Trans State Arlines
- Thread starter TopGunn
- Start date
TopGunn
Well-Known Member
1000/100
DragonStar45
Stuck on the Left Seat
Did you have an internal recommendation, like the one in the addendum section of TSA in airline apps?
TopGunn
Well-Known Member
Check your inbox.
TopGunn
Well-Known Member
From a TSA Pilot ::
The point is this: Trans States Airline should not be "plan A" for anyone. This is the most dysfunctional airline in the existence in the entire regional world.
Let's break it down...
1) Training: A complete joke. All of our training manuals were largely stolen from other airlines, such as ExpressJet and American Eagle. The only upside to training is the instructors at Flight Safety. Yes, there are a few bad ones there (or were, I think they've been weeded out), but most of them have a lot of good knowledge, experience, and will teach you more about the 145 than anyone in the in-house training department.
2) Morale: The worst I've ever seen. The disgruntled American Airlines pilots have nothing on ours. Our airline makes a jail sentence look like a vacation. Never in my life have I seen a larger group of miserable people. Not a single captain I've ever spoken to has said, "Yeah, it's not so bad here." Every captain, without fail, hates this place. Management lackeys don't count.
3) Corporate Image: We're run by a group of inbred backwater schmucks. Or corporate headquarters is a disgusting mess of nastiness. It's dark, dingy, hasn't been updated in many years, and it's just generally disgusting and embarrassing. I've been inside the headquarters of a few other regional carriers, and ours is, by far, the worst. Saying a double wide at the approach end of 30R would be an improvement is the understatement of the year.
4) Schedules: Terrible. 10 days off a month on reserve. 11 days off a month with a line. That's a joke. Captains that have been here for 10 years are getting 12 days off a month. 12 days. Count 'em. Also, God forbid you ever have to make a call to anyone in crew scheduling. I'm not sure where we get our schedulers from, but they're the worst in the industry. They're all incompetent, have absolutely zero deductive reasoning, and can't think outside the box. Example: Trying to get released one hour early on days six is a "no go" to them. They fail to realize that we're effectively worthless at that point, but just to show us who is boss, the constantly deny reasonable requests to leave early to catch a flight back home. Schedulers know that this place sucks, know that pilots hate it, and love to be as rude, condescending, and unhelpful as possible to make this place just that much worse.
5) Location: A cesspool. I don't care what anyone on here is saying about St. Louis. It sucks. It sucks. It sucks. It's a filthy cesspool of the worst people you will ever meet in your entire life. I've lived in a lot of places, but St. Louis takes the cake for the worst. I've seen the downtown area, and it's as bad as everyone is making it out to be. I'm convinced that the only people that like St. Louis are the people that were born and raised there and have never lived anywhere else. They think it's the holy grail of places to live and conveniently ignore every negative published statistic about the place.
6) Job Security: We're a privately owned company. We have no board to report to, we have no shareholders to appease, we have no earnings to publicly report. That creates a huge shroud of secrecy and leads people like Fred Oxley to tell us that we're somehow losing money yet we can afford to purchase Compass Airlines for cash. That's besides the point, but the fact is that as a pilot, you're just a number and completely expendable in the eyes of Trans States. Holdings doesn't care whether Trans States Airlines continues to operate or folds entirely. They have two other airlines with newer equipment, less operating cost, and longer contracts in place.
Additionally, we're losing more flying in December as we're losing another three planes for United. The only hope we have right now is that US Airways feels sorry for us and continues to let us suck at the teet long enough to buy us time to find flying elsewhere. That, however, will most likely not happen. In short, the job security and outlook at Trans States is gloomy, at best.
7) Management: Liars through and through. The pilot/management relationship is a sour, hateful, scored venture. Management has never been a reasonable group of people, they are not your friends, they are not your buddies, and they will back stab you at the first opportunity they get just to have a good laugh later at your expense.They consistently treat the pilot group as if we're just a bunch of inept five year olds . I've never heard of an airline calling pilots in on their days off to talk to the Chief Pilot because they called in sick. Mind you, that's calling in sick once in four years. That's just absolutely mind boggling.
