PSA help

Per the regulations:
For the purpose of satisfying the flight hour requirement in paragraph (a)(3) of this section, a pilot may credit 500 hours of military flight time obtained as pilot in command of a multiengine turbine-powered, fixed-wing airplane in an operation requiring more than one pIlot.

Rotor doesn't count toward PIC. The idea of the reg is that flying as Commander of a C-5 or C-17 should count, as it is very similar in nature. (Well, turbine powered, fixed wing, similar speeds, similar systems).

tattooguy21

Yeah, figured as much. Makes sense. Btw, the Fort Rucker, AL visits are going very well. A little feedback though;

You may want to publish schedules for briefing times so you don't have to answer the same question 50 times by the flight school kids that have 4 hours in a bell jet ranger. Or just bring more recruiters. Either way, it'll allow you more control of the chaos and a better chance to interact with your target demographic (those already qualified and meeting R-ATP requirements.)

A few co-workers who attended said the students were monopolizing the few PSA guys there. It's understandable that everyone's going to attend and the program has generated a ton of interest obviously. They just saw the hindrance from all the tire kickers vs those seriously considering.

PSA Recruiter

Thanks, I'll pass it on the the RTP guys.

MacrossJet

How easy (or difficult) is it to get CLT, right out of training? And if not right out of training, how long is it typically taking to get awarded CLT?

PSA Recruiter

Right now, FOs are getting whatever base they want out of training. The only exception is Knoxville (TYS). That one can take a couple months, but that fluctuates.

Reserve time for CLT is also only a couple of months for FOs. TallFlyer posts a chart each month that details how long it is currently taking to hold each type of schedule in each base.

Flyboyxc91

Sorry if this is a newb question but I'm just planning for my decrease in salary (not a substantial one)... it may have already been answered however, since crews are receiving commuter hotels touching day before or after the trips, if we don't use any will we still receive the allocated money? I would think not since they are there for operational easing purposes but wanted to clarify. Thanks.

... I see it does say reimbursement now, wishful wishful thinking

PSA Recruiter

No, sorry. I wish it worked like that, too.

I will say that our training pay is some of the highest in the industry. This usually helps make the transition a little easier. 24/7 per diem and min credit of 75 during training.

Flyboyxc91

Yes, the training pay is actually great compared to what some of my other friends said they got when they were in training. If offered a CJO, when is the earliest I can get into class for CTP etc?

jetflyer123

Hey, here is a good recruiting tool! Want to spread a little light on this?

June 13, 2017

Dear PSA Pilots,

Your MEC met at the ALPA offices in Herndon, Va. last week to discuss several issues currently plaguing our pilot group. During this meeting, we discussed items such as contract violations by PSA’s scheduling and payroll departments, delays and unwarranted denials of FMLA requests by PSA’s third party FMLA vendor, health insurance claim denials by Core Source/Aetna, PSA’s obstruction of the grievance process, and increased management turnover. It is apparent that pilot morale at PSA continues to plummet to record lows. While PSA’s recruiting department hands out rose colored glasses to prospective new hires, reality quickly sets in for pilots after completion of IOE.

First, I would like to address management turnover. As most of you are aware, PSA recently lost two managers within the operations department who were playing important roles in improved labor relations between management and our pilot group. Recently, PSA’s former Director of Operations, Matt Kernan, and Vice President of Operations, Michael Scrobola, decided to abruptly resign their positions with PSA. Matt Kernan returned to his former employer, Piedmont Airlines, and Michael Scrobola announced his retirement which became effective May 31.

Obviously, some pilots will disagree, but I can assure each of you that these two men held the value of labor relations with the highest regard. Both Matt and Michael worked diligently with ALPA leadership to improve labor relations and pilot morale. Of course, we did not always see eye to eye on various issues, but no complaint fell on deaf ears regardless of whether we were able to resolve it or not. The loss of these two leaders from PSA is truly a huge loss for our pilot group. Their quick departure, along with the announced resignation of a chief pilot and the rumored but not confirmed departures of other managers in various departments, got our attention. Managers don’t typically quit for no apparent reason. Further, when someone in a high management position retires or resigns, a company typically does not bury the retirement story at the bottom of a weekly news e-mail. The MEC believes these resignations indicate that low morale at PSA extends beyond the pilot ranks, and that PSA’s senior management is rapidly creating a highly toxic work environment at the top which is trickling down and affecting us all.

