Pinnacle Jump Start Course

[HollywoodCTS]

Ok ladies and gentlemen, right now I have about 400tt and 50multi, which 6 months ago would have been a job. But right now I am limited to Great Lakes with these times. So my question is has anybody done the Pinnacle Jump Start course through CAE here in denver? They supposedly guarentee you an interview upon completion, but I am not sure if Pinnacle is even hiring. It would be silly to shell out $9,000 and not even get a job. So thoughts, opinions anything is welcome.

TIA

[BobDDuck]

I think you just answered your own question.

[Clocks]

I'll save everyone some time by jumping to the end:

Do you have your CFI?

If yes: Be a CFI

If no: Spend the money on getting your CFI/MEI/II

Problem solved.

[surreal1221]

I would not recommend doing any get there quick scheme in todays current employment environment.

Good luck.

[ufgators]

I would try to call Pinnacle to see if they are still taking bridge program people.

[WalterSobchak]

Don't take this the wrong way, but at 400 hours you don't belong in the industry. There was a pilot shortage that is righting itself on its own and to pay $9,000 to go to 9E would be a waste IMO. There are going to be a lot of more qualified people on the market with all the furloughs that are in the works. To me a $9K Geo Metro is a better investment than a course that you end up at Pinnacle. Get a job instructing build experience not just time and you will be better off when things pick up again. If they don't pick up again for a long time atleast you have a 9K head start on every else.

[v1valarob]

When I was down at flight safety taking a course paid for by American Eagle there where 5 guys/gals who shelled out $8,500 of their own cash on top of Eagle paying $10,000. None of them had their CFIs. Eagle stopped hiring, and now I wonder what those people are going to do.

-Rob

[higney85]

A job interview is not worth half your first year income. Rumor has it hiring WILL be slowing soon and as of late the mins are truly the mins. We have MANY high time (5K plus) guys and gals showing up for an FO spot (with hopes of a quick upgrade). Go to Great Lakes or Instruct. You have your commercial, stop buying time (unless you are getting your CFI rating).

[fly8slep]

Originally Posted by v1valarob

When I was down at flight safety taking a course paid for by American Eagle there where 5 guys/gals who shelled out $8,500 of their own cash on top of Eagle paying $10,000. None of them had their CFIs. Eagle stopped hiring, and now I wonder what those people are going to do.

-Rob

What do you think they're going to do? Get a job at Wal-mart and start paying back their mom.

[MusketeerMan]

Originally Posted by fly8slep

What do you think they're going to do? Get a job at Wal-mart and start paying back their mom.

Um? Huh?

[v1valarob]

Originally Posted by fly8slep

What do you think they're going to do? Get a job at Wal-mart and start paying back their mom.

Maybe. Your right though, I should have added more to the story.

One time on a 10 minute break we all gathered around outside the doors to the class room. We started to talk to the guys who where doing the longer, $18000 course. They had all just finished up their COMM/ME with Flight Safety and where "promised" a job with AE if they completed the long RJO course. We where telling them what types of jobs we had before coming to the short RJO program paid for by Eagle. Almost every single one of us had been CFIs prior to interviewing. The comments from the Flight Safety guys kind of pissed most of us CFIs off. They all pretty much had the same thought that being a CFI was too dangerous for the career, as some "student" might ruin their record with an incident. They agreed that they would never CFI and it was better to go straight to the Airlines.

So yea.. if they are going to CFI, and they cant get an Airline job at 230 hours. They probably will go work at Wal-Mart.

-Rob

[Cptnchia]

Whatever happened to doing it the old fashioned way? Yeah, the two most dangerous incidents in an airplane and the closest to death I ever came were when I was flight instructing, but what I learned about aviation, and more importantly, what I learned about myself in dealing with the incidents have gone a long way in shaping the type of pilot I am today. My grandfather would have called it "The school of hard knocks."

[PGT]

The younger generation (mine) thinks that the jobs are owed to us. Nobody wants to do any intro type of work but rather jump straight into the big stuff. It's not just with the airlines but business world as well.

[cfii2007]

I think PCL sent me an email some time ago, stating that they would interview me with low multi if I took some ERAU bridge program. Of course, I declined.

The best move you can make is to take that money and pick up your CFI/CFII/MEI. There are alot of flight schools that will hire you, pay double (in some cases triple) what you would make as a 1st year regional FO. You can instruct for a year, save a good chunk of your income (you'll need it!) and get pretty close to 135 and ATP mins. More doors will be open for you.....in the even airlines have stopped hiring all together.

[kellwolf]

That which doesn't kill you only makes you stronger.

I heard the "some student's gonna put a mar on your record and you'll be a pariah for your career" argument before. Curiously it was always from recruiters trying to get me to go somewhere like ATA (Airline Trainging Academy, not the airline) or TAB Express.....

Like Higney85 said, it's just not worth it. You're barely gonna make $10K more your first year than you're spending on the bridge program....and that's IF you get hired. Champion is shutting their doors, and we've been getting a lot of their guys b/c they don't want to commute/live close to Pinnacle bases.

I do like the Geo Metro idea, though.

[fly8slep]

Originally Posted by cfii2007

The best move you can make is to take that money and pick up your CFI/CFII/MEI. There are alot of flight schools that will hire you, pay double (in some cases triple) what you would make as a 1st year regional FO. You can instruct for a year, save a good chunk o.

YeS YES YES. A lot of guys like me took the risk of not getting their cfis 06/07 and maybe early 08 and we got away with it. But right now with the state of the industry you can't last with 250 hours and a bridge program. Get your cfi. Beats working at Wal-mart anyday and it's handy when you get that furlough or not finding a job at all.

[WalterSobchak]

Originally Posted by kellwolf

I do like the Geo Metro idea, though.

Makes the most sense with $140 oil. Much more likely to get your money back.

[B767Driver]

Originally Posted by HollywoodCTS

Ok ladies and gentlemen, right now I have about 400tt and 50multi, which 6 months ago would have been a job. But right now I am limited to Great Lakes with these times. So my question is has anybody done the Pinnacle Jump Start course through CAE here in denver? They supposedly guarentee you an interview upon completion, but I am not sure if Pinnacle is even hiring. It would be silly to shell out $9,000 and not even get a job. So thoughts, opinions anything is welcome.

TIA

Sounds like you have your certificates and ratings and the tools to be successful in aviation. Now you just need the fortitude and patience to last in this industry. Now invest your $9,000 in a separate career path that will allow you to pay bills when you lose your aviation job.

A master's or doctorate of education would parallel well with a piloting career. It would work in or outside of aviation.