In all fairness, there is one person in management that seems to care. That person is the new DO. Whether or not it's just some sort of ploy to make us seem like someone cares, I do not know, but he seems like a reasonable person and, if so, he deserves a hell of a lot better than to be mixed in with the rest of the characters in St. Louis.
8) Pay: Not even worth discussing more than saying that it sucks and adding this quick quip. Guess what? Second year pay for pilots and flight attendants is the same. Read that again, again, and again. Let it sink in. Tell me how dirty you'd feel making the same as a flight attendant on year two. Let us not forget that they did not have to spend years gaining experience to become a flight attendant. Also, just to make you feel a bit better, they get more days off than we do. Oh, and cherry on top, they don't have a union. lol. I mean, really, that's all you can do... laugh. Otherwise you'll go insane.
So, why am I here? Better, why is anyone here?
I'm here for one reason: I needed to get current again. Every time I wake up on my last day off, I feel physically sick just thinking about the fact that I have to come back to this God forsaken place. With that being said, I'm out as soon as I get my logbook updated and find another regional that will hire me. That day can't come soon enough.
The captains are still here for one of two reasons. Either they are St. Louis born and bred (draw your own assumptions), or tried to go elsewhere and just couldn't hack it at a major. The first officers are still here because most have so much time invested at this airline that they don't want to go back to first year pay at another regional and end up back on probation. Most first officers are on third year pay (or greater) which means that Trans States has them locked in just enough to prevent them from leaving.
This place should have been burned down a long time ago. Personally, I hope, wish, and pray every night that the union strikes and this place goes under. And I'm certainly not the only one that feels this way. In fact, 90% of what I've written isn't even my own personal sentiments, it's really how most of the pilot group feels.
TL;DR: In short, do yourself a favor and do not, under any circumstances, come to Trans States Airlines. Every person that shows up to class is just helping to cultivate this poisonous culture. It needs to stop. I realize that I'm part of the problem, which is why I am bailing as soon as humanly possible. Do not chase the quick upgrade. Do not chase the jet. Do not believe a single positive thing that anyone tells you about this place. Go to a regional that will treat you with respect and as a valued employee. Go to a regional where, if you have to be there ten years, you will enjoy your job and at least feel like you have a decent job and a life to go along with that job. Trans States Airlines provides none of that; this place needs to be shut down for the good of everyone involved--the pilots and regional industry alike.
The point is this: Trans States Airline should not be "plan A" for anyone. This is the most dysfunctional airline in the existence in the entire regional world.
Let's break it down...
1) Training: A complete joke. All of our training manuals were largely stolen from other airlines, such as ExpressJet and American Eagle. The only upside to training is the instructors at Flight Safety. Yes, there are a few bad ones there (or were, I think they've been weeded out), but most of them have a lot of good knowledge, experience, and will teach you more about the 145 than anyone in the in-house training department.
2) Morale: The worst I've ever seen. The disgruntled American Airlines pilots have nothing on ours. Our airline makes a jail sentence look like a vacation. Never in my life have I seen a larger group of miserable people. Not a single captain I've ever spoken to has said, "Yeah, it's not so bad here." Every captain, without fail, hates this place. Management lackeys don't count.
3) Corporate Image: We're run by a group of inbred backwater schmucks. Or corporate headquarters is a disgusting mess of nastiness. It's dark, dingy, hasn't been updated in many years, and it's just generally disgusting and embarrassing. I've been inside the headquarters of a few other regional carriers, and ours is, by far, the worst. Saying a double wide at the approach end of 30R would be an improvement is the understatement of the year.
4) Schedules: Terrible. 10 days off a month on reserve. 11 days off a month with a line. That's a joke. Captains that have been here for 10 years are getting 12 days off a month. 12 days. Count 'em. Also, God forbid you ever have to make a call to anyone in crew scheduling. I'm not sure where we get our schedulers from, but they're the worst in the industry. They're all incompetent, have absolutely zero deductive reasoning, and can't think outside the box. Example: Trying to get released one hour early on days six is a "no go" to them. They fail to realize that we're effectively worthless at that point, but just to show us who is boss, the constantly deny reasonable requests to leave early to catch a flight back home. Schedulers know that this place sucks, know that pilots hate it, and love to be as rude, condescending, and unhelpful as possible to make this place just that much worse.
