For Shuttle America Pilots

[dispatchguy]

Doug Snow from dispatch here a/k/a dispatchguy. This will be dispatchguy's last post.

I just wanted to let all of you know (as I am sure this will filter to you), that I have tendered my resignation from Shuttle America.

My resignation is effective 11AUG, but since I have 2 weeks of PDOs built up, I decided, and Rich and I discussed it, that tonite would be my last nite.

I could go into a long, drawn-out discussion, but just suffice it to say that my fun-meter is so far past the red-radial, I dont even care if I ever see the inside of a 'plane again - can we say burn-out? The why is no longer important - nothing'll ever change.

Anyway, to cut this short, I wish all the current S5 pilots (and others) on here all the best. I'm unsubscribing from flightinfo, but I'm reachable at doug/at/ps1fplan.com

Au revoir!

 

[I.P. Freley]

Oh, Doug, we hardly knew ye'.

Good luck, man... And enjoy that Rush concert.

 

[rvsm410]

Good luck

Does Phil Know your quitting dispatch? Guess he will now....this is a shocker .....so I guess you wont be bring the WDFF site back up? That was a good source of info......thanks for the service and good luck...

 

[IndyGTP]

Do you know something that we dont know?

 

[I.P. Freley]

I think you're reading too much into it...

The man was unhappy, so he quit.

 

[IndyGTP]

I got the fact that he was unhappy, but you never know with Shuttle. Just like everyone else at Shuttle, the mechanics are left unaware of any company news until Durgin issues his monthly letter...

You know how it goes.

 

[rvsm410]

Shuttle ads

With This guys departure from the ranks of SA, it seems odd that over the past year or so the company has had many many recurrent employments adds for dispatchers and an SOC manager......Did they ever hire a new manager? I heard through the grape vine they interviewed last year...

The threads on the USAir troubles and SA's owners and now the 1 year contract with UAL...still make the place look a bit shaky...hope it gets better for them, but I still dont see any sign of an equipment change...that was the other thread, about the Saabs and there lease expirations....whats in store for the company? is there any light at the end of the tunnel???

Best of luck to the employees......

 

[efiscompmon]

IndyGTP's post says it all.....

 

[I.P. Freley]

Yes, there is a 'new' manager of SOC. He was promoted from within, actually... But that was something like six months ago, as the old mgr. quit effective Dec. 31st.

In addition, we have a new DO. I don't think there's any question that the new guy will be more effective than the old guy. Here's hoping his desire to straighten things out (operationally speaking) will bear fruit.

And don't worry, rvsm, you aren't missing anything on the "new equipment" front, we haven't heard a peep about the Holy Grail in months. Too bad, actually, as our sometimes disappointing performance is rooted more in the tired old Saabs than anything else...

Give us a good plane and watch us kick a$$, that's what THIS pilot sez...

 

[rvsm410]

Cool!

Yes, there is a 'new' manager of SOC. He was promoted from within, actually... But that was something like six months ago, as the old mgr. quit effective Dec. 31st.

Thats what should have happened in the first place....Guess the "old" mgr went back to flying like he wanted too...

In addition, we have a new DO. I don't think there's any question that the new guy will be more effective than the old guy. Here's hoping his desire to straighten things out (operationally speaking) will bear fruit.

I would agree here as well, P.S. was not very effective, sounds like the departure of the above is the beginning of a fix...They should hire more good people when they have the chance.

And don't worry, rvsm, you aren't missing anything on the "new equipment" front, we haven't heard a peep about the Holy Grail in months. Too bad, actually, as our sometimes disappointing performance is rooted more in the tired old Saabs than anything else...

Give us a good plane and watch us kick a$$, that's what THIS pilot sez...

I hope for you guys that you do get new acft...the leases are getting short....wish you guys the best of luck, getting out from under the US banner is a good start....IF you could only fix the attitude of the PSA people in PIT..of course maybe that has solved itself now...

 

[I.P. Freley]

If you could only fix the attitude of the PSA people in PIT..of course maybe that has solved itself now...

C'mon, now, we aren't miracle workers.

 

["TheBigPicture"]

Hey I.P......Just curious, since that wasn't a popped breaker. Can we say NOSE WHELL SHIMMY??? Yeah, you know it!!

 

["TheBigPicture"]

In case I wasn't clear....referring to the avatar

 

[ABQPilot]

Ref RVSM's post,



I too have noticed that there seemed to be more than the normal amount of advertisements for dispatchers at SA. Since regionals are the "trenches" where you have to pay those dues before ascending to the lofty heights of the majors, one expects a steady stream in and out of those departments. It just seemed too many were going through SA though. Hope they can fix the problems there as I was considerering moving back to FWA if a dispatch job came my way.



I worked for a company here in ABQ that had three dispatchers of which two were mostly on days and had over 20 years with the company. Guess who got the odd hours? Actually we all had some pretty weird hours at times and where required to do a lot more than just dispatch. Scheduling (flights and crews) and cost justification for the flights were just some of the "Additional" duties. Since we were a government contractor, filling out forms was usually more important than actually doing to the dispatching. Hope that is not the same things the SA dispatch folks have to do.



Terry

 

[rvsm410]

The Truth about the Dispatch Field!!!

Ref RVSM's post,



I too have noticed that there seemed to be more than the normal amount of advertisements for dispatchers at SA. Since regionals are the "trenches" where you have to pay those dues before ascending to the lofty heights of the majors, one expects a steady stream in and out of those departments. It just seemed too many were going through SA though. Hope they can fix the problems there as I was considerering moving back to FWA if a dispatch job came my way.



