Is Pinnacle that bad?
 

Is Pinnacle worse than Mesa or Gojet? I've heard the pay and environment is terrible and should consider that. Don't they also start you at 9pm and work until the next morning around 8am? WOW!!!

I work at 9E and i don't think it's that bad since I live in the twin cities. yes some of our flights depart at 9-10 pm but we have about 7 1/2 hrs layover, and depart around 6 or 7 in the morning .

Do they get you a room?

Yep, on CDO we get a minimum of 5 hrs if the flight is dealy, I know it's not much but it's better than nothing. I like picking up CDO since some of them are a quick 45-50 min (block) each way and almost 4 hrs credit.

CDO's, high speeds, standups, or whatever you call them exist at every regional airline. at pinnacle you do get a hotel, and you get 4hrs of credit (even if you don't fly that much). fo pay needs help but captain pay is pretty much the same as other regionals, and thats with our 5 year old contract. the environment isn't bad either. i live in base, bid 2 day trips, and will only be gone 8 nights this month. pinnacle is actually a good place to work. does it need help? yes. Do we need a new contract? yes. Am i willing to walk to get one? yes. I may like it here but not enough to sit back and not try to improve pay, work rules, qol, etc, etc. Just cause i like it here doesn't mean i don't want things to change.

I only lasted 6 months as a commuter, crew scheduling is and will continue to be brutal. Majority of the guys you fly with will be pretty cool, but each base has its own rep. MSP is known for being very uptight, arrogant, I personally thought everyone was cool, but a few sticklers. DTW in my opinion has the best group, I was based there only 1 month and had a blast. MEM is where all the good ol' boys are and are know to be very very relaxed, once again I was based there and got along with everyone great, but coming from MSP it was like a different world.

In terms of the crews at Pinnacle do certain bases tend to be more younger or older?...i.e. MSP with the "uptight" folks you mentioned.....

Are the FA's pretty nice?

I was in DTW for 3 months. Seems to me the DTW FA's are younger and more fun to fly with. Now that i'm in MSP they are older and more senior.

pinnacle needs a contract but thats been discussed. The job in itself is fun, the CA's are (for the most part) real easy to get along with, and the upgrade is quick. I am in MEM with the "good ole boys" and get along with em pretty good although its sometimes wierd when the CA's show me pics of their kids and I went to HS with em.. other than that I don't know how you can pull 15 days off and 100 hours of flying a month with the latest CA vacancy JUNIOR to me and I havent even been here a whole year!

Hey I'm not complaining (yet...), just passed my checkride today.

Never seen one at RAH...who knows how long that'll last though.

The alternative to the CDO is the 30 hour layover. I would rather have the CDO.

RP was doing them to OMA, I believe, for Frontier...

Congrats! :D

Now don't F--- it up! :p

Depends where the layover is.

Thanks man I'll see what I can do.

I wouldn't even compare Pinnacle to GoJets. We didn't cross any picket lines to get a job. Pay isn't the best, but the pilot the group of people working at Pinnacle are great.

GoJet pilots never crossed a picket line...

...although I don't doubt most would, if given the opportunity.

GoJet is in its own special class in terms of environment and reputation...I don't think any regional airline compares to them.

True they didn't cross a picket line, I guess what I should have reworded it more like what you said.

but we are "simply the best".... lol...

;)


I work for peanuckle and we need a contract- beyond that the pilot group is great, the upgrade is quick, I don't commute (from MEM), and its a good fleet. All other complaints can be reverted back to the contract.....

Asking about which regional is better is like trying to find out which STD you'd rather have. They all suck in varying degrees...the better one's are crabs, the worst are HIV. Most are herpes. Hopefully someday there will be a cure for SJS.

The analogies that some of you come up with for the regionals are just great. :D

What are CDO's? I'm still trying to learn the lingo. Thanks

CDO = Continuos Duty Overnight aka. highspeed, standup etc. A CDO entails a "rest" period between duty periods that is too short to be legal. Thus, you are technically on duty for the entire period and it is counted as one duty period.

Most of the CDOs I've done here at Pinnacle give me about 5 to 6 hours of sleep and far less actual block time compared to credit time (less work for more money). Some people bid for CDO lines especially if they have kids at home or run a business on the side because it means that they are home during the day. If you can get by on 5 to 6 hours of sleep or you can get a nap in during the day CDOs are not bad. I personally don't bid for them because a pure CDO line will not break monthly guarantee and on FO pay I need to get as close to 100 hours credit as I can!

