PSA Airlines is hiring for dispatchers. Good luck to those who apply. The job link is posted here:
PSA Airlines, Inc.
careers-psaairlines.icims.com
In terms of this regional, how is PSA Airlines as the first regional to work for as a dispatcher? What's good about the company and what needs improvement?
And on a personal note, I am ramper for the mainline that PSA is wholly owned by. What are odds of getting picked up by their mainline as a current employee of this airline?
First regional:
a) You will get pretty solid training as a dispatcher.
b) The ground school is going to be a little different now as they have a new Ground guy but expect a good introduction to actual dispatching. The OJT and Comp check are fairly thorough.
c) You'll get the chance to cut your teeth on high volume passenger flying
d) You'll will learn the pros and cons of being able to accept and give a good passdown
Good about the company:
Your fellow line dispatchers. They will take the time to actually help you improve your knowledge as a dispatcher and are exceedingly patient with you. (Although, sometimes this does involve a kind of verbal "thump" if you do something your peers consider to be stupid. But it's meant to help you be better at your job, so take it in stride and be a better dispatcher.) Stay a dispatcher for a year and you'll be well prepared for the next step in your career.
Needs improvement:
Every regional has things that can be improved upon. The dispatcher union contract is currently under negotiation and hopefully this will see some of the "needs improvement" items addressed.
Odds of being picked up by mainline:
I do not know of anyone in the last three years that has gone from dispatching at PSA to dispatching at "AA." YMMV
--------------------------
Some candid advice from one dispatcher to another about choosing how you present yourself and work at PSA:
Find a way to work there without asking too many questions or engaging with people that aren't currently actively dispatching flights with you until you really know the landscape and various personalities. In other words do not be a Peter Pan and more importantly try to avoid asking a coordinator questions until you know who they are and how everyone knows each other...if you think Dispatch and aviation are a small world, the IOC at PSA is even smaller. If you work on the ramp, I'm sure you'll be fine...you're used to navigating the various personalities in aviation. Just...really focus on keeping your head down for the first few months there. I wish I had done this myself.
Best of luck to you in your application there. I learned some hard lessons at PSA, and I have some residual anger with two individuals that currently still work there, but I learned a lot and I earned some good friends at PSA. I hope you get hired.