I worked for a company here in ABQ that had three dispatchers of which two were mostly on days and had over 20 years with the company. Guess who got the odd hours? Actually we all had some pretty weird hours at times and where required to do a lot more than just dispatch. Scheduling (flights and crews) and cost justification for the flights were just some of the "Additional" duties. Since we were a government contractor, filling out forms was usually more important than actually doing to the dispatching. Hope that is not the same things the SA dispatch folks have to do.
Terry

Terry,

Felt compelled to pass on some lessions learned so you have a better picture of dispatching 121.....FORGET THE MAJORS, it wont happen and they are fast becomming the MINORS>>>>

1)First off, dispatching at the regional level is a Career in itself, the idea of doing time at a regional and then at some point having the magical experience to get a dispatch job at a Major carrier DOES NOT EXIST...infact most of the W/O regionals like ASA tell you to forget any flow through to mainline "EVER"....

2)The turn-over of dispatchers at Mainlines or LCC's is so low, that you usually see them leaving the building "feet first" virtually NIL....The current trend to downsize at all mainlines further stops any growth plans for new hires.....

3)LCC like SWA require all dispatchers come from within the ranks Never out side hires....My friend at SWA HR tells me there at more then 200 SWA employees there with dispatch licenses waiting in line for a shot....Airtran Requires 8 to 10 years hard experience before they will even call you..

4) Using the regionals as a "stepping stone" DOESNT APPLY TO DISPATCHERS, works for pilots, F/A's and Mx'ers...not us.....

5) Dont expect to be paid well, it takes a while to even earn $30K, starting ranges from a low of $ 10.58/hr at Eagle and Island Air to as High as $13.25 at place like ASA, SKW, COEX....

6) If pay is a high priority for you then you should push to get hired by supplemental carrier's in cargo or Charters...they ALL pay in the low to mid 30's to start....companies like TMA, Gemini, Capital Air, USA JET, Atlas etc....

My advice to you is simple really and you will find it to be true on your own one day if you dont believe me.....If you like FWA because you call it home, then by all means call Shuttle America....Sue Deuel (HR) 260-479-6202 I'm sure they will interview you...Gauging by the posts on SA they are making some GOOD changes there to the staff and "MAYBE" they will have a future......be very careful on this point...As of last year Wexford Capital...their owners had no plans for SA's future once the SAAB leases expired...to further support this point, the new UAL contract is only for 1 year as well..

As to other Career Advice for dispatching....Think Career location when you interview with a Regional Carrier.....these are the "major" employers for the future of dispatchers....maybe in the next 10 to 15 years if your in the right place and know the right people you have a slim chance of working for a "LArge Aircraft Airline" but they will look alot different by then, and you might just be happy where your at.....

I would highly recommend ASA, SKW and COEX (express Jet) but the others are getting better as well...CHQ is a nice bunch of people, the pay has got to get better and will over the next few years....as do many others....

Good luck in your choices...it sounds like you have a pretty good job now, just eval all your desires first then look at all the options you have....but please get the idea of working as a dispatcher for a Major i.e. "Large aircraft Pax airline" out of your head....if you want to release heavy metal..look at the cargo boys...

These truths are all hard learned over time...take advantage!!

 

[ABQPilot]

Col. Bill,



Thank you for your incite into the dispatch industry. I never really paid much attention to how the airlines operated when I was in the Air Force. This even having spent most of my career around aviation fixing the old "Blue Boxes", (Singer-Link F-4E and F-111D flight simulators) and learning to fly through base aero clubs.



The company I worked for here was a Part 121 supplemental that carried both cargo and pax in an on-demand operation. Years before I came to the company they flew actual posted flights and you could walk up to the ABQ Sunport terminal and catch a flight. Even though the company had operated for the government for over 30 years, they were still getting jerked around by some career civil service types that were trying to impress their bosses as they clawed their way to their SES ratings. I guess politics is the same no matter where you are. As for pay, I started in the low $30s which for this part of the country is not too bad. The entire company only had aprox 75 employees so you got to know a lot of the folks as compared to the mega corporations.



Again thanks for the response and good luck with your job hunting too. I saw your post about Alaska Air which I believe has their SOC in SEA? Also when driving to work at Kirtland AFB, I would sometimes see C-17s parking on the Hot Pad un-load/loading. They do not look that large from a distance but when you get close they are just like mini C-5s. Bet they are fun to fly, especially with the stick instead of a yoke.



Sim-u-lator,



Terry

 

[I.P. Freley]

Well, BigPic... I'm gonna hate myself for this double entendre...

"be careful what you pull on, you might not like what comes out"

Heh heh heh

 

[IndyGTP]

Well guys, I can give you a little update about the future but you probably already know. I talked to the Director of Maintenance today about how the mechanic's payscale is so screwed up, and its no wonder we have high turnover and inexperience throughout SA Maintenance. Basically I was hinting to him that I am unhappy with my big $25k a year paycheck and will start lookin for somthin better. He told me that he has noticed the trend and will see what he can do. He also said we are highly considering purchasing our Saabs and if we do we will no longer be a lease return company. The reason being is because in our contract with Saab, they do there detailed inspection and come back with a list of descrepancies that we have to take care of. Well lets put it this way... we spent three quarters of a million dollars to do the corrective actions to aircraft #'s 101, 104, and 108. If we can keep United happy (a big 'IF') then SA will try to get Wexford to fund us in purchasing each one of the planes, one by one as there lease ends. To me it sounds like something that might work out because to purchase a few of our high time Saab, we have been told that it will cost around $300,000 each. Now, some of the planes will be more expensive depending on total time on the airframe.

So as of right now I don't see the end of the tunnel for Shuttle because of the whole above information and not to mention the FAA just extended the life on the Saab 340's to 75,000 hours (It was 60 something) so they should be flying around atleast another 5 years...

 

[rvsm410]

Sounds like Scott is making some plans to address the changes about to take place....good for you guys...better than nothing.....