As far as being here at Pinnacle, I am happy with my choice. First year FO pay is pretty standard, second year FO pay is below average. When our new contract is finally signed, this issue as well as many others should be addressed. If this happens, Pinnacle will be a very good place to work as far as regionals go. The pilot group overall is a great group of people to work with and will not be pushed into signing a substandard contract. This is only MY OPINION but I think the future is looking good here at 9E.

Thanks Wolf for the explanation. Are you typically able to get 90-100 credit hours? How long to guys usually sit reserve with Pinnacle? Thanks again.

Any company, Airline or otherwise, that expects college educated, professionally schooled employees to "EXIST" on 20 to 24K a year, IS NOT WORTH YOUR TIME TO APPLY TO.

The excuse that this is all is available or is a stepping stone is not an excuse.

20 to 24K a year is disrespectful for a company to pay anyone of your skill level, guys. I don't care if you have 300 hours or 3000 hours.

I agree it sucks but what are the options if someone really wants to be a pilot? With how I feel right now about my office job I think the pay cut would be worth getting out of here and on my way to better things down the road as a pilot.

Yes, most line holders (except CDO lines) can get 90 - 100 hours credit. As far as reserve times, it depends on base. I'm not sure about right now but towards the beginning of the year MEM had the longest reserve times followed by MSP and DTW. Some guys I know in DTW and MSP were on reserve for less than two months.

Hope that helps. Some new hire guys at 9E might be able to help you out more on current reserve times for each base.

Reserve changes during the year. It's gonna be a bit longer when they slowed hiring after you (around thanksgiving and x'mas), and it's gonna be shorter when you have couple classes right after you're hired. As simple as that.

If you think reserve is bad, just wait till you get extended couple times a month, and they refuse your comp. day. With that said, we have a great bunch of folks flying the line, just a bunch of morons down in MEM that run the show keeps screwing things up. Our latest and brightest invention upcoming is, Pref. Bid. Just wait until it comes online in August, and you'll feel your lifestyle just go down a notch lower than you have now.

Any ideas if they are working on changing things on reserve? That whole moving days is a crock when you only get 10 days as it is.

While I see your point, this set of criteria effectively eliminates every regional from one's scope but Horizon...and they're not even hiring right now.

Yes they are. My boss just got hired there. She has a class date for next week.

Gents,

As a trained professional in a highly skilled trade, I would not accept ANY job at less than 30K base pay per year. Below that is not worth it to get up in the morning.

The only exception to that rule is if I were building my own business within a company that I OWN. And at that point I would have a six month plan to have myself at a livable wage.

BASE PAY - a college educated, USAF pilot, 2/Lt., under two years active duty does not meet your criteria ($29,631.60). When you add housing, flight pay, subsistance, etc., it becomes attractive. Of course he/she won't get ten days + off a month, may have extended remote assignment overseas and get shot at on a regular basis.

"Worth" has a different meaning to each individual.

whats even funnier is that during training and until you pass ots you are still paid on the e scale. i guess its kinda like new hire pay. till you pass they don't want to pay you anymore than they have too.

You mean you have to work at pinnacle for 3 months before you get on the payroll/seniority list? Holy Crap, I thought I've heard it all. And people still do this? WOW!!

It seems there are some really great postings on here. The best is the STD/pinnacle/herpes comparison by far!

Their management must be posting all the 'great experience' stuff on here though. Not at all what I've heard.

What are you talking about? is this one of those things you "heard" again? I was on the senority list within the first week of class. I got on the airlink website and saw my name during the first week when they announce what our base is. As far as the payroll we still got paid per diem during training (for me it use to be $200/week, now it's $400/week)

He wasn't comparing Pinnacle specifically to an STD. He was comparing all regionals to an STD.

Iron Walt,

Everyone is in different shoes. You obviously want to wait until a flying job pays you what you think you are worth before you take a regional job. If that is the case more power to you. If flying for a living with the Airlines is your goal then you will be waiting for along time. I am not disagreeing with your view point on what a professional deserves but it just is not reality. While you are waiting for that right $ the guy next to you will be upgrading and getting jet PIC and alot better pay and more future options on career advancement, ie Southwest, FedEx etc.. Maybe sometime in the near future that could change with the increasing demand but I would not put to much stock in it.. Pick a regional that best suits your future goals, where they are based, upgrade, agreements with other Airlines, growth, pay etc. For the most part when it comes to pay, QOL, reserve they are all the same. Which airline will get you to the place you want to be long term and the quickest? I would say most are all good experience and can take you where you want to go.. Pinnacle is a good place to work..