FAA certificate & SOC

[rjh]

Copy of EMail from PHX-SOC Director:

Just a heads up. Tomorrow (Thursday) afternoon the FAA plans to announce where the FAA certificate office for USAirways will be located. As you know, the East FAA office is in PIT and the West FAA is in PHX. The decision will obviously be between PIT and PHX. This decision does not involve nor influence the SOC nor it's final location.

As a reminder, currently, the SOC in PHX is the controlling group for the West and the OCC in PIT is the controlling group for the East. As we announced earlier, once the certificate is merger, (expected to be April 2007), we will continue to operate two operations centers with the same East / West orientation. However, from a certificate standpoint, we have to designate one of the centers as the controlling center and that designation will be PIT. The primary reason for this decision is that Bob Maloney, Managing Director of the PIT OCC, will become the Managing Director of the combined airline's operations centers and his place of work is PIT.

Again, please do not confuse this designation (PIT as the controlling center) as an indication that the company has made any sort of decision on the final outcome of the SOC / OCC location. This evaluation process is still underway and neither the location of the single certificate, nor the location of the controlling operations center will influence the final outcome.

 

[USstew23]

Pardon my ignorance on this (and please no one turn this into another IAM/IBT, East acquired West or vice versa thread) but I thought that I read somewhere that they were keeping the original US Airways certificate because of the widebodies and the TransAt/Carrib. stuff. Or is this a whole other thing? Starting to get confused with some of this

 

[rjh]

Pardon my ignorance on this (and please no one turn this into another IAM/IBT, East acquired West or vice versa thread) but I thought that I read somewhere that they were keeping the original US Airways certificate because of the widebodies and the TransAt/Carrib. stuff. Or is this a whole other thing? Starting to get confused with some of this

Yes, this is an entirely separate issue. The FAA is only announcing where the certificate office will be located---which means where our POI, PMI, etc will be.

The email says the FAA office location will have no bearing on where SOC is. I hope that's true. Apparently, some HP managemnet felt the FAA gets way too involved. Having them away from SOC might help control them a little

 

[USstew23]

Yes, this is an entirely separate issue. The FAA is only announcing where the certificate office will be located---which means where our POI, PMI, etc will be.

The email says the FAA office location will have no bearing on where SOC is. I hope that's true. Apparently, some HP managemnet felt the FAA gets way too involved. Having them away from SOC might help control them a little

So the certificate will be in PIT? Well let's hope just for the fact that we keep our CSI from East. That CSI (Cabin Safety Inspector) from West is something else from what I hear.

 

[PHX-F/A]

So the certificate will be in PIT? Well let's hope just for the fact that we keep our CSI from East. That CSI (Cabin Safety Inspector) from West is something else from what I hear.

Oh boy, you really really really don't want her!

 

[a320av8r]

In the east we have an excellent working relationship with our FAA office. We have been working together on cutting edge programs such as the altitude awareness program which has become an industry standard. Our pilots Advaced Qualification Program (AQP) we train under has also been rated as the best in the industry (Cactus pilots are gonna like it). These could not have been accomplished without the hard work and dedication of all parties- FAA, ALPA, US Airways during the most difficult times. I understand that west doesn't have such a relationship.

 

[USstew23]

Oh boy, you really really really don't want her!

I've heard that she is pretty insane!! I have worked with ours from East and I think she is great!!

 

[BoeingBoy]

Just some idle thoughts since I have no preference except hating to see more folks having to choose between moving/commuting most of the way across the country or finding other employment (from either side).

US has proven that OCC/SOC doesn't have to be where the headquarters is.

Just can't see operating two OCC/SOC's indefinitely. Even if it isn't less costly, orchestrating operations during irregular ops would seem to be a lot easier with one.

Jim

 

[rjh]

Just some idle thoughts since I have no preference except hating to see more folks having to choose between moving/commuting most of the way across the country or finding other employment (from either side).

US has proven that OCC/SOC doesn't have to be where the headquarters is.

Just can't see operating two OCC/SOC's indefinitely. Even if it isn't less costly, orchestrating operations during irregular ops would seem to be a lot easier with one.

Jim

I agree Jim. When we start sharing crews & airplanes it will be confusing. I think a better setup for when we have 1 certficate/2 ops centers: have each center handle separate fleets, instead of east/west ops.

Of course, I hope SOC stays in PHX ..but in a way it would be nice to have the SOC away from HQ . .less managment types walking through! lol

 

[Twicebaked]

I've heard that she is pretty insane!! I have worked with ours from East and I think she is great!!

I agree!!! Joanie and Nate are great to work with.

 

[rjh]

From US Daily:

FAA DESIGNATES PIT TO MANAGE US OPERATING CERTIFICATE
Yesterday, the FAA announced its plans to manage the new US Airways combined operating certificate out of their PIT Certificate Management Unit (CMU). Until we move to a merged operating certificate - currently planned for April 2007 - the pre-merger America West certificate will continue to be managed by the FAA's PHX CMU. The FAA's PIT CMU already manages the pre-merger US operating certificate.

Please note that the FAA's plans to manage the combined operating certificate out of their PIT office does not involve - nor does it influence - the airline's decision on a final location for our SOC/OCC operations.

Once the HP and US operating certificates are officially merged, we will continue to operate both centers with the same orientation/responsibilities they hold today. The only difference is that our FAA certificate requires designation of one of these centers to be the "controlling center." Since Bob Maloney - the managing director for the combined airlines' operations centers - is located in PIT, the PIT OCC will be designated the controlling center to the FAA.

--------------------------
They say this won't influence where the combined SOC will be located, but I'm not convinced. It doesn't seem quite right that the FAA certificate office would be thousands of miles away from both HQ & SOC.

Kinda scary.

 

[USXboy]

Looks like PIT will remain to be OCC for the New USAirways. The FSDO handling an airline wants to be near the operational center of the airline --- so they can review records & go over data more easily.

 

[rjh]

Looks like PIT will remain to be OCC for the New USAirways. The FSDO handling an airline wants to be near the operational center of the airline --- so they can review records & go over data more easily.

That's what I'm thinking . .although I don't think the FAA really has any say over where the SOC will be.

 

[SegmentKing]

That's what I'm thinking . .although I don't think the FAA really has any say over where the SOC will be.

I'm in the process of aquiring my own Part 135 Certificate. Right now its based in Virginia (not sure what FSDO) and we're going to bring it down to Florida. We'll notify the FAA / DOT of what we're doing, change of ownership, etc and be assigned the MIA FSDO. The FAA will have NO SAY in what office oversees my airline, I will. If I find out I don't like the MIA FSDO, I'll move it north to an area that is covered by the FLL or MCO FSDO.

Same with USAirways. USAirways told the FAA that the "main" technical offices of the airline will be PIT *KOFF* "OCC", so then the FAA made the decision to make the PIT FSDO in charge of the USAir certificate. *KOFF*.

Again, FAA had NO say in this... they just went off the guidance of what USAir told them.

Does this mean SOC is going to close? Not technically. Does this mean OCC is going to stay open: Most definiately.

 

[ano zira]

Copy of EMail from PHX-SOC Director:



Again, please do not confuse this designation (PIT as the controlling center) as an indication that the company has made any sort of decision on the final outcome of the SOC / OCC location. This evaluation process is still underway and neither the location of the single certificate, nor the location of the controlling operations center will influence the final outcome.

the above quote needed to be repeated/highlighted.

note: plans currently being developed for a usairways corporate campus at hdqs.
construction is scheduled to be completed by 2008.
what a great opportunity for a new state of the art soc/occ consolidation in tempe/phx for the new usairways.


US Airways makes more plans for corporate campus