Home > Aircraft> Flight Training

PSA started training flight crews again in 1965 to support the 727 operation. In 1967, Bill Shimp successfully negotaited a contract with Lufthansa to train 727 crews, followed by ANA. Lufthansa crews were put up at Brown Field; ANA crews based out of Montgomery Field in San Diego. PSA bought Crownair, a Piper dealer and FBO based at Montgomery Field, to support the operation.

Lufthansa training was moved in 1970 to Goodyear, AZ, a western suburb of Phoenix, where the school (renamed Airline Training Center, or ATC, then sold to Lufthansa in 1992 and renamed again) remains in operation today.

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PSA Helicopter (7917S), displaying joint PSA/Evening Tribune (newspaper) titles at Montgomery Field. (Mel Lawrence)

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Cherokee N841PS pauses between flights. (Mel Lawrence)

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Piper Aztec N237PS in operation. (Mel Lawrence)

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Piper Aztec N238PS at SJC. (John Stewart)


PSA Cherokee on the ramp, 1968.

The flight training fleet records are spotty at best, and this is what has been compiled over the years (primarily by John Wegg of Airways Magazine.) The YS-11s were operated for ANA pilot training and never painted in PSA colors. The Beech 99 was operated for flight training - I know of no pictures of the aircraft. The helicopters were used for training and short-lived scheduled service around San Diego.

The fleet statistics listed are from PSA archives. Most aircraft have been determined by use of photgraphs, and limited cross-checking of the FAA registry.

Fleet Information
FLN REG TYPE MSN LN HISTORY
0N7816SBell 206 Helicopter16PSA, 1967
Service to Hotel Del, Bahia, Town & Country Hotels
One month only, from SAN
Other details unknown
16N4916JPiper Aztec 28R-18028R-30635PSA /68
17N7917SBell 47 G4A7552PSA ?-69
Set 121 hr helicopter endurance record, 5-12-69
34N8134RBeech Bonanza F33ACE-524
36N236PSPiper Aztec 23-35027-3584PSA, 2/67
N111GK
C-GBRM
W/O 12/89
37N237PSPiper Aztec 23-35027-3585PSA, 2/67
CR Lebec, CA 6/11/69
38N238PSPiper Aztec 23-35027-3721PSA, 7/67
41N841PSPiper Comanche 24-26024-4684?PSA, 3/67
42N842PSPiper Comanche 24-26024-4685PSA, 3/67
N474CB
42N242PSPiper Aztec 23-35027-3722PSA, 7/67
N14401
43N843PSPiper Comanche 24-26024-4687PSA, 4/67
44N844PSPiper Comanche 24-26024-4694PSA, 5/67
45N845PSPiper Comanche 24-26024-4600PSA, 5/67
N846P
48N8148RBeech Bonanza F33ACE-526
49N849PSPiper Aztec 23-35027-3913PSA, 5/68 unconfirmed
CF-DNM
W/O 3/77
50N850PSPiper Aztec 23-35027-3916PSA, 5/68 unconfirmed
51N851PSPiper Aztec 23-35027-3919PSA, 5/68
CR Bonita, CA 10/13/70
52N852PSPiper Aztec 23-35027-3920PSA, 5/68
W/O 6/12/76 West Liberty, KY
52N8552RBeech Bonanza F33ACE-533
53N653LJLearjet 2424-126Short-lived 727 transition A/C
53N853PSPiper Aztec 23-25027-3928PSA
54N854PSPiper Aztec 23-25027-3896PSA
55N855PSPiper Aztec 23-25027-3895PSA
57N857PSPiper Aztec 23-35027-3732PSA
N14402
58N858PSPiper Aztec 23-35027-3762PSA
59N859PSPiper Aztec 23-35027-3897PSA
60N860PSPiper Aztec 23-35027-3898PSA
601N208PAYS-11A-2002082Cruziero del Sol PP-CTK 11/27/68-10/22/72
PSA training, 10/23/72-3/5/74
CR 3/5/74 Borrego Springs, CA
(Not painted in PS colors)
602N209PAYS-11A-2122091VASP PP-SMO 2/10/69-3/25/74
PSA training 3/23/74-8/1/75, STD 8/1/75
ANA JA8716 7/29/77-12/20/83
Mid Pacific N908TC 12/83-7/89
LT Trans Central 3/84-8/84
LT Forth Worth Airlines 12/84-9/85
Servicios Aereos Litoral XA-RPU, BU GWO /96
61N861PSPiper Aztec 23-25027-3899PSA
7N7307RBeech Bonanza F33CE-503WO Needles, CA 3/15/77
Mid-air with Mooney
78N7378RBeech Bonanza F33ACE-516
83N8583RBeech Bonanza F33ACE-538
84N8584RBeech Bonanza F33ACE-539
86N8586RBeech Bonanza F33A???
92N2292UBrantly B2464
99N4299ABeech 99U-146PSA 5/72-8/75
Replaced Cessna UC-78
Royale Airlines 8/75-12/87
LT Colgan Airways 12/86-12/87
Ameriflight 12/87

 

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