Don't interview at PSA!!!

[tarheel87]

Guys you will see a lot of people dish this post... They all work for PSA. I'm a experienced pilot (over 200 students as a CFI) with lots of friends and a family. The week of my simulator checkride my partner and I were canned (Turn-in your ID and resign or be fired). I'm not going to get specific or call names. We were not the only ones we just did not know it at the time. Basically the company got scared when Mesa got their jets so they sent people home at sim training to avoid a furlough... you are not a fulough unless they give you the checkride. IF YOU HAVE A JOB IN AVIATION WAIT ON ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY! or risk sitting at home wondering where you went wrong and how you are going to make that house payment delivering pizzas. Hey we have heard good and bad about all companies but these guys did several good pilots WRONG! I'm not out get revenge on PSA. I feel it is my duty to inform some fellow pilots trying to get to the flight deck of a real airplane the trouble of making the phone call from Dayton to their wives that I did after years of suffering for aviation.

 

[Flywspeed]

Tarhell=PSA Washout!

Sorry to hear that you was let go from PSA. I am not sure when you went to class or sim but I know for a FACT that the September & October classes did no such thing. I was in the new hire October class(last class of the year). And it was not even until November when U started passing out more RJs to Mesa and other contract carriers. You had to be a real jerk for PSA to tell you to go home from the sim, because some of us had some problems with the sim (PSA sim training is pretty ROUGH!!) and they worked with us and until we got it. So I am guessing that your attitude had alot to do with it.

PSA has been known to run the flight crew staffing pretty lean to keep cost down. In the Fall they were in need of flight crews just to get there staffing back up to sufficent levels and I cant believe that they spent the time and money on you in ground school and some sim just to turn around and let you go. Also, when I was down at sim in Dec. they was talk of my class being furloughed due to the threat of U being liquidated and PSA starting to lose airplanes but we were also told that we would be put on furlough status to come back and pick up where we left off. I finished IOE at the end of Jan. and sit reserve for ONLY 3 DAYS! before my hard line started in FEB.

Dont blame PSA for your lack of...............PSA is a pretty **CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED** good company to work for in my opinion. Yeah it has its problems but I have worked for several other companies that were much worse. PSA also has a promising future right now so my advice to everybody get your resume in as soon as possible. PSA is interviewing again.

Oh Yeah, as for the REAL AIRPLANE tarheel. I cant help to believe that you could not fly the sim and now you want to blame it on the airplane. The Do 328 is amazing airplane by far the BEST Turboprop out there!!!! Hands down!!!

Till next time,
Fly with speed

 

[DorkProp]

Tarheel knows the reason he and his partner were canned, and so do I. The company was very careful not to divulge any details or names, but the gist I got through the grapevine was that the attitudes of the pilots involved had everything to do with their termination/resignation. Something about an attitude that regional flying was beneath them. Therefore they did not apply themselves in ground school and were not prepared when they got to the sim. Simple as that.

There have been no furloughs or planned staff reductions since last spring. Let's call a spade a spade, and a wash-out a wash-out.

 

[exeagle]

off the subject a bit, but ive always wondered, what does psa stand for?

 

[Spartus]

Pacific Southeast (or Southwest) Airlines.


Hmm and there on the east coast.....

 

[tarheel87]

Pretty Sucky Airline

I told you honest folk I would be persecuted by guys who have DO 328's under planes flown. They work for PSA...DAAA! Please refer to my initial post it's the Gods honest truth. As for my attitude.... as a Mid thirties father, Army Officer, 20 year pilot, ATP, CFI, and self employed business owner I'm willing do what ever it takes to be sucessful with absolutely no whining. Cooperate and Graduate! PSA did not give me and some other good people a chance to prove that.

 

[psacowboy]

Sorry to hear about your situation Tarheel. But I would say to any wannabe airline pilots not to follow his advice. You should apply to all the regionals and get on wherever you can. There are slight differneces between all the regionals but basically they are all the same. I would say that a large number of pilots at any regional are there because that is where they were hired first.

PSA has been known for having a rather difficult training process mainly due to lots of memory items. We have now dropped most of those and adopted a new performace data system as well. The sim is a beautiful full color day or night Class D sim set in a brand new building in DFW. The airlplane is a blast to fly.

PSA is a pretty good place to work. Some things suck while other things are nice. But the future looks good and the pilot group is great. Good luck to all trying to find a job and please don't count any company out on one guys experience.

By the way.....PSA used to stand for Pacific Soutwest Airlines of course but now it is nothing more than an acronym for nothing. The official name of the company is PSA Airlines, Inc. where the PSA stands for nothing. US Airways named all of its wholly owned carriers after companies it had aquired , Piedmont, Allegheney and PSA. Obviously since our flying is on the east coast they had to drop the acronym. Interesting though that our old name used to be Jetstream International Airlines and is still listed that way on our Jepps as well as on ATC flight plans, JS4168, etc. which is why they can never get our callsign of bluestreak right. Always calling us JetLink or blueridge.

