Navajo31

I am getting ready to interview with Pinnacle, based on my understanding that I should be able to upgrade to captain soon after completing F/O training. I will have about 3400 TT, 1700 Multi, 1000 turbine, 2000 Part 135 when/if I start training.

Anyone who can share the "facts of life" regarding this program? Chances of success for someone with no jet time?

Thanks!

higney85

You need 3500TT when coming in off the street- or a couple months as an FO and you can bid for CA. You will be on rsv forever if you hop over to the CA seat immediately but you need to have 3500TT. The technical mins are 3500TT or 2500TT with 1000 at PNCL, or 2000TT with a mentor program and over 1000 in company (I have to double check on if it was 1300 or 1500 in company with mentor program to upgrade @ 2000TT). So to answer your question- with 3400TT you cannot upgrade in NH training, after 100 hours as an FO you are then eligible to bid a vacancy for CA. Good luck

legend

1500 at company in the mentor program!!

machaf

1300.......

Navajo31

So what is sitting reserve like? I live about 1:20 driving time from DTW. How many days/month would a reserve capt actually fly? Is it 10 hard days off?

Thanks!

higney85

I had a couple months of reserve last winter and I would get deadheaded to DTW for a string of 4 high speeds and sent back home.. wasn't the worst but a line makes line soo much better.


I am sorry on details for the mentor program- I haven't paid much attention to it since I can't upgrade for almost a year anyway and I imagine things will get changed between now and then (PNCL is always reinventing the wheel one pink or yellow sheet at a time). I do know it started this month and you use pref bid and the "pair me with" selection to get paired with mentor CA's. Gotta have 100hrs within 3 months. I will probrably try to do it b/c its in effect "free OE" but I have a while to wait so I will see how it works for everyone else. The mentor program is not required to upgrade unless you are trying to upgrade at 2000 hrs. A 3500 hr FO can just bid a CA spot and not do the mentor program if he/she so desires.

IWannaGoFast

I wouldn't become a street captain at Pinnacle. You will be at the bottom of the Captain seniority list for a few years. Every FO that upgrades in the next 2-3 years will have a higher number than you.
The best line you will be able to hold in the next few years is a Continuous Duty Overnight line.. If you're looking for PIC time, that's only ~60 hours/month doing high speeds.

Reserve is even worse. You are nearly guaranteed to get used every day you are scheduled for reserve.

Airsupport

i dont agree with this. like i said in a previous post, i met a guy at the cec from mesaba who was an fo for 5 years waiting to upgrade, he comes here, upgrades right out of nht and is now a captain in the rj. he wanted the pay and the time and he is getting both. he didn't come here for qol. he came here because his career at mesaba was going no where and his future was at a stand still. everyone knows seniority is everything, and yes, like the independance captains that came over you will sit reserve for probably the entire time you work here. but if all you want to do is get captain pay, pic, and then move on, this is probably the fastest place you can do it at.