PSA hiring, again.

Here are just a few examples of how operations run there. As stated before they had not one, but two flights dispatched to airports that were closed for airshows. They had a dispatcher dispatch to a closed airport for construction and when advised, his remark was " well, we'll see what happens". When the computers went down in dispatch and the dispatchers as a group decided to use their "operational control" stop all departures. The Director of Network Ops called the hub, from home,and told them to go ahead and release the flights. The same Director stated that PSA can fly anywhere in the United States and not need an alternate if the weather didn't require it. I guess the Director of the dispatch group hasn't read his companies OpSpecs or know anything about C070. This company also thought that a ceiling was required for dispatch and to shoot an approach, until I showed them the original advisory circular that came out in the 70's which explained use of a ceiling. Yes I was pulled into the office about my fuel loads. However when I pointed out a flaw in their program and was able to show that I carried less fuel than most dispatchers on a certain day the answer was, "we are done here". No one has gotten in trouble for adding an alternate when they felt like it was needed because most don't know when an alternate is required and the alternate minimums. Your not learning anything on the job there.

Has anyone on this forum spoke up from a major that started their dispatch career at PSA and went from there to a major. Doubt you can find one. So go ahead to anyone considering PSA as their first dispatch job. I would bet money that you will leave there for another regional or a supplemental before you get hired by a major.
 
jrdownunder said:
Here are just a few examples of how operations run there. As stated before they had not one, but two flights dispatched to airports that were closed for airshows. They had a dispatcher dispatch to a closed airport for construction and when advised, his remark was " well, we'll see what happens". When the computers went down in dispatch and the dispatchers as a group decided to use their "operational control" stop all departures. The Director of Network Ops called the hub, from home,and told them to go ahead and release the flights. The same Director stated that PSA can fly anywhere in the United States and not need an alternate if the weather didn't require it. I guess the Director of the dispatch group hasn't read his companies OpSpecs or know anything about C070. This company also thought that a ceiling was required for dispatch and to shoot an approach, until I showed them the original advisory circular that came out in the 70's which explained use of a ceiling. Yes I was pulled into the office about my fuel loads. However when I pointed out a flaw in their program and was able to show that I carried less fuel than most dispatchers on a certain day the answer was, "we are done here". No one has gotten in trouble for adding an alternate when they felt like it was needed because most don't know when an alternate is required and the alternate minimums. Your not learning anything on the job there.

Has anyone on this forum spoke up from a major that started their dispatch career at PSA and went from there to a major. Doubt you can find one. So go ahead to anyone considering PSA as their first dispatch job. I would bet money that you will leave there for another regional or a supplemental before you get hired by a major.
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Now it can't be all bad. They'll promote any idiot to coordinator after six months. No operational knowledge necessary. Hell, you can be the manager of dispatch without having a clue. So if you want to work at a place that promotes based on incompetance. PSA is for you!
 
PlaneFan82 said:
Well, the FAA has yet to revoke a dispatch license. Send a letter of warning or a suspension of privileges? Sure....but remember, it's the kindler, gentler FAA now.

Although I have never worked there, I have been told by former employees they have a huge culture problem especially when it comes to safe and legal operations. I know the previous management regime was also to blame, but I've also heard so pretty bad stories about their ASAP program and how confidential information gets "leaked" to management and those not on the ERC.

That would concern me----culture is everything at an employer. At the end of the day, experience is experience. Get hired, make some money, start putting your resume out to other carriers (regional, supplemental, major). Use it as a springboard to get the gist of things, dispatch some planes, and cash in on those flight bennies during your time off.


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Click to expand...

I went to the head of safety about his at PSA after being co fronted about an ASAP I filed. I was NOT happy about my name being thrown out with it. Nothing happened with it and they told me that "that is the way the company interprets the ASAP program."


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CS0290 said:
I went to the head of safety about his at PSA after being co fronted about an ASAP I filed. I was NOT happy about my name being thrown out with it. Nothing happened with it and they told me that "that is the way the company interprets the ASAP program."


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Click to expand...

Then you sir have recourse with the Feds. There are CFR parts covering ASAP and that's a violation of their MOU. That needs to be escalated up the AFS chain.


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PlaneFan82 said:
Then you sir have recourse with the Feds. There are CFR parts covering ASAP and that's a violation of their MOU. That needs to be escalated up the AFS chain.


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He did one better, he left. That place sucks.

Yes. They have some serious cultural and systemic problems that will not change until Daddy Harks is removed from rule. Until then, everyone will just continue to pretend they have a clue.
 
Watching a flight today (friend going to a funeral) they need some help up there. Inbound diverted due TS over the airport, came back, got in, turned out. Took off and head east 30 mins only to find out they didn't have a way to get through the Wx and headed back west for almost an hour before ending around the Wx... And diverted again. I'm guessing they didn't have enough gas to get there after the extra 90 minutes ( on 65 minute flight)

Oops.