Next, both PSA’s payroll and scheduling departments continue to violate the contract and, simply put, just get it all wrong. At PSA, it has been a long running joke regarding our scheduling department that pilots do not see the big picture regarding scheduling operations. I’ve been to Dayton many times, and I must admit that I have never seen this proverbial “big picture.” However, based on the way our scheduling department works, I imagine that it resembles the biblical scene of Sodom and Gomorrah as it was being destroyed by fire and brimstone. Our pilots are feeling the effects of scheduling’s mismanagement and chaotic approach to running the operation by frantically junior manning, extending, and modifying assignments regularly. Scheduling is so frantic in the efforts to cover flying that they often violate our contract. Additionally, by calling pilots 3 or 4 times in the wee hours of the morning during rest, scheduling has been committing a clear and blatant violation of the FAA’s one phone call rule. Payroll continues to violate the agreement regularly as well, despite a recent payroll audit performed by an outside company that did a similar audit at American. Payroll managers take it upon themselves to make up rules that benefit the Company when calculating pay, even when there are black and white examples in the contract that precisely explain how pay should be calculated.

F&H Solutions, PSA’s third party FMLA administrator, routinely denies or delays PSA pilots’ requests to take FMLA leave. While this battle has been going on for some time, a new enemy has recently reared its ugly head at PSA. This new enemy is PSA’s new healthcare administrator. Pilots are experiencing unacceptable issues with health coverage since the company switched to Core Source/Aetna. These problems include having to forego medical treatment and medication for serious medical issues, some which could result in death, due to refusal of payment. This treatment of our pilot group is unacceptable, and this MEC will not stand for it. Presently, we are ensuring that all the required appeal procedures are complied with for these pilots. If problems still persist, the PSA MEC will consider filing a lawsuit against PSA on the grounds that the denial of health insurance claims causes irreparable harm, thereby warranting an injunction against the Company. We were told that there would be no changes in the plan when switching to this new administrator except the addition of a fourth-tier prescription plan, but that was clearly not true.

Considering the above issues, the MEC presented and unanimously passed a resolution of no confidence last Thursday. It is the opinion of the MEC that these issues, and many others, are a direct result of Dion Flannery’s leadership style. The MEC has lost faith in Mr. Flannery’s ability to successfully lead and grow PSA. The Company continues to throw millions in pilot recruiting, but has clearly lost sight of what is important, and by far the best recruiting tool, the morale and well-being of the employees who make this operation successful day in and day out.

In unity,

Travis Ricks
Chairman, PSA MEC

PSA Recruiter

This response if from me, and not the company. I am hesitant to post anything, but I will, in hopes that it is not taken out of context.

First of all, I am here to answer questions, both from current pilots and potential candidates. I am here to make sure that you have a resource to turn to in order to help you. That is it. If you are a current pilot and have a question about referrals, or know someone that wants to come to PSA and is having difficulties, I want to help. If you are not here yet, and want to know more about PSA so you can make an informed decision, I want to help with that too.

As a recruiter, my goal is not to trick anyone into coming to PSA. For some people, PSA is not the right choice for their current situation and I tell them that. For many, however, PSA is a great fit. We have a lot to offer, and this is a good place to be. I am happy that I came here, as are the vast majority of my friends.

With that said, there are problems and the union is obviously working hard on them. You can see that in the letter. I personally thank them for their hard work in making this an even better place to be. Our union is strong, and I am happy that they are working for us.

Every airline (and every job, for that matter) has problems. We are no different. I hope that this is the next step to fixing these problems.

If you want me to answer questions about schedules, pay, benefits, and how to apply, I will be happy to answer them.

I am a union pilot and I support my union, and I think that PSA is a good place to be for many pilots.