5) Location: A cesspool. I don't care what anyone on here is saying about St. Louis. It sucks. It sucks. It sucks. It's a filthy cesspool of the worst people you will ever meet in your entire life. I've lived in a lot of places, but St. Louis takes the cake for the worst. I've seen the downtown area, and it's as bad as everyone is making it out to be. I'm convinced that the only people that like St. Louis are the people that were born and raised there and have never lived anywhere else. They think it's the holy grail of places to live and conveniently ignore every negative published statistic about the place.
6) Job Security: We're a privately owned company. We have no board to report to, we have no shareholders to appease, we have no earnings to publicly report. That creates a huge shroud of secrecy and leads people like Fred Oxley to tell us that we're somehow losing money yet we can afford to purchase Compass Airlines for cash. That's besides the point, but the fact is that as a pilot, you're just a number and completely expendable in the eyes of Trans States. Holdings doesn't care whether Trans States Airlines continues to operate or folds entirely. They have two other airlines with newer equipment, less operating cost, and longer contracts in place.
Additionally, we're losing more flying in December as we're losing another three planes for United. The only hope we have right now is that US Airways feels sorry for us and continues to let us suck at the teet long enough to buy us time to find flying elsewhere. That, however, will most likely not happen. In short, the job security and outlook at Trans States is gloomy, at best.
7) Management: Liars through and through. The pilot/management relationship is a sour, hateful, scored venture. Management has never been a reasonable group of people, they are not your friends, they are not your buddies, and they will back stab you at the first opportunity they get just to have a good laugh later at your expense.They consistently treat the pilot group as if we're just a bunch of inept five year olds . I've never heard of an airline calling pilots in on their days off to talk to the Chief Pilot because they called in sick. Mind you, that's calling in sick once in four years. That's just absolutely mind boggling.
In all fairness, there is one person in management that seems to care. That person is the new DO. Whether or not it's just some sort of ploy to make us seem like someone cares, I do not know, but he seems like a reasonable person and, if so, he deserves a hell of a lot better than to be mixed in with the rest of the characters in St. Louis.
8) Pay: Not even worth discussing more than saying that it sucks and adding this quick quip. Guess what? Second year pay for pilots and flight attendants is the same. Read that again, again, and again. Let it sink in. Tell me how dirty you'd feel making the same as a flight attendant on year two. Let us not forget that they did not have to spend years gaining experience to become a flight attendant. Also, just to make you feel a bit better, they get more days off than we do. Oh, and cherry on top, they don't have a union. lol. I mean, really, that's all you can do... laugh. Otherwise you'll go insane.
So, why am I here? Better, why is anyone here?
I'm here for one reason: I needed to get current again. Every time I wake up on my last day off, I feel physically sick just thinking about the fact that I have to come back to this God forsaken place. With that being said, I'm out as soon as I get my logbook updated and find another regional that will hire me. That day can't come soon enough.
The captains are still here for one of two reasons. Either they are St. Louis born and bred (draw your own assumptions), or tried to go elsewhere and just couldn't hack it at a major. The first officers are still here because most have so much time invested at this airline that they don't want to go back to first year pay at another regional and end up back on probation. Most first officers are on third year pay (or greater) which means that Trans States has them locked in just enough to prevent them from leaving.
This place should have been burned down a long time ago. Personally, I hope, wish, and pray every night that the union strikes and this place goes under. And I'm certainly not the only one that feels this way. In fact, 90% of what I've written isn't even my own personal sentiments, it's really how most of the pilot group feels.
TL;DR: In short, do yourself a favor and do not, under any circumstances, come to Trans States Airlines. Every person that shows up to class is just helping to cultivate this poisonous culture. It needs to stop. I realize that I'm part of the problem, which is why I am bailing as soon as humanly possible. Do not chase the quick upgrade. Do not chase the jet. Do not believe a single positive thing that anyone tells you about this place. Go to a regional that will treat you with respect and as a valued employee. Go to a regional where, if you have to be there ten years, you will enjoy your job and at least feel like you have a decent job and a life to go along with that job. Trans States Airlines provides none of that; this place needs to be shut down for the good of everyone involved--the pilots and regional industry alike.
