Website=advanced...Saab=not so advanced.

 

Whaddya mean: "Saab=not so advanced"?

It's got VIDEO SCREENS for the HSI and AI!

That's soooo cool!

 

Pinnacle Airlines is the better choice. The Saab is a prop and not very attractive flight time to the major Airlines. local destinations small backwater towns whose names I do not know. I have enough turboprop time. I repeat the big boys like jet time period.
I love my pilot group, Flight attendents and employees. I would not trade Pinnacle for Mesaba. But it does not mean that Mesaba is not a great company. But I prefer Pinnacle and I am tired of turboprops. I got about 4000 hours flying them.
We fly to nice places, have cool crews, well maintained airplanes, nice checkairmen, respectful towards our peers, 4 pilot bases and two models of an excellent airplane. What else do you want! life is good.

 

You have to make up your own mind after researching both Mesaba and Pinnacle. Mesaba has SAABs but also has CRJs (Soon to have more jets on the property). Nothing wrong with SAABs. They will probaly make you a very good stick as you will do lots of takeoffs and landings to many small airports. It would be like getting paid to fly to GA airports that you would enjoy doing anyway (assuming you really like to fly). Upgrade time at Mesaba is now under 1 year. So it is pretty close to what it would be at Pinnacle. Maybe even better. There are FOs with 2 years at Pinnacle who are waiting to upgrade.

QOL by all accounts is probably better at Mesaba. But on the other hand, Pinnacle is also a good airline from what I've heard despite some comments on this forum. They seem like good group of pilots there. So no matter where you decide to go, make the best of it.

 

How is the upgrade at Mesaba better? New hires can bid upgrade if he/she has the time. 9 CA slot in MSP went unfilled last vacancy. People who are waiting to upgrade at Pinnacle are the ones who don't want to or don't have the time.

 

At Pinnacle if you have the time and the age- with a working brain and a heartbeat- you can upgrade. Many are not upgrading for QOL- they enjoy the 16+ days off and money is no factor, some just won't upgrade until they can hold a line in the left seat. Upgrades across the industry are going to pick up in speed in the short term, its when the jets are delivered and the music stops where you are. At PNCL people are always leaving which is great if you are here to get time and leave (you are never waiting to upgrade based on seniority), this is something that a cruddy contract actually grants. The rumor is that FDX is not hiring for another 2 years due to the age 65 ruling so plan accordingly. Both sides (9E and XJ) have planes on order and they are jets, just make sure you get in a left seat of a jet and have the time to move on when the doors at majors open (which is soon for the pax carriers).



The FDX comment comes from a very good and trusted source- some on here know who it is...

 

A few folks fail upgrade training. Has to do with your mental ability to make safe and solid decisions. Use common sense and once in a very critical while think outside the box.
You are not going to be a captain at 9E based on just a heartbeat. Those guys fail and go back to show ownership of their FO seats.

 

OK, the majors simply don't give a rat's rear if you fly a turboprop or a jet. They just don't care. Is it turbine time? Yes. That's it. We have Saab captains out there at every legacy and freight and LCC who's hiring. Plenty of Saab guys at Southwest. Jet vs. prop does not matter.

Upgrade could be faster at XJ now than at PCL because (oh, oh, the irony of it, yes, I know...) upgrade mins are LOWER at XJ. Our junior Saab Capt is only 6 months with the company. Upgrade mins are ATP mins. They are HIGHER at PCL, therefore will take longer to reach.

PCL has a great group of pilots. So does XJ. XJ's mgt is less crappy than PCL's. I truly hope that PCL get's a great contract. I really do. Until they do, XJ has a better contract. XJ also has a fantastic training dept. You will be looked after, and will not fall through the cracks. I don't know what training at PCL is like.

Go to which ever company feels better for you. That is all there is to it. Any regional could change from bad to good or good to bad overnight. It is a gamble either way. Like I said, I hope PCL gets a good contract. Maybe they'll get a great one, and we'll all wish we were there. Time will tell. For now, go with the one you like most, whichever it is.

 

Well said, but I still stand by my post 121 jet PIC rules. Turboprop is alright but jet time is what is really desired.
Sorry SAAB guys I am not trying to break your chops. Plenty prop guys getting on with the majors.