Thanks Pinnacle Folks

[GCD]

On 4 July, I resigned from Pinnacle Airlines to take a job at Atlas Air. I wish to express my gratitude and best wishes to all of you there.

The long story: I flew CRJ's at Comair and then was hired by IASCO for the JALways B747 contract in Honolulu. It was a great job, making great money, but very hard on the family. I got hired by Atlas Air in early 2001, with a class date later in 2001.

I took terminal vacation from JALways in August and September 2001, anticipating a class with Atlas. Well, we all know what happened in September, and all hiring stopped. After a few months of unemployment, I found a job with Vanguard Airlines and became the Director of Safety. Again, we all know what happened with Vanguard Airlines. Then, in comes Pinnacle Airlines to my life.

I was hired and in class eight days later. Went on line in October, did my O.E. in MSP with a couple of great guys, then went to my base in MEM. I met some really great folks at PCL.

I wish to say that I think a lot of all of you, and if I can ever be of any assitance, let me know. Thanks to the folks who "test read" some of my magazine articles before they were published. It was a great help.

Fly safe!

 

[Heavy Set]

Congrats!

Quick questions about Atlas - are they hiring into the 747-200 or the 747-400? Which one will you get into? Where will you be based - JFK? By the way, how is Atlas doing - I thought Atlas was in serious financially trouble at one point and that many pilots had been furloughed - am I wrong? What's the status now?

After flying a CRJ, getting back into the dials of a 747-200 would be a little difficult I should think - that automation is amazing! Did you enjoy the CRJ?


Cheers

 

[GCD]

I've never had problems transitioning back-n-forth between steam and glass. Of course, our 200's will be glass sometime in the near future.

I was origianlly hired for the -400 in PANC, but things have changed a little (good for me because I prefer the -200). I will be based in KJFK in the -200. All new-hires will be going to the -200, but we may not hire any more pilots until mid 2004.

I can't talk about the financial situation. I don't think Atlas will be going away any time in the near or distant future.

The CRJ is a nice "Pilot Airplane" and very sophisticated, yet easy to operate and very easy to fly. However, it is not a really comfortable airplane for passengers for longer, more than an hour flight. Some companies are trying to go three hours and longer, just p###ing 50 or 70 people off every long flight. It wasn't designed to be a trunk airplane, just a feeder with short stage lengths.

 

[cl-65link]

Good luck Greg, from one of your IOE captains in MSP.

 

[Heavy Set]

GCD,

Great news for you. Any idea on which types of routes you will be flying on the 200? Do they mainly do the Euro or South American routes? I am somewhat familiar with the 400 routes. What types of rotations do you expect to do?

By the way, I have heard only good things about the Pinnacle operation - I jumpseated on a CRJ once and I was amazed - fantastic technology!


Cheers

 

[GCD]

Hey MN,

I truly enjoyed my OE with you.

Tell JT that I said hello, and that I enjoyed flying with him, too.

In a way, I wish I could have stayed to get into management or training, but the deck is stacked. I hope my tecniques of operating jets is passed along to others so you can have a more efficient operation. Even though I was an FO, many CA's listened to me for operating techniques because they had never flown jets before. I hope I made a positive impact with my technique information.

I gave "Climb and Maintain" permission to reprint some of my articles that were published in another trade magazine. I hope folks take time to read them and ponder.

I love you guys and gals. I truly do.

 

[acaTerry]

Nice to see someone who had something positive to say about Pinnacle. Anyone else have opinions?

 

[PCL Flt-ops]

and then was hired by IASCO for the JALways B747 contract in Honolulu. It was a great job, making great money, but very hard on the family.

Don't you think that 2 - 3 week trips at Atlas will also be hard on the family?

 

[GCD]

You have no clue, my friend.

It's not the long trips. It was where we had to live. A place where we are not welcome, and marginally safe for outsiders.

If I'm gone 18 days now, at least my wife is in a place where she feels welcome, and I don't have to worry about her safety.

 

[PCL Flt-ops]

A place where we are not welcome, and marginally safe for outsiders.

Where was that? I wouldn't think that you're talking about Hawaii, probably some third world Asian country no doubt.

 

[DoinTime]

at least my wife is in a place where she feels welcome, and I don't have to worry about her safety.

You must have made the mistake of living in MEM.

 

[blade230]

Being somebody that has lived in Japan, it sure as hell wouldn't be Japan that is "unsafe".

 

[GCD]

You are absolutely correct about it not being Japan. About the safest place on earth, as far as crime. The earth trembles from time to time, though.

PCL-ops was correct. A third-world Asian country, but I'm not going to get into a public debate by naming it.

 

[PCL Flt-ops]

Airlink has a pilot base in Africa. The convenient thing is that it is connected to the United States via a bridge over the Mississippi river. How ironic that this is the most senior base.

 

[GCD]

Heavy Set,

JFK gets a mixed bag of flying. We aren't doing much South America right now, that's mostly Polar. STD pilots do the Africa trips, which is fine by me. We are all in anticipation if bases are going to change.

For OE, the Fleet Manager says he is going to send us on one Pacific crossing and one Atlantic crossing.

Keep a resume on file. You never know what may happen.

 

[DTWFO]

Airlink has a pilot base in Africa. The convenient thing is that it is connected to the United States via a bridge over the Mississippi river. How ironic that this is the most senior base.

That is the funniest thing I have heard in a long time!!! But true.

It's people like GCD that make Pinnacle such a great place to work. Contributing and adding to the great pilot group that we have.

Good luck to you and I wish you the best of luck!

 

[ForgedBlade]

From another ex-Pinnacle guy, I jumped over to ATA back in April and absolutely love it. I'm hoping to help some 9E guys get over here as well. Best wishes to all.

 

[justmeinmsp]

Can I send you my resume'?

 

[T-Gates]

Airlink has a pilot base in Africa. The convenient thing is that it is connected to the United States via a bridge over the Mississippi river. How ironic that this is the most senior base.

That's Some funny shiot! But very, very, true....

--03M