Center_Mid
Well-Known Member
Now THAT'S a rant. Holy crap.
undflyboy06
Well-Known Member
Because they know that you're to good for them.
Sebbles
Well-Known Member
I got a call for an invite to an interview on the 19th. I thought that they only have the EMB-145, how does one get the ATR? I'm really wanting to fly a turboprop. I have a class date with Great Lakes and would probably take the Lakes job just to fly a turboprop. I haven't accepted the invite yet.
crazyjaydawg
Well-Known Member
Do you have the times for colgan/mesaba?
You could always try AE and hope to get the atr
Sebbles
Well-Known Member
I tried AE and was rejected due to the number of checkride failures (at least I think so), as well as Colgan/Mesaba. I spoke with a woman at Mesaba about my resume and she said Colgan is doing the hiring (I don't have their mins.) but mesaba isn't interviewing right now since they have a pool of people waiting to go to class. I have 830/100. I was hoping that Colgan/Mesaba would work out 'cause I want to fly the Saab, but I'll take anything at this point.
Has anyone interviewed recently at TSA?
Has anyone interviewed recently at TSA?
Gonzo
Well-Known Member
Why? It sucks (I have time in the ATR). Outside of the Q-400 you have no APU your down in the WX all day.
undflyboy06
Well-Known Member
This is the way I see it. Down in the weather all the time builds the best experience. It helps develop the core of decision making skills that will be needed when you want to advance your career. The decision to climb or descend depending on the type of icing you are getting; (rime or clear). Which side of the thunderstorm do you want to divert around; (depending on the direction the anvil is pointing and winds the SW side).
I'm currently in an aircraft that puts you in the weather. I've learned so much more about flying in aircraft that put you in the weather from the past 1.5 years then I ever did flying for the regionals in the EMB. Here, Sebbles can have an excellent opportunity to get a chance to experience both; weather flying and building good skills in a 121 environment.
However, I do agree that having no APU Sucks.
SpiraMirabilis
Possible Subversive
All the Dash-8s have APUs, although at Mesa they ripped ours out to save a few hundred pounds of useful load.
BTpilot
Living the...dream?
All of Horizons old turtles don't have em either.. (Commutair flies them now)
Sebbles
Well-Known Member
This is the way I see it. Down in the weather all the time builds the best experience. It helps develop the core of decision making skills that will be needed when you want to advance your career. The decision to climb or descend depending on the type of icing you are getting; (rime or clear). Which side of the thunderstorm do you want to divert around; (depending on the direction the anvil is pointing and winds the SW side).
I'm currently in an aircraft that puts you in the weather. I've learned so much more about flying in aircraft that put you in the weather from the past 1.5 years then I ever did flying for the regionals in the EMB. Here, Sebbles can have an excellent opportunity to get a chance to experience both; weather flying and building good skills in a 121 environment.
However, I do agree that having no APU Sucks.
Exactly my reasons. I see turboprops as "where the action is" and when I was active Army, I was the same way, "Send me to the 'front line' Top". At this point I'll take whatever comes my way so I can get away from instructing. TopGunn, how did your interview and are you in training, what are you thoughts of TSA so far?
Gonzo
Well-Known Member
This is the way I see it. Down in the weather all the time builds the best experience. It helps develop the core of decision making skills that will be needed when you want to advance your career. The decision to climb or descend depending on the type of icing you are getting; (rime or clear). Which side of the thunderstorm do you want to divert around; (depending on the direction the anvil is pointing and winds the SW side).
However, I do agree that having no APU Sucks.
Into a airplane that flies above the WX.
Action is bad. It is a job (A job I like) I don't want action at my job. All I want to do is go to work get paid and come home to my family and friends. TopGunn ended up at SkyWest so my guess is he has no clue about TSA.
bretthullrampage
Well-Known Member
Have you applied at Piedmont?