Signature Flight Reviews

Pros

Pretty flexible if I need time off, and aviation is a pretty interesting field to work in. I also think it's fun to see the celebrities that come through. Pays pretty well.

Cons

My bosses are crazy people. No personal/professional line. Double standards between management and hourlies all over the place. They are pretty obsessed with "performance measures" which means staff has to harass perfectly nice pilots for surveys, etc until they hate us. Very stingy with hours and benefits.

Advice to Senior Management

Please start to behave more professionally toward hourlies. If you don't like something, try to set a better example. Don't belittle.

Pros

* Work outdoors year-round in beautiful Bozeman/Belgrade area of Montana
* Good pay for semi-skilled blue-collar work in the area
* A very "cool" job getting to work around and with jets and fuel trucks
* Most of the people you'll work with are great and a lot of fun to work around
* Tons of responsibility and autonomy (but less autonomy then there was)

Cons

* Under Signature the job has become weighed down by layer-upon-layer of procedure and rules and BS. All the new rules and procedures are allegedly for "safety" purposes, but I worked there for five years with far less rules/procedures and no accidents or damage to aircraft, passengers, or crew. In my opinion, the smoothering rules and procedures come from an HR department with too much time, too much money to burn, given too long of a leash.
* Less autonomy then before
* Less respect and trust than before
* A pervasive feeling of being disposable
* Every man for themselves
* A sense that you can get fired for every little thing

Advice to Senior Management

Start treating the people that work the front-line (CSRS and Line Guys) with respect again. Stop hovering. Ease up on all the Signature regs and procedures--they're just there to keep somebody at corporate busy. Figure out what the heck people are supposed to be doing and then say it once and don't change it. Stop getting mad at people when they probably haven't heard (or understood) the latest change in procedure or policy. Stop worrying so much about losing your jobs that you abandon your team and make us feel that you're not our advocate.

Pros

Big company, part of a big group.
Holding company (BBA Aviation) have a clear vision of where they are going and where they want to be.
Employees in the 'front line' should be complimented for the job they do. They do it well despite the interference from those above.

Cons

Signature have values and push them down employees throats until they make you sick. This is all very well but the senior management take not a blind bit of notice of these values and I doubt they even know the meaning of the word integrity.......
As per previous coments regarding 'politics', the politics are so bad amongst the senior management it is unreal and in all reality you don't need the expense of a senior management team as you are only required to say 'yes Michael' to the president of the company. What he says goes, don't even think about trying to discuss it.

Advice to Senior Management

BBA need to take a cold hard look at the senior management team of Signature Flight Support, they are in a world of their own and have no idea what they are actually asking the staff at the front end to acomplish.

Pros

I love working around aircraft, even the smaller ones.

Cons

During my interview I stated that I couldn't work certain days for personal reasons Since then I have been hounded and even docked points on my review for not being able to work those days... then I was told "As an employer, that's not my problem." During the same review I was also docked points for not doing things that I had NEVER been trained or told were part of my job. And I even got docked points for asking management a question about my position. It's also really not fun to be in an environment where managers swear at the employees

Advice to Senior Management

You need to hire better management. Also, you should probably be on that show "undercover boss" to get a better idea of how things are actually working at the different locations... because it's NOT working.

Pros

Great company to work for to learn how to NOT run a company. Only pro would be being around airplanes.

Cons

Signature has no clue how general and coporate aviation operate. No loyalty to long term employes. Most employes are new because the turn over is so high.

Advice to Senior Management

Continue operating the same, all FBO's that you have not bought out enjoy the business. Listen to the many flight crews that want nothing to do with your company.

Pros

After working for the company for several years, it's difficult to understand why anyone with any sense of personal worth or ambition to better themselves would want to work for Signature Flight Support.

Cons

Signature's local management - like it's corporate leadership - is inept and bungling. The company pays its front-line employees next to nothing, yet expects them to provide a high level of customer service. Upper management is arrogant, heartless, mean-spirited and lacks character content. One should consider Signature as the last place to work.

Advice to Senior Management

The parent company, BBA Aviation, should consider nothing short of a complete corporate lobotomy to change the organization's leadership and corporate personality. Middle level managers sorely need training in management skills, need to be held accountable for their blunders, and must learn the fundamentals of ethical behaviour.

Pros

Never a dull day, always something new happening. If you like working with jets and pilots, then this is the place to be.

Cons

Poor feedback from management who seemed more interested in managing your hours than managing the company.

Advice to Senior Management

quit managing by spreadsheet and get out on the ramp to see what is going on at your facilities!

Pros

Never a dull day -- work with exciting, expensive aircraft and their affluent passengers in a fast-paced environment; customers usually tip well...that means cash at the end of the day for gas and food! Free cookies and popcorn, too!

Cons

Aviation is a very competitive industry. Unfortunately, management's ethics and attitude towards employees reflects this. At my location, if you didn't stay in the good graces of the people in charge, you had better be a perfect employee if you expect to keep your job...we all know no one is perfect, so unfortunately I saw a few people learning this rule the hard way. Company generally places the bottom line above employee's health, safety, morale, and sometimes even the customer experience. The other review describing the condescending attitude of management towards employees could not be more correct. I have also seen members of management bending and breaking safety rules after stressing their importance to the employees. The Long Beach HR Rep mentioned split her time between Long Beach and my location; so I can personally attest to her ineffectiveness. On another note, Signature is not a very respected FBO (Fixed Base Operation) in the Aviation community....just ask any corporate pilot....so if you're looking for a company that you'll be proud to work for, start your search with a smaller, independent FBO with local management that has built a solid reputation for good service.

Advice to Senior Management

Just as the previous review states, treat your employees with respect, and the company will reap the benefits. Your company is nothing without it's employees, so a little positive recognition and team-building goes a long way. Finally, use your employee's good ideas to improve employee morale and the customer experience.

Pros

There are education benefits, but at the Long Beach office, they are almost impossible to get out of the HR rep. You can learn the private aviation industry. You get to see politicians, sports teams and media stars.

Cons

Condescending management toward all workers, especially the linemen. Giving conflicting instructions to employees. Not following their own safety and customer service procedures.

Advice to Senior Management

Treat your employees with respect. If you have policies in place, adhere to them. Your employees want to make you profitable and ensure your success, listen to their opinions.