 

[Smoking Man]

Tarheel 78

Mesa got jets in October big deal. This would have nothing to do with possible furloughs, or you Choking in training. Until January of this year only PSA, ALG and PDT, were on board with JfJ. This means only 70rj were allowed to be flown under U. S. Airways express. (I know freedom had agreed but that was not going to happen).

So your statement "Basically the company got scared when Mesa got their jets so they sent people home at sim training to avoid a furlough..." Is as factual and accurate as Jim Jones and his vision of the future.

Regardless there is a new Director of training at PSA.

 

[Floyd94]

Re: Pretty Sucky Airline

I'm willing do what ever it takes to be sucessful with absolutely no whining.

I'm sorry, anybody with a name like "Tarheel87" that tells you he didn't whine, one would have to be skeptical. Everybody that goes to Carowhina whines. Just ask Matt Doherty..

Just kidding, sorry to hear you lost your job.

 

[tarheel87]

You are right...No Jets for Jobs at PSA

Smoldering Man

I do here by retract my comment regarding Mesa getting PSA's jets as a reason for my termination at the end of my training. I think everyone will agree that an aviation failure would be a: failed checkride or written test. FACT: I had already passed my ground school and oral portion of my checkride. FACT: I finished my last sim session and met the requirements for my checkride. FACT: I was not given the checkride. Period. Why? Why would a company find you and your partner's attitudes so bad as to waste $40k on training with no return I don't know.
FACT: This exact same course of events occured with five other pilots between October and November at the sim. This is the truth the whole truth so help me GOD.

 

[Cmdr Taggart]

Gota chime in on this one. Please note airplanes I fly Dornier 328. Tarheel, sorry it did not work out for you, but you do not have to be such a baby, suck it and drive on there high speed. Everybody at PSA knows why you were fired and your post pretty much shows it: bad ATTITUDE. Please do not pass on your problems to your students, we do not need pilots out there that are so negative.

 

[Smoking Man]

Tarfoot 78

Now this is a statment that I can work with.

First off I am sorry that you put forth the effort and did not recieve the reward.

Now for the core event, it is my understanding that PSA recieves educational tax credits, for everyone that requires training. I.E. (pilots, F/A's mechanics, etc). So are they out 40K, I doubt it.

As for the frequency that this occurs I have no idea.

I did however state that there is a NEW director of training at PSA, .

 

[Dr.Hwang]

I used to fly for PSA...so here are my two cents.
PSA's training program is one of the hardest I have ever heard of but if you give it everything you have, including a good attitude, you should get through it. Smokingman called it for sure. Your training is a tax write off for continuing your education. So they didn't lose a dime. When I went through training one guy was washed out on lesson seven or eight. Common sense would say, hey, I made it this far and the company has invested so much in me why would they can me now? Won't they atleast work with me a little bit longer? NOPE. For what ever reason they didn't think twice about asking you to leave. They didn't lose a dime.

As for not being a furlough until you pass your checkride that is wrong. When I went through I was given a seniority number which equalls recall rights unless I am fired. I passed my ground training, took my oral exam, and was then released to take my checkride on 09-10-01. Then September 11th happened and I WAS FURLOUGHED. I don't know why I wasn't fired, but I was on the seniority list, and if furloughed I was entitled to recall rights.

Like they say: check your attitude at the door, grab your Preperation H and KY jelly and cooperate/graduate. PSA has a great group of pilots, and I do miss that at my new company. Sorry you got canned, but take a look a yourself before you start blaming oters.

 

[Snakum]

Mid thirties father, Army Officer, 20 year pilot, ATP, CFI, and self employed business owner

Sounds like someone who has all the answers to me.

Minh

 

[FlyLawyer]

New Director of Training at PSA

I'm curioius, what happened to Bradley S.?

 

[Smoking Man]

Some things are better left untold.

 

[120% Torque]

It never ceases to amaze me how other pilots will kick a fellow pilot when he is down! Whether you believe tarheel87 or not at least show him a little respect. I see no serious libel here on the part of tarheel87. Only stating the facts as he sees them. He didn't do any name calling or hurl any truley defamatory insults. He was trying to warn other pilots of a potientially bad situation that he personally experienced. Bottom line, if you dont have exact details and haven't walked in anothers shoes, keep your mouth shut. Historically speaking management has been caught not playing fair much more often than pilots. Think about it.

 

[Mookie]

As a former 328 Cowboy, I had a dude in my class with almost the exact same qualifications wash out of training, pre 911. Made it through every single phase of training except the checkride. I guess, to borrow a Dicky Vitale line, he wasn't a "Prime time Player." The writing was on the wall for him as well way before the checkride. Just ask any pilot, just because one can pass a ground school, sim prep, and an oral, checkride, it doesn't make one a decent pilot!!! As Agassi says..."attitude is everything."

BTW...PSA 328 training is THE most brutal in the industry....at least it was when I went through.



