The Useful PSA Thread
12-05-2014 | 01:26 AM
#742
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Joined: Mar 2014
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In the last 12 months, 81% of everyone that was in class on the first day of Indoc made it to the line as a pilot.
Also, in the last 12 months, 87% of the people that finished Systems made it to the line. A significant number of those that did not make it quit on their own. Some got jobs with the LLC's or majors, while others had personal reasons that interfered with training.
A major part of the problem with the failures was the time off between class and sims. Some people had to wait more than a month, and were not ready when they got back to sims. They had not studied during the break, and spend the first 3 sim sessions re-learning their flows/callouts. To combat this problem, PSA now has 5 sims to use, and the time between class and sims is down to no more than 2 weeks.
If you fail your sim ride, or are not ready for it, you automatically get 2 more sessions as part of the program. After that, you can get one more if your sim instructor thinks that you have a good attitude and are improving. If that doesn't work, you are asked to leave for up to 6 months and take a jet transition course or to complete some other program that will help you. If you are a screw up, are not trying, or are not improving, you will likely fail.
Most of the fails lately were guys that had a hard time with the English language, had never flown a jet and were just not ready for it, and those that simply did not prepare. If you don't study, you will fail. You get 10 sessions in the IPTs before sims. If you don't know your flows/callouts well before sims, you aren't trying very hard.
With no new awards of more airplanes, the upgrade time of people in class today will still be under 2 years. There are several options for more airplanes after the ones on the way now. The training department is growing quickly and they are adding several new instructors. Also, in the very near future, all students will be issued an iPad with all of the training material on them, including CBT's. For now, everyone gets a memory stick with all of the materials in addition to the paper manuals.
Also, in the last 12 months, 87% of the people that finished Systems made it to the line. A significant number of those that did not make it quit on their own. Some got jobs with the LLC's or majors, while others had personal reasons that interfered with training.
A major part of the problem with the failures was the time off between class and sims. Some people had to wait more than a month, and were not ready when they got back to sims. They had not studied during the break, and spend the first 3 sim sessions re-learning their flows/callouts. To combat this problem, PSA now has 5 sims to use, and the time between class and sims is down to no more than 2 weeks.
If you fail your sim ride, or are not ready for it, you automatically get 2 more sessions as part of the program. After that, you can get one more if your sim instructor thinks that you have a good attitude and are improving. If that doesn't work, you are asked to leave for up to 6 months and take a jet transition course or to complete some other program that will help you. If you are a screw up, are not trying, or are not improving, you will likely fail.
Most of the fails lately were guys that had a hard time with the English language, had never flown a jet and were just not ready for it, and those that simply did not prepare. If you don't study, you will fail. You get 10 sessions in the IPTs before sims. If you don't know your flows/callouts well before sims, you aren't trying very hard.
With no new awards of more airplanes, the upgrade time of people in class today will still be under 2 years. There are several options for more airplanes after the ones on the way now. The training department is growing quickly and they are adding several new instructors. Also, in the very near future, all students will be issued an iPad with all of the training material on them, including CBT's. For now, everyone gets a memory stick with all of the materials in addition to the paper manuals.
You have to eat, sleep and drink it while in training. I can tell if a student is prepared after the first 10 minutes of lesson one. It's a lot of work but the rewards are worth it.
12-05-2014 | 05:01 AM
#743
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: May 2013
Posts: 287
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I was reviewing the 12 and 2 hour reserve callout. How realistic is a 12 hour callout? Say if you are based in CLT and you need to commute from the Midwest do the reserve lines have plenty of 12 hour callouts? Also how long is reserve for new FOs? Is reserve duty growing as you onboard new FOs?
Thank you all!
Thank you all!
12-05-2014 | 05:22 AM
#744
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 955
Likes: 0
From: CL65
I was reviewing the 12 and 2 hour reserve callout. How realistic is a 12 hour callout? Say if you are based in CLT and you need to commute from the Midwest do the reserve lines have plenty of 12 hour callouts? Also how long is reserve for new FOs? Is reserve duty growing as you onboard new FOs?
Thank you all!
Thank you all!
Most guys are on reserve from 0-4 or so months, depending on the base. There is one guy that is in training now that already has a line once he finishes up.
