Preserving the People Behind the Smile

 

For more than four decades, Pacific Southwest Airlines was more than an airline. It was a family. Pilots, flight attendants, mechanics, dispatchers, reservations agents, and countless others came together to create a culture unlike anything the airline industry had ever seen.

Catching Those Smiles: Our Story with PSA is a celebration of that culture and the remarkable people who built it. Through personal stories, more than 1,000, rare photographs, historical documents, and firsthand memories, this book preserves the legacy of PSA for future generations.

Created by former PSA and American Airline employees and aviation professionals, this 475-page hardcover volume captures the humor, friendships, challenges, and unforgettable moments that made PSA one of the most beloved airlines in American aviation history.

Whether you worked for PSA, flew aboard the smiling airplanes, or simply appreciate aviation history, this book offers a unique glimpse into a company whose spirit continues to inspire decades after its final flight.

Available Now

Catching Those Smiles Hardcover
Launch Price: $115

Catching Those Smiles Heritage Package
Launch Price: $145

Celebrate the legacy. Preserve the memories. Share the story.

Preserving the People Behind the Smile

For years, former PSA employees shared stories with one another at reunions, retirement gatherings, museum events, and chance encounters. The memories were always the same: the friendships, the laughter, the unique culture, and the feeling of being part of something special.

Yet with each passing year, we realized that many of those stories were at risk of being lost.

Pilots, flight attendants, mechanics, dispatchers, reservations agents, managers, and support personnel all contributed to the remarkable success of Pacific Southwest Airlines. Together they built a company known not only for its operational excellence, but for a culture of respect, teamwork, humor, and genuine care for one another.

Catching Those Smiles began as a simple effort to preserve those memories. What started as a collection of personal recollections soon grew into a much larger project involving hundreds of photographs, historical documents, interviews, museum archives, and contributions from former PSA employees across the country.

The result is more than a book. It is a historical record of the people who made PSA unique.

Inside these pages, readers will discover stories of career beginnings, lifelong friendships, memorable flights, company traditions, family connections, and the shared experiences that created one of the most admired cultures in the airline industry.

Our hope is that future generations will not only remember the smiling airplanes, but also the remarkable people behind them.

Because in the end, PSA was never just about airplanes.

It was always about people.

What's Inside the Book?

Catching Those Smiles combines personal memories, historical research, rare photographs, and museum-quality archival material into a single volume that captures the spirit of Pacific Southwest Airlines and the people who made it special.

Inside you'll discover:

Personal Stories and Firsthand Memories

Read the experiences of PSA employees who lived the history, from their first days with the airline to the friendships and careers that shaped their lives.

Rare Photographs and Memorabilia

Explore hundreds of photographs, documents, uniforms, memorabilia, and artifacts that help bring the PSA story to life.

The Culture That Made PSA Different

Discover the unique values, traditions, humor, and sense of family that set PSA apart from every other airline.

Explorer Posts 1011, 2-727, 737 and the Next Generation

Learn how PSA inspired young aviation enthusiasts through Explorer Post 1011, creating pathways into careers in aviation and aerospace.

The People Behind the Operation

Meet the pilots, flight attendants, mechanics, dispatchers, reservations agents, customer service representatives, and countless others whose dedication helped build one of America's most beloved airlines.

A Comprehensive Historical Photo Appendix

Browse an extensive collection of images spanning decades of PSA history, preserving memories and milestones for future generations.

A Lasting Legacy

Reflect on the impact PSA had on its employees, passengers, communities, and the airline industry itself.

Whether you spent a career at PSA, flew aboard the smiling airplanes, or simply appreciate aviation history, this book offers a unique and deeply personal look at an airline whose legacy continues to endure.

The Heritage Package

For those who want something more than a book, the Catching Those Smiles Heritage Package offers a unique way to celebrate and preserve the legacy of Pacific Southwest Airlines.

Created especially for the launch of Catching Those Smiles, the Heritage Package combines the book with a collection of commemorative items designed for PSA employees, families, aviation enthusiasts, and collectors.

Included in the Heritage Package

✓ Catching Those Smiles: Our Story with PSA Hardcover Edition

✓ Historic PSA Archive Photograph

✓ Signed Author Group Photograph

✓ Commemorative PSA Heritage Pen

✓ Special Thank-You Gift Bag

 

Launch Price: $145

Whether displayed on a coffee table, shared with family members, or preserved as part of an aviation collection, the Heritage Package serves as a lasting tribute to the people, friendships, and memories that made PSA so special.