Then again. Same segment different flight departed 10 minutes later, headed west and did the end around and into destination no problem.. So some body got it right :-). Make them the trainer.
 
Wall of weather btwn ord and day? 690lbs extra and no altn. SEND.
Now is this a QTC or DQT, the 10am meeting is quickly approaching!
 
CPZ9900 said:
Cut them some slack. They learn on the job there.
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Im sure the passengers appreciate their incompetence when a flight air returns for not enough fob. But it's for the good of the company and our job security eh?
 
Some interesting reroutes tonight for sure.

13516656_10208495378095378_3329572663810555311_n.jpg
 
maksvell said:
Hmm... interesting choice to go that far to the west. I'm wondering why didn't they try to shoot thru that gap in the middle.
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I don't think ATC gave them a choice, but I fortunately was not on a domestic desk tonight so had no personal experience with it myself.
 
CPZ9900 said:
When do we get to vote ZDC off the island. They are the worst. Hands down. ZOB is a close second.
Click to expand...

Yea, but they actually have the traffic numbers to warrant the crap they do. ZHU is the worst. They'll shut down the DOBBI arrivals from the Northeast for tops at 250 and make a flight from ATL go BNA.SGF.FSM.BYP.CVE.DRLLR3 and they DON'T have the traffic to do dumbass reroutes like that. They push the worst traffic management initiatives and at the worst time too.
 
jrdownunder said:
Has anyone on this forum spoke up from a major that started their dispatch career at PSA and went from there to a major. Doubt you can find one. So go ahead to anyone considering PSA as their first dispatch job. I would bet money that you will leave there for another regional or a supplemental before you get hired by a major.
Click to expand...

:eek2:

Here's a surprise for you. I started at PSA, did my time, and moved on. Directly to a major. So yea, there have been people who have moved from PSA directly to a major. It helps if you can act like an adult, do your job, and excel at it instead of whining like a spoiled child who thinks they are owed something. Sure management has guidelines and policies; show me a company that doesn't. You bet management there doesn't care one bit about the employees (except the ones who are their friends); very few companies do and if you want to keep complaining about it you're fighting a losing battle. Hell American flat out hates us and they don't even try to hide it. It isn't their job to be our friends; it's some bean counter's job to figure out how to squeeze every last penny and the most productivity out of us. Yep culture sucks there. I butted heads many times with various people over it. I have some bad news for anyone whining and complaining about the cultures and policies at a regional. Guess what? They exist all over, even at majors. For all my dad did trying to teach me about good work ethic (it worked) it's largely BS. A lot of things happen in life because of who you know. Some people can help you and some will hurt you. And there are always going to be people you work with and people above you that you don't like. Grow up, Buttercup. The sooner one realizes and accepts those two things the better off you'll be.


Someone posted the following in the "How to become a dispatcher at Southwest" thread" and I tweaked it a little bit:

Get your license
Get a dispatcher job
Get some experience, but not too much. 2 to 3 years is my guess (more of the right experience is better here)
Be punctual, reliable, and do good work in that job. Focus on developing your reputation. Do not be thinking about dispatch and do not have your eye on the door. Offer to help with whatever needs doing. (I tend to disagree a bit here. Keep your eye on your prize, keep working towards your goal and keep it in sight.)
Make a visit(s) to the NOC (IOC, OCC, whatever they want to call it) for observation and networking.
Get in with ABC Airline in whatever position you can.
Be patient.
Click to expand...

It really is that simple. It's not rocket science. You can listen to their policies and such on min fuel but YOU are the dispatcher. YOU have operational control. YOU are responsible for that flight not someone sitting in a comfy office arguing about delay codes. So grow a pair and act like it. There are so many tools out there to help us do our jobs. If you don't like a line of weather it's up to YOU to do something about it and route that flight around it. We all know forecasts are never wrong right?? If you see something that looks a little shaky and you don't like it throw on that extra hold fuel or an alternate. Someplace I looked at the other day had SCT100 or something and VCTS all day. Didn't require an alternate but you bet your ass I had one on. And hold fuel.

I'd be willing to bet some of the people complaining about culture and not being able to get to a major are the same types of people who were there when I was. Great people but had no business cleaning an airplane let alone dispatching one. The kind of people who thought, "Well the computer did it" was an acceptable response when being called out by a captain for something stupid. If you think that's acceptable you deserve to be at a regional for life and I have no sympathy for you. If, on the other hand, you become proficient at your job, go above and beyond, and out forth some effort you'll probably move up and be just fine. Life is full of choices. Which kind of dispatcher do you want to be? I can tell you it's very rewarding when senior captains tell you they are happy to see your name on their release.
 
