Hey guys, it seems I may have an interview for next month. If I'm hired, I'll try to see if I can get a early-to-mid September class date with Pinnacle.

My home is close to DTW, and I would love that so I can be homebased.

With the three bases, DTW, MSP, and MEM, I'm not concerned and am relatively sure I can get DTW immediately (or worse case, after a couple months).

My biggest concern is the new base for the CR9.

Apparently, it's suppose to be a west coast base.


Is there any word as to when they will allow pilots to pick the new base?

As a new hire, can I get stuck at the new base, and still try to bid back to DTW?


That questions hinges on whether or not the CR9 and the CRJ200 pilots will be the same for bidding purposes.

If, indeed, the CR9 is different for bidding purporses, and I get the new base, then that will mean I'm stuck for a loooong time.


If I take a class date mid September (assuming I'm hired), do I get to bid for a base immediately?

If so, when do I find out my base assignment?

Or do they wait until you finish the sim to let you bid for your base?

If I start September, finishing up sim would be around November/December, which is right when the CR9s start coming on line.



Let me know what you Pinnacle folks think. Thank you!

As of right now, you will have no problem holding DTW as a base. Everybody in my class got their first choice of base, and that included 5 or 6 MSP FOs. At the time I put my bid in, the most openings were in DTW. In my class all three bases were relatively open. In the class that started two weeks before mine MSP and DTW were open, but not too many spots in MEM. It all just depends when you get your bid in. We bid for base the second day of class so it is pretty quick. You should find out within a week or two whether or not you got it.

As far as the Delta base, your guess is as good as anybodys. I have heard from most instructors that the 900 flying will go senior, except if LAX is the new base. But if they choose ATL or whereever I've heard it will go very senior which means you may not be able to hold it. Its not a problem for me, i plan on staying on the NW side pending finishing training and all that jazz. Hope this helps.

You should have no problem getting DTW for the 200. As for the 900 flying, nobody outside management really knows where they will be based yet. I personally think that your concern about not being able to hold DTW is unfounded but then again nothing is ever sure in this business. I would say hurry up and get your seniority number with Pinnacle. If the unimaginable happens and you can't hold DTW, Mesaba is another option (although I'm not sure about DTW in regards to Mesaba seniority). Good luck.

As everyone else has said DTW is the junior base so that should not be a problem. The Cj9 rumor is LAX and a 3 year lock to the plane.. Thats rumor but good luck with the interview!

if you are interviewing at Pinnacle next month, set up an interview with Mesaba as well. Then after you've interviewed at both companies you'll pick Mesaba... it's just something I know

DTW is junior, even if I get MEM out of training, I'm told it won't be long before I can get to DTW

The 900 is not a different aircraft type, it cant have a seat lock I believe per our contract but I could be wrong. Talking to a union guy, If you are displaced to Lax, you recieve compensation for it, and the first open vacancy you can come right back to where you want. I am not sure what they are going to do for FOs but if you come in september, you will get detroit no problem 100% gauranteed. There will be an initial small group of fos that bid and then if its a base no one wants, it will go junior out of new hire and upgrade training but that wont be in full swing until the spring when we have about 7 or 8 of the initial aircraft that we are getting. Notice I did say initial. We wont just have 16

Anyone know if there is still a shortage of qualified captains at Pinnacle?

Hey guys, thanks for the responses.

One more followup:

Considering that the first aircraft comes to the company in November, and goes into service in December, when exactly would the airline put up the new base for *bidding* purposes?

For example, even if they were to announce it's LAX today, when would that even become effective for the pilots to bid?


I spoke to a Pinnacle recruiter (a captain on the recruiting team, i forget his name), and he said they're trying to run a new hire class every Monday!

Do you think by September, they will have the new base to bid on by then?

Or would it come later, considering the plane will start flying in December?

Bidding needs to be done 30 days in advance so 45 before absolutely the dr*p de*d date is the latest.

14 out of 40 CA slots not filled on last bid which inlcudes 4 new hire CA's filling slots.

20 FO's temporarily moved to DTW from MSP and MEM.

Get in get your time ..move on.

When are new hires allowed to submit a bid for upgrade?