PSA new hires....
 

Does anyone know where PSA new hires are being based??

.....and did TSA raise their minimums?? It says on their jobs site that they want 500TT/50ME but I thought I read a month ago that it was just a COMM/MULTI. Just wondering.....

Yes please tell. I am interested in knoxville, TN. Is this a senior base with PSA?

How is working for PSA

if your worried about having 500 and 50 multi you must be a pilot factoy wonder...and you dont want to work for psa...

Hey DLAJ77...why don't you think PSA is a good place to work? I'm interested in everyone's opinions (both positive and negative) on flying for PSA. What things in particular make PSA a bad place to work? Just interested in hearing both sides of the story.

I am no longer there as I left a year ago this month. However, some things are still the same and some are still as bad.

To give you a little background, PSA used to be a pretty fun place to work at when I was there in 00 thru 04. 05-06 was a total nightmare. This was of course when we had the Dornier and we were very small, about 230 pilots. The crews were great, the atmosphere was good as were the schedules. You got paired with the same crew all month long and we had PIT, CAK as bases for the Dork. We had some awesome crashpads in CAK and that was the highlight of coming to work was to hang out with my buds and get into trouble. We had partys on the weekends and good turnouts and was a fun place to be at. After the retirement of the Dork, we started to grow a little to fast. We had some serious growing pains and because of that, the atmosphere and relathionship with managment started to go down the crapper.

Then came the advent of J4J in which mainline pilots came on over. This added to the stress and the internal name calling started. The schedules started to suck and managment constantly broke our CBA time and time again. This was the case when I left. They still have their battles, but a few things are certain at PSA.

1. For the most part, the crews are fun to fly with especially the guys that were in the Dork.
2. There always seems to be some sort of bidding error each month.
3. This is not the place for a quick upgrade. Granted, things are starting to move in a better direction as of late, but still is 3-4 years out for the left seat.
4. There will always be the flow through carrot dangled in each crewroom.
5. There will always be the CRJ-900 carrot dangled right next to number 4.
6. Company has no intention of doing right for the crewmember and your grievences are usually locked in for months awaiting for the Grevience Review Committee to hear it.
7. If your case goes to arbitration, it will take years to be heard.
8. Excessive junior manning and the airline is very short staffed.

Now, I've listed a few negative things about the company. However, I enjoyed my time there and was glad to get out. The crazy days and having fun days are gone as most of the jokers there have since moved on to better career choices with various majors.

As with most new FO's, having the a quick upgrade is usually in your cards. This is not the place to play that card. Management will lie to you about this. They break promises and don't blink twice with your concerns or complaints.

To each his own.

You don't want to work at PSA because:

1) Upper management is incompetant. They coudn't find thier own assets with both hands and a map. Which is wierd, because thier heads are typically located neck deep in said assets.

2) Thier operational incompetance does not preclude them from eroding the pilot contract with new interpretations of language at every opportunity.

3) The MEC's response to contract rollbacks is "Fly it and grieve it" The only problem is the next open arbitration slot is in 2028. And management will probably willfully disregard the arbitrators findings.

4) Schedules are _intentionally_ degraded by management. Like 4 day trips uncommutable on both ends. Long duty days with short overnights. Long sits (4+ hours) between flights. Summer schedules, where the best line had only 14 days off. The ALPA scheduling comittee has met with the crew planners to make better schedules, to improve performance, utilization, and Crew QOL. The planners told ALPA that they had the ability to make the changes requested, but had been explicitly directed not to.

5) Schedulers who really enjoy puting pilots through the wringer. I understand sheduling has a job to do, and we're the resource they have to use to meet thier goals. But they will wait untill the last possible moment to notify you of a trip - even if they have known you would be assigned to it for hours. Likewise, not releasing a crewmember who is nearing the end of a duty period, and has a commute to catch, though there are no open trips, and/or other crewmembers available to take any trip which might become available.

6) Morale is in the toilet. Upgrades are stagnant. Flow backs are finally leaving, but the flow through to mainline appears in jeapordy, and even it it does work out, Airways isn't looking like a prize anybody would want. Add to that management repeatedly threatening to go out of business unless pilots agree to fly CRJ 900s for CRJ 200 wages

7) Playing domicile roulette. PSA used to feed PIT from bases in DAY, CLE, CAK, CVG, & PIT. Then they closed all those bases (except DAY) in favor of a PHL base. Then they closed PHL in favor of CLT. PSA has been anything but a model of stability.

8) The Dayton Airport Hotel is as nasty a place as you will ever stay at. PSA's training center is attached.

9) Wilbur's grille at the DAY Airport Hotel ought to be closed by the Health Department. There are no other restraunts in a practical walking distance.

9a) Last year they found a dead body in the parking lot.

10) There are many other places with a decent QOL where you will actually be happy to work. In no particular order, Express Jet, The Republic Group, SkyWest, Air Wisconsin, & American Eagle. Simply put, you can do better.

Wow...thanks 328dude and robthree for taking the time to post your detailed opinions. I appreciate it more than a post that simply says "PSA sucks!" I realize the ups and downs of working for any regional carrier, but I'm particularly interested in PSA because they have a base close to my family's home in DAY. From what I gather, a lot of misery can be avoided by living in base and not commuting. My plan (at least at first) is to live in DAY for a year or two. I know robthree mentioned schedules are not very commutable. I'm interested in schedules because I'm entertaining the idea of commuting after a year or two and have a few questions:

1) How good is the commuter clause in the contract? I heard that as long as you list yourself on at least 2 flights that get you to base on time, you are not in trouble if you can't make your show. Is that true, or anyone care to elaborate?

2) As a FO with a year or two of seniority, can you realistically bid a semi-commutable schedule (i.e. 4+ day trips with a good number of days off betweeen trips)? I'm single and don't mind being on the road alot, but it would be nice to have my days off cluster in big lumps. Can a 18 month or 2 year FO hold a schedule like that?

Thanks again guys for commenting on PSA and sharing your opinions. I appreciate all the insight you can give!

Florida Flyer

Hows Eagle working out Rob? Home more, I hope.

are you in class for PSA??? You have heard what the guys say about company but if you can live in base that is really good if its your first job...and when you go to a shi**y regional you will only strive to get out as fast as you can to one of the majors once that PIC times gets up. Just have to wait 6 years to get it, and thats what sucks about psa.

Yes I'm in the 9/10 class. For me, one of the advantages of PSA is the DAY domicile because it's close to where I'm living now. I realize each airline has its ups and downs, but I think a 6 year upgrade time is a bit exaggerated. APC's PSA page indicates that the most junior CA was hired in July 2003...about 4 years ago. When I interviewed in August, we were told that currently the upgrade time is 4 years, but it's expected to fall soon due to the J4J recalls and attrition. A four year upgrade wait is tolerable for me, and is not too far off from the regional average...and is certainly better than Comair and Eagle's upgrade times. Like any job, it's not for everyone. The main reason I'm going to PSA is for the DAY base, which will keep me close to home. Hopefully, everything will work out...but like anything else, only time will tell :)