Heritage Packages will be available while supplies last.

 

 

Authors and contributors at the San Diego Air & Space Museum PSA Heritage Exhibit.

Meet the Authors and Contributors

Catching Those Smiles was created by former PSA employees and aviation professionals who shared a common goal: preserving the stories, memories, and culture that made Pacific Southwest Airlines so special.

What began as a simple idea soon grew into a collaborative effort involving authors, contributors, historians, photographers, museum archives, and former PSA employees from across the country.

Gregory M. Acuña

Former PSA Explorer Post 1011 member, retired American Airlines Boeing 787 Captain, United States Air Force veteran, and author of numerous aviation and historical works. Greg led the project and coordinated the collection of stories, photographs, historical research, and archival materials that became Catching Those Smiles.

Pat McCollam

Retired American Airlines Customer Service agent and former AirCal employee whose firsthand experiences, memories, and dedication helped preserve the unique culture and history of PSA for future generations.

Pearl Padovano

Former PSA employee and current American Airlines flight attendant, whose stories, photographs, memories, and enthusiasm helped bring the personal side of the PSA experience to life throughout the book.

Our Contributors

This project would not have been possible without the support of the many former PSA employees, family members, historians, and friends who generously shared their stories, photographs, documents, and memories.

Their contributions helped transform this book from a collection of stories into a lasting historical record of Pacific Southwest Airlines and the remarkable people who made it unforgettable.

To everyone who contributed, shared a memory, submitted a photograph, reviewed a chapter, or encouraged this project along the way, we offer our sincere gratitude.

This book belongs to the entire PSA family.

 

Launch Events and Availability

The release of Catching Those Smiles represents more than the publication of a book. It is an opportunity for former PSA employees, families, friends, and aviation enthusiasts to come together and celebrate the legacy of one of America's most beloved airlines.

San Diego Air & Space Museum Launch

September 23, 2026

Join the authors, contributors, and members of the aviation community as we celebrate the official release of Catching Those Smiles at the San Diego Air & Space Museum, home to the newly established PSA historical archive.

PSA Reunion Celebration

September 24, 2026

The celebration continues at the PSA Reunion, where attendees will have an opportunity to meet the authors, reconnect with old friends, share memories, and purchase signed copies of the book.

Signed Copies Available

During the launch events, signed copies of Catching Those Smiles and Heritage Packages will be available while supplies last.

Can't Attend the Events?

Copies may also be ordered online and shipped directly to your home, allowing former PSA employees, families, and aviation enthusiasts across the country to participate in preserving this important piece of aviation history.

Whether you join us in person or from afar, we invite you to help celebrate the people, stories, and friendships that made PSA unforgettable.

Because some stories deserve to be remembered.

And some legacies deserve to be preserved.

 

The PSA Heritage Archive Collection

The Pacific Southwest Airlines Heritage Archive Collection, donated to the San Diego Air & Space Museum.

 

Order Your Copy Today

Catching Those Smiles preserves the stories, memories, friendships, and history of Pacific Southwest Airlines in a way that can be shared with future generations.

Whether you were a PSA employee, family member, passenger, aviation enthusiast, or simply someone who appreciates a remarkable American success story, we invite you to become part of preserving this unique legacy.

Catching Those Smiles: Our Story with PSA (Hardcopy Launch Edition Book Only)

 

Hardcover Launch Edition, Launch Price: $115

A beautifully produced hardcover edition featuring personal stories, rare photographs, historical research, and an extensive photo appendix documenting the people and culture that made PSA special.

Reserve Your Hardocover Copy

 

Heritage Package

Launch Price: $145

Includes:

✓ Hardcover Edition of Catching Those Smiles

✓ Historic PSA Archive Photograph

✓ Signed Author Group Photograph

✓ Commemorative PSA Heritage Pen

✓ Special Thank-You Gift Bag

A unique keepsake package created especially for the launch of Catching Those Smiles.

ORDER THE HERITAGE PACKAGE

 

Launch Special

Free Shipping through December 31, 2026

 

Thank you for helping preserve the legacy of Pacific Southwest Airlines and the remarkable people who made it one of the most beloved airlines in aviation history.

The airplanes may be gone, but the stories live on.