Reserve Time- A friend of mine just started IOE today. I told him to expect 3-6 months depending on how all this jet stuff works out and if people keep leaving. Wish I could give a firm number, but things are just still too up in the air.
Upgrade time? The people that are upgrading right now have been here almost 3 years. During those 3 years there were at least 2 big breaks in hiring plus a furlough. Again, it all depends on when or if we get any jets or more Dorks (most likely not getting anymore Dorks)
Commutable from PIT right off the bat on reserve? Do you mean to PIT? The best thing I can tell you is that you are an S4, whereas CHQ, Trans States, MESA and all the other contract carriers are an S5. That means you get on the plane before they do, and the jumpseat. Say you commute from STL to PIT. TSA mainline, and sometimes PSA flys that route. If it is a PSA aircraft you can bump a mainline guy out of the jumpseat, but if it is a mainline aircraft you can only bump a contract pilot. If you jumpseat on a Trans States airplane, only a TSA pilot can bump you. After Aug 1 S4's (you, your spouce, and your parents) don't have to pay for "termpass" anymore, so basically you can travel free anywhere mainline, Express, or shuttle flys in the US and just pay taxes for international flights.
Pay rates? Not the best, and we just got a raise! Start at $20/hr and second year $24.75/hr. Per Diem went up to $1.45, but rumor is it will go back to $1.30 with this concession package we may or may not get to vote on. I will say this about our new contract, if you love working on your days off (10 guranteed) you can make a little extra money.
Good Company overall? I would say so, but with a limited knowledge of other places. PSA has its ups and downs, like any other regional. I like working for a USAirways wholly owned for the travel benefits for my wife and parents. The insurance through the company is pretty good. If you need to trip trade for a day off from opentime, you can usually do so with little trouble and sometimes scheduling will even help you out. What it all comes down to is the airplane. The 328 is a great plane and makes the day to day BS seem a little bit easier to handle, unless you are in an airplane without an APU. I guess the main thing would be the people. The people make the company, and the majority of pilots at this company are good people. Sometimes you have to dig real deep to find it , but just about everybody has a good heart at this company. I don't know about other companies, but PSA is pretty small (around 300 pilots or less) which makes it easier to get to know people (and also to know who to watch out for, but like I said most people here are pretty cool).
The interview? Look up aviationinterviews.com That should give you the latest.
Hope that helps!
