waiting for my commute, and he told me that at these schools they dont even teach pilotage and dead reckoning anymore?


WTF, its just GPS on and off, thats all they know about navigating?

WTFO!!!

-Goo

Dude i'm a con-u-air grad and this is one of the reason why i got kicked out because of dufus like rhoid. YOu read my mind and somehow wrote this post for me thanks. It was a good thing i got kicked out after a small diplomatic conflict i got hired soon into a crj and went back and laughed while thier trainging in the spaceshuttle amusment ride (FTD).

 

[EMB170Pilot]

Don't interview at a company that is so obviously f'd up. Doesn't this ridiculous test make you realize that Pinnacle must be a pretty screwed up place to be? I've got over 2200 in type and I don't even know what the critical AOA is, yet they expect you to. Doesn't that set off some warning bells in your mind? Hold out for Chit-taco or some other place. Don't just come to Pinch-nickle just because it's the only place calling you right now. Wait a little bit and you'll get an interview from a decent company. You'll thank yourself for it later.

Shut up GIA Dork