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BigFellor said:
:eek2:

Here's a surprise for you. I started at PSA, did my time, and moved on. Directly to a major. So yea, there have been people who have moved from PSA directly to a major. It helps if you can act like an adult, do your job, and excel at it instead of whining like a spoiled child who thinks they are owed something. Sure management has guidelines and policies; show me a company that doesn't. You bet management there doesn't care one bit about the employees (except the ones who are their friends); very few companies do and if you want to keep complaining about it you're fighting a losing battle. Hell American flat out hates us and they don't even try to hide it. It isn't their job to be our friends; it's some bean counter's job to figure out how to squeeze every last penny and the most productivity out of us. Yep culture sucks there. I butted heads many times with various people over it. I have some bad news for anyone whining and complaining about the cultures and policies at a regional. Guess what? They exist all over, even at majors.


Someone posted the following in the "How to become a dispatcher at Southwest" thread" and I tweaked it a little bit:



It really is that simple. It's not rocket science. You can listen to their policies and such on min fuel but YOU are the dispatcher. YOU have operational control. YOU are responsible for that flight not someone sitting in a comfy office arguing about delay codes. So grow a pair and act like it. There are so many tools out there to help us do our jobs. If you don't like a line of weather it's up to YOU to do something about it and route that flight around it. We all know forecasts are never wrong right?? If you see something that looks a little shaky and you don't like it throw on that extra hold fuel or an alternate. Someplace I looked at the other day had SCT100 or something and VCTS all day. Didn't require an alternate but you bet your ass I had one on. And hold fuel.

I'd be willing to bet some of the people complaining about culture and not being able to get to a major are the same types of people who were there when I was. Great people but had no business cleaning an airplane let alone dispatching one. The kind of people who thought, "Well the computer did it" was an acceptable response when being called out by a captain for something stupid. If you think that's acceptable you deserve to be at a regional for life and I have no sympathy for you. If, on the other hand, you become proficient at your job, go above and beyond, and out forth some effort you'll probably move up and be just fine. Life is full of choices. Which kind of dispatcher do you want to be? I can tell you it's very rewarding when senior captains tell you they are happy to see your name on their release.
Click to expand...
All the yesses!
 
BigFellor said:
:eek2: Here's a surprise for you. I started at PSA, did my time, and moved on. Directly to a major. So yea, there have been people who have moved from PSA directly to a major. It helps if you can act like an adult, do your job, and excel at it instead of whining like a spoiled child who thinks they are owed something. Sure management has guidelines and policies; show me a company that doesn't. You bet management there doesn't care one bit about the employees (except the ones who are their friends); very few companies do and if you want to keep complaining about it you're fighting a losing battle. Hell American flat out hates us and they don't even try to hide it. It isn't their job to be our friends; it's some bean counter's job to figure out how to squeeze every last penny and the most productivity out of us. Yep culture sucks there. I butted heads many times with various people over it. I have some bad news for anyone whining and complaining about the cultures and policies at a regional. Guess what? They exist all over, even at majors. For all my dad did trying to teach me about good work ethic (it worked) it's largely BS. A lot of things happen in life because of who you know. Some people can help you and some will hurt you. And there are always going to be people you work with and people above you that you don't like. Grow up, Buttercup. The sooner one realizes and accepts those two things the better off you'll be. Someone posted the following in the "How to become a dispatcher at Southwest" thread" and I tweaked it a little bit: It really is that simple. It's not rocket science. You can listen to their policies and such on min fuel but YOU are the dispatcher. YOU have operational control. YOU are responsible for that flight not someone sitting in a comfy office arguing about delay codes. So grow a pair and act like it. There are so many tools out there to help us do our jobs. If you don't like a line of weather it's up to YOU to do something about it and route that flight around it. We all know forecasts are never wrong right?? If you see something that looks a little shaky and you don't like it throw on that extra hold fuel or an alternate. Someplace I looked at the other day had SCT100 or something and VCTS all day. Didn't require an alternate but you bet your ass I had one on. And hold fuel. I'd be willing to bet some of the people complaining about culture and not being able to get to a major are the same types of people who were there when I was. Great people but had no business cleaning an airplane let alone dispatching one. The kind of people who thought, "Well the computer did it" was an acceptable response when being called out by a captain for something stupid. If you think that's acceptable you deserve to be at a regional for life and I have no sympathy for you. If, on the other hand, you become proficient at your job, go above and beyond, and out forth some effort you'll probably move up and be just fine. Life is full of choices. Which kind of dispatcher do you want to be? I can tell you it's very rewarding when senior captains tell you they are happy to see your name on their release.
Click to expand...

Bam!

I am a firm believer that one's attitude has so much to do with their success. We've all been or will be at a less than desirable shop on the way up. To me, it is how you handle that time. Draw whatever positives there may be - even if it's the simple fact that you're getting a paycheck and experience to add to your resume. Granted, it may be crappy practical experience because the training sucks or there are little to no resources, but it's experience nonetheless. Make it what you will. And that is where attitude comes into play.

And for God's sake, when you've actually made it to a major, don't waste your time and energy complaining about what an awful place brand X was and tearing that place down on a public forum. Get over it. Release the negativity. Be happy. Be grateful. Life is just to dang short.
 
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