Mookie

 

[bluestreaking]

Tarheel 87,

If what you claim is true, why did you wait months later to post this story of your poor treatment? I have a feeling you're not telling us the whole truth.

 

[tarheel87]

Bluestreak

Hey guys I did post 3.5 months ago...when one of my fellow PSA pilots posted if any one had heard about guys taking it in the gut at the end of the sim phase. And to try to add some credit to my story, I WAS NOT THE ONLY PERSON THIS HAPPENED TO!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[750driver]

It never ceases to amaze me how other pilots will kick a fellow pilot when he is down! Whether you believe tarheel87 or not at least show him a little respect. I see no serious libel here on the part of tarheel87. Only stating the facts as he sees them. He didn't do any name calling or hurl any truley defamatory insults. He was trying to warn other pilots of a potientially bad situation that he personally experienced. Bottom line, if you dont have exact details and haven't walked in anothers shoes, keep your mouth shut. Historically speaking management has been caught not playing fair much more often than pilots. Think about it.

120% Torque, you stated exactly what I was thinking. After going through all the responses, it absolutely amazes me at how fast fellow pilots are to pull the trigger on one of their own.

IMO, this is one of the biggest reasons why our industry is spiraling into the gutter .... lack of unity and mutual respect. The only constant seems to be the "I've got mine, screw everyone else" SOP.

Unless one of you was in that sim, conducting this guy's training, you have no right to assume anything. Give him the benefit of the doubt, at least until you have proof showing otherwise. Remember, life is a full circle ladies & gents ... the methods by which you judge others may one day be used to judge you.

750Driver

 

[prodigal]

floyd94

So, that was your NCSU class ring I noticed while you were picking your nose?
Don't be bustin' on my Heels. It's a rebuilding thing. Dean Smith was burned in effigy before he became a BB GOD. Enjoy it while it lasts because They'll be back.
Besides if you really want to hear whining just listen to Rat-face Boy over at Puke. Ugh.

 

[psacowboy]

What were your motives beyond your first post tarheel? What could you possibly hope to have gained? Would you really feel better knowing that someone did not go to PSA because of your comments?
Seriously tarheel, I am truly sorry about your situation, just like I said in my previous post. But the fact is that you have nothing to gain by discussing this three months later other than a spirited discussion on this message board. You will not get a second chance and I don't think people are going to stop coming to PSA. So if you really want to find a few more un-informed sympathy supporters like torque and driver, then carry on, but the rest of us at PSA all know the reason you were let go. We have a relatively small pilot group and word travels fast. It is not common for someone to wash out at the very end. In fact you are right, you are the only one I have ever heard of being let go right before the checkride. So obviously you can fly, but if you were there to be part of the team then you wouldn't have been let go. Hopefully you can learn from this experience, continue hating PSA the rest of your life and find a new airline job.
Good luck amigo in your search.

 

[BluDevAv8r]

Thread creep:

Go Blue Devils.

-Neal

 

[theskyking]

I just wanted to chime in on the whole not being furloughed until after your checkride. I can say for a fact that isn't true. I was furloughed afer one week of ground school. It sucked, but we were called back after 7 weeks. PSA is a good place to work and the Dornier is a great plane to fly.

Anyone with an opportunity to interview there needs to ignore Tarheel's stupid rants and jump at the chance.

 

[KingAirer]

Anyone know what the new pilot recruitruiters name is?

 

[750driver]

So if you really want to find a few more un-informed sympathy supporters like torque and driver, then carry on ...

Check your PM.

 

[328dude]

Tarheel, Geez man. I really can't believe you started this thread. I was there when you started and there when you were told it wasen't working out. You know exactly why you were let go and so does your sim partner. Give me a break dude. I'm sorry it didn't work out (name withheld) but you need to get over this. Apparently you are having a problem with this. May I advise you not to binge drink when you write messages on this board. Regardless of what you think, everything was done to try to get you through this. We could have worked on the sim skill's, but your attitude toward everything and especially female pilots was way beyond our help. Deny it if you want to but if you need to get things out, then we will get things out.

Good luck in your future endeavors. I really do hope you have learned from your experience here. No other regional would have put up with it that long.

 

[aviatrix]

We could have worked on the sim skill's, but your attitude toward everything and especially female pilots was way beyond our help.

Oh, now I'm curious! What was the attitude toward female pilots all about?

 

[328dude]

AV:

I'm not out to flame Tarhell here, but his comments pushed the edge on blaming his release on other factors that had absolutly nothing to due with the real reasons's why he was asked to leave. He knows the real reason/'s but seems to still be searching for other excuses to help him cope with his release from employmet here.

I do wish him well, but flaming a department of PSA that did everything to help Tarheel, is not the way to deal with this. He was offered help from a number of people, including myself, which he strongly refused.

Tarheel, if you need to vent, then vent, but stating false accusations on why you were released is not the way. I'm sure you are unwilling to talk about the real reasons on this board due to the fact your reputation and your fear of others member's comments once they know the real reasons about your release would seriously damage your ego.

Good Day