There are several factors that are driving the number of people on reserve. There are certainly a lot of new people, but we are getting 3 additional aircraft every month (with the exception of Dec 2014 and June 2015 where we are only receiving 2 new aircraft). In addition, there are several people moving to the training department or other rolls still. The training department is still growing by leaps and bounds, with MANY new people.
Here is the math that I am using when people say that reserves are going to get longer, and upgrades are going to stall.
New people per month making it to the line: 50
New lines per month (new aircraft): 30
Attrition per month:15
People moving to training/other: 4
It all adds up to be about even. Growth is in line with the hiring, and reserves should stay short and captain upgrades should stay under 24 months (closer to 18 months).
12-05-2014 | 06:58 PM
#746
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 135
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Allow me to add some perspective for those who think TSA is a better option.
TSA are getting 50 seaters, which won't stay flying for many years. That's not to say that they won't get new airplanes in the future, but their trend is 50 seaters. About half the pilots that currently come to PSA have past 121 experience and are actively trying to get hired by LLC/mainline. I think it's safe to say that attrition is expected to increase in the coming years, for reasons mentioned above and industry trends. Management (for what it's worth) are saying that they plan to continue current pace of hiring until the end of 2016, they sure act like it. Taking into consideration attrition, airplane options, and increase flow, that sounds about right. Even at the end of 2016 I find it hard to believe that hiring will come to a halt. It will probably just decreased by half which is not bad at all
I think PSA is a great place to come to, especially if you don't have 121 time. By the time you'll get your 1000 hours you should be a few months from upgrade.
Since this is my second 121 operation, I can tell you for a fact that this contract is not bad at all. The SAP provide pilots control on their schedule, something that most regional airline pilots simply don't have. Also in the next few months, once American and Airways complete their merger, management need to sit with the pilot group and renegotiate the flows.
Just my $0.02
TSA are getting 50 seaters, which won't stay flying for many years. That's not to say that they won't get new airplanes in the future, but their trend is 50 seaters. About half the pilots that currently come to PSA have past 121 experience and are actively trying to get hired by LLC/mainline. I think it's safe to say that attrition is expected to increase in the coming years, for reasons mentioned above and industry trends. Management (for what it's worth) are saying that they plan to continue current pace of hiring until the end of 2016, they sure act like it. Taking into consideration attrition, airplane options, and increase flow, that sounds about right. Even at the end of 2016 I find it hard to believe that hiring will come to a halt. It will probably just decreased by half which is not bad at all
I think PSA is a great place to come to, especially if you don't have 121 time. By the time you'll get your 1000 hours you should be a few months from upgrade.
Since this is my second 121 operation, I can tell you for a fact that this contract is not bad at all. The SAP provide pilots control on their schedule, something that most regional airline pilots simply don't have. Also in the next few months, once American and Airways complete their merger, management need to sit with the pilot group and renegotiate the flows.
Just my $0.02
12-05-2014 | 07:17 PM
#748
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 1,464
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Allow me to add some perspective for those who think TSA is a better option.
TSA are getting 50 seaters, which won't stay flying for many years. That's not to say that they won't get new airplanes in the future, but their trend is 50 seaters. About half the pilots that currently come to PSA have past 121 experience and are actively trying to get hired by LLC/mainline. I think it's safe to say that attrition is expected to increase in the coming years, for reasons mentioned above and industry trends. Management (for what it's worth) are saying that they plan to continue current pace of hiring until the end of 2016, they sure act like it. Taking into consideration attrition, airplane options, and increase flow, that sounds about right. Even at the end of 2016 I find it hard to believe that hiring will come to a halt. It will probably just decreased by half which is not bad at all
I think PSA is a great place to come to, especially if you don't have 121 time. By the time you'll get your 1000 hours you should be a few months from upgrade.
Since this is my second 121 operation, I can tell you for a fact that this contract is not bad at all. The SAP provide pilots control on their schedule, something that most regional airline pilots simply don't have. Also in the next few months, once American and Airways complete their merger, management need to sit with the pilot group and renegotiate the flows.
