Don't know what the end goals are, but the training dept has grown leaps and bounds over the past year. Figure the equivalent of 40-50 active, full time pilots currently. Also, attrition should be around 10-12 a month as long as Legacies and LCCs keep hiring.

Basically, if you're 900 as a new hire, you're really around 850 as far as active pilots, and probably down to 750 or a little less in a years time. Also, if you have 121 time, you'll be a step ahead of your class mates, a lot of whom will be recent college grads getting R-ATPs (Guessing that's about 40 percent of my class), and not able to upgrade until they have 1K 121.

All of the above is a very rough, back of an envelope calculation. Subject to change.

Also, there are still 40 900 options on the table beyond the 47 700s.

Last random data point, Our class was told that the new dispatch and mx control facility they're building behind the training center is sized for a fleet of 200 aircraft, and that management wouldn't be building to that size without a reason.

 

Yeah thanks. I just think from the math the upgrade time will actually start increasing soon not the other way around. Its dipped with rapid expansion with a small pilot group but now PSA has already doubled in size pilot wise.

 

Your assumption would be correct if expansion stopped the on your date of hire. Fleet growth and attrition are always fluid when an airline receives more airplanes and some of its pilots leave for any number of reasons.

With the CRJ-700s coming on property, some of the routes those airplanes are used on will move over to PSA. The upgrade times will not reverse yet. At some point they will but later rather than sooner.

 

Yeah I get that. I just mean with 400 pilots or so when expansion started to 900 pilots now that's more than double the original size. With at least 200 of those bypassing or not eligible for upgrade that has really driven the upgrade time down. I think the ratio of existing pilots to new hires matters a lot. The larger you are the longer the upgrade because it takes longer to get to 50% seniority. I guess I'm just saying that I don't think people hired today will see the 8 month upgrade. In thinking more like 1.5 years. Just my opinion and of course things could change. The biggest variable will be if they actually get those 700s or not and if they will actually be able to hire for them. Because I think most people are going to Psa for the upgrade its better to have a realistic expectation.

 

Like I've said before, almost 7 years ago I came to PSA when it was 1.5 year upgrade. Took me almost 6.5 years. At least the guys coming on now have a semi guarantee that they'll upgrade in 2-3 years which is more than reasonable at any airlines. I'm happy for the guys that are upgrading in less than a year since they're prior 121 pilots that went to through hardships before. However if you're upgrading with min 1000 sic, I hope you know how lucky you are and I implore you to work harder than everyone else in your upgrade class to make up for the lack of experience. Sure when everything is fine, it's an easy job but when crap hits the fan, don't pull a Renslow. Not making a joke.

Also if you happened to be stuck on the right seat, at least you'll have a pretty good QOL and have abilities to make decent OT here.

 

For someone that's been at PSA for over a year, I've been moving up 3-4 slots per month average, not 10-12. There will always be attrition at the bottom. But once you move above the bottom 20%, I wouldn't expect to move up the seniority list that quick.

 

It's around a 2 million dollar construction project, of which PSA is only paying around $100,000 or so the rest is coming from the city of Dayton and the state of Ohio.

So just saying it's not a huge financial obligation to PSA.

 

Good for them if they can get the government to pay for it. I'm just pointing out what we were told by someone in management. Take it for what it's worth, which could be not much.

As has been said, don't believe anything until it's on the ramp and painted.

 

weren't you at gojet?

 

He was. 3 regionals in just over a year. Should look great on his resume. Next week, he'll be starting indoc at Piedmont.

Watch your backs PSA dudes. Tallflyer loves to be the voice in management's ear.