That's true. I grew up with a dad who is now only 52 and in year 24 at NWA. I saw what a good life once was for pilots. I like him and my two uncles accept that those days are gone.

It is a job now. This is nothing new. If you got in with false pretenses then that is your train to ride. I have had tougher jobs and been treated worse for less pay or a lot more depending on the job.

A lot of people are happy to bust ass and make 18.00 a hour in factories and on job sites. Do the unions need to step up and increase QOL? Absolutely. But would I rather not fly and do something I hate for the rest of my life? No. Absolutely not.

Things will change. They may get a lot leaner but they will get better. It's either that or the industry will be run into the ground. If that happens then I want to get my time while I can and then head elsewhere.

And try finding a good QOL living in Seattle and flying for a regional. Horizon is alright, my pops did that but I don't want to be a career FO. You gotta pay the piper now and then.

I heard ATL is mighty senior.. and there's seat lock on the equipment (2 years).

Seat lock unless you upgrade to CA. I only hear that MSP is senior and short on hours due to Compass.

Don't forget that there are also alot of guys on the street who just want to keep flying until something better comes along.

Interesting...I heard they got rid of the seat lock on the 900...

I'll do some more research..

Thanx!

I understand where you are coming from, we have all been there. When you here negative comments about a company that you are intent on getting hired at, you think "no these guys are just losers that complain about anything" or " these guys just aren't as hardcore as i am"
You need to be able to distinguish complaining from real problems. Pinnacle has real problems. CA's and FO's get treated like 1st graders that are incapable of making decisions about fuel, weather, diverts, rest, fatigue, lunch breaks, MEL's, etc. You don't sleep much, you don't have time to eat.

The pay is substandard, the schedules aren't commutable, management is hostile and vindictive. The "efficient" schedules manage to give you constant 14+ hour duty days with reduced rest or tons of high speeds. They manage to make a long duty day by hitting you will 4 hour "productivity breaks" almost every day. Layovers suck and are short. You are going to be doing high speeds like a mother.

Quitting isn't as easy as you make it sound, because of the age old airline wisdom of "movers are losers". So you slug it out day after day, pounding coffee to survive and dealing with bitter crews, rampers, and gate agents, that for some reason decided that another day at a terrible airline is better than jumping in front of a speeding bus (just barely). Don't take anyones word for it, come on over, 9E needs a constant supply of bright eyed new hire pilots because many of them don't make it one year.

AMEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Heres a thought:

Maybe those who are outside of PNCL read about all these posts, but then talk with their good old friend who happens to be happy with what he is doing in PNCL. He is ready to upgrade after a year and a half or two, tries to stick with his duties, doesnt commute, etc...

I dont know. Im sure (even if only a very small minority) there has got to be people who actually like what they are doing in there.

Now if someone hears from a pilot from the inside and appears to be content, the potential new hire will probably think "well, there evidently seems to be a lot of BS going on in PNCL..but if this guy can be happy with the job he is doing here, why couldnt I be?"...

People should understand that a decision as of wheter to go to PNCL or not (or any other regional, for that matter), suits only each and everyones needs and goals. Although there is no doubt that there may be strong facts that dont necesarily encourage a positive thought on the company, but you never know whats gonna happen anyways... Stone cold facts are usually followed by hardcore speculation. And nobody can assure for a fact, that things will get uglier or prettier.

Just a thought...

Cheers!

I forgot to mention "days off". I spent a while on reserve as an FO and as a Captain. If you are saying " i have a real job i only get 8 days off a month, 10 would be 2 more..." keep in mind, at pinnacle your days off don't really belong to you. If you go to check out on your last day, scheduling can extend you pretty badly. One month as a captain i had 6 or 7 days off, and i used my one and only extention refusal.

Let me do some math. That means I was flying and living in hotels for 23 or 24 days that month. Most months as i reserve CA i got 8 days home per month. I spent at least one of my days off on the couch recovering from a week of no sleep. That means I was on the clock for 23 days * 24 hours = 552 hours of Pinnacle fun. If you get saturdays and sundays off at your current job, you are working 22 days per month. 552/22 = 25.09 hours. lets say give or take 100 hours per month just in case you get home kinda early or have a late show (almost never). That would still be 452/22= 20.5 hours a day at a real job.

In reality an 8 hour a day, five day a week job is acually 8*22 or 176 hours of time away from home. Even if you stayed later everyday it would be hard to cut your family and friends out of your life as much as you do at the Pinnacle happy factory.

You would have to spend 25.09 hours per day (you guessed it theres only 24 in a day)either at work, or sleeping in the janitors closet in a given month to equal that month of reduced rest, and "so tired you could puke" goodness.

Yup, exactly what he/she/it* said...


*How's that Spooled?:p