Just my $0.02
TSA are getting 50 seaters, which won't stay flying for many years. That's not to say that they won't get new airplanes in the future, but their trend is 50 seaters. About half the pilots that currently come to PSA have past 121 experience and are actively trying to get hired by LLC/mainline. I think it's safe to say that attrition is expected to increase in the coming years, for reasons mentioned above and industry trends. Management (for what it's worth) are saying that they plan to continue current pace of hiring until the end of 2016, they sure act like it. Taking into consideration attrition, airplane options, and increase flow, that sounds about right. Even at the end of 2016 I find it hard to believe that hiring will come to a halt. It will probably just decreased by half which is not bad at all
I think PSA is a great place to come to, especially if you don't have 121 time. By the time you'll get your 1000 hours you should be a few months from upgrade.
Since this is my second 121 operation, I can tell you for a fact that this contract is not bad at all. The SAP provide pilots control on their schedule, something that most regional airline pilots simply don't have. Also in the next few months, once American and Airways complete their merger, management need to sit with the pilot group and renegotiate the flows.
Just my $0.02
they got what they wanted out of you, you can't now hope for better negotiations.
12-05-2014 | 07:18 PM
#749
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 3,707
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Allow me to add some perspective for those who think TSA is a better option.
TSA are getting 50 seaters, which won't stay flying for many years. That's not to say that they won't get new airplanes in the future, but their trend is 50 seaters. About half the pilots that currently come to PSA have past 121 experience and are actively trying to get hired by LLC/mainline. I think it's safe to say that attrition is expected to increase in the coming years, for reasons mentioned above and industry trends. Management (for what it's worth) are saying that they plan to continue current pace of hiring until the end of 2016, they sure act like it. Taking into consideration attrition, airplane options, and increase flow, that sounds about right. Even at the end of 2016 I find it hard to believe that hiring will come to a halt. It will probably just decreased by half which is not bad at all
I think PSA is a great place to come to, especially if you don't have 121 time. By the time you'll get your 1000 hours you should be a few months from upgrade.
Since this is my second 121 operation, I can tell you for a fact that this contract is not bad at all. The SAP provide pilots control on their schedule, something that most regional airline pilots simply don't have. Also in the next few months, once American and Airways complete their merger, management need to sit with the pilot group and renegotiate the flows.
Just my $0.02
TSA are getting 50 seaters, which won't stay flying for many years. That's not to say that they won't get new airplanes in the future, but their trend is 50 seaters. About half the pilots that currently come to PSA have past 121 experience and are actively trying to get hired by LLC/mainline. I think it's safe to say that attrition is expected to increase in the coming years, for reasons mentioned above and industry trends. Management (for what it's worth) are saying that they plan to continue current pace of hiring until the end of 2016, they sure act like it. Taking into consideration attrition, airplane options, and increase flow, that sounds about right. Even at the end of 2016 I find it hard to believe that hiring will come to a halt. It will probably just decreased by half which is not bad at all
I think PSA is a great place to come to, especially if you don't have 121 time. By the time you'll get your 1000 hours you should be a few months from upgrade.
Since this is my second 121 operation, I can tell you for a fact that this contract is not bad at all. The SAP provide pilots control on their schedule, something that most regional airline pilots simply don't have. Also in the next few months, once American and Airways complete their merger, management need to sit with the pilot group and renegotiate the flows.
Just my $0.02
Why?...........
12-05-2014 | 07:45 PM
#750
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 955
Likes: 0
From: CL65
Per the contract, they have to. It was already negotiated and will increase once US Airways and American are operating under 1 certificate. This was part of the benefit of the contract that the pilots already signed. There used to be ~480 pilots, thus 4 pilots per month, 48 per year. By the time the two companies are operating under one certificate, the staffing level should be near 1200, thus ~140 pilots per year.
The "flow" will increase to 10% of the pilot population.
AA wants it as well. Right now, the quick upgrade is what is keeping the classes full. This flow will keep the machine working and the upgrades/movement to the majors steady. They need these staffed filled to keep the seats on the mainline airplanes full. The President of PSA was a former executive at US Airways that was previously in charge of ALL of the regionals flying for US Airways. Think about what means to AA and PSA.
The "flow" will increase to 10% of the pilot population.
AA wants it as well. Right now, the quick upgrade is what is keeping the classes full. This flow will keep the machine working and the upgrades/movement to the majors steady. They need these staffed filled to keep the seats on the mainline airplanes full. The President of PSA was a former executive at US Airways that was previously in charge of ALL of the regionals flying for US Airways. Think about what means to AA and PSA.
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