ATC to AAF

[WorldWarIII 0]

Hey everyone!

I'm an Air Traffic Control student/trainee in upstate NY, looking to begin jumping later in the year. At school I've received my Private Pilot's Certificate and will be a Control Tower Operator in May.

Skydiving has fascinated me for years, and I've now begun to take a very serious look into licensing and beyond. For whatever reason, I've grown increasingly dissatisfied with the hiring process for Air Traffic Controllers. On top of that, I have wanderlust like you wouldn't believe, and cannot for a second see myself settling down. While I'm young enough (19 at present), I want to enjoy life for what it is. So that's why I'm here.

I'm sure some of you have been at this crossroads before, where you aren't quite sure what path to take. Yet to me, it's almost like I'm being irreversibly drawn down the path of a career jumper. I don't seek riches or fame, just memories and new perspectives.

Well anyway, I'm glad to be here, and look forward to learning as much as I can and more!

Regards,

WW3

"Some kind of high-powered mutant never even considered for mass production. Too weird to live, and too rare to die."

[rsb5267 0]

just start out doing it for fun man. I don't understand why people want to make skydiving a career before they even try it. Also, keep in mind you'll be spending a great deal of money looooong before you make any appreciable amount of money at all in this sport. Even so, the earnings are modest in the long run at best.

[WorldWarIII 0]

Oh, don't get me wrong, I'm absolutely going to get into it for fun. But if I did start jumping regularly, I would love to help out beginners. I've always admired the work that my flight instructors and controller trainers have put in to see others succeed.

Everyone knows ATC is an insanely lucrative career to get into, but while I'm going to school in the meantime, I'd rather have a gas-money type of job that I'd actually enjoy.

"Some kind of high-powered mutant never even considered for mass production. Too weird to live, and too rare to die."

[JohnMitchell 14]

WorldWarIII

Everyone knows ATC is an insanely lucrative career to get into, but while I'm going to school in the meantime, I'd rather have a gas-money type of job that I'd actually enjoy.

I spent 29+ years as an ATCS at Seattle Center and loved every minute of it. I also made a steady 200+ jumps a year on weekends, holidays and vacations. Could have made many more but we also had 4 kids and those commensurate responsibilities. You'll make fewer jumps and have crappier gear if you do quit a lucrative career and get a gas-money type job with low pay, little vacation and probably no benefits.

In the past I've gone to many exotic boogies riding in the cockpit with the flight crews as a paid day of work. How cool is that? Get your min. wage job and you'll be left behind as all your better paid friends take off to Costa Rica in the middle of the winter while you shiver in the snow.

Professional skydiver? Get a couple of hundred jumps before you even think of doing that. It can be done but it's a long road before it pays off. I've seen some make a career, but I've seen many burn out in 5 years or so. It looks all glamorous but it's hard work.

Remember, as an ATC you can retire after 25 years with a nice pension. I'm 56, still in good shape, and get that monthly pension check. I made 15 jumps last weekend, about half working AFF and tandem, the others just for fun. Next week I'll be on the North Shore of Oahu jumping. Not bad, eh?

I actually miss ATC. I wish I could have worked another year or two, but the age limit kicked me out the door. I know being a trainee sucks, but stick it out. Once you get checked out, life is pretty good.

[WorldWarIII 0]

Thanks for the reply! I really appreciate the unique perspective. The FAA is always throwing me for a curve with their constant changes to the hiring process, but with your example, I'd be a fool to pass it up. I absolutely love my training, and every controller I've talked to loves what they do.

Applying and getting denied for the time being is a great introduction to the "hurry up and wait" I've been hearing about from the agency, but I'll use that free time to my advantage to at least get my A-license.

I'm sure I sound really eager to get the ball rolling, but for an outsider like me, this stuff is exciting as hell!

"Some kind of high-powered mutant never even considered for mass production. Too weird to live, and too rare to die."

[skymama 35]

Welcome to the forums!
I live in the land of skydivers who are part of many facets of the industry (near DeLand, FL). I have to tell you, even they get burned out on their jobs even though they are "living the dream". I always get a good laugh when a group of world champion skydivers that I know (who all have at least 10,000 jumps) end up at the golf course on a beautiful weekend day instead of the dropzone!

She is Da Man, and you better not mess with Da Man,
because she will lay some keepdown on you faster than, well, really fast. ~Billvon

[WorldWarIII 0]

Thanks for the welcome!

I had a good laugh a few weeks ago talking to a Gulfstream G650 pilot who couldn't wait to get out of the corporate flying routine. I almost wanted to stop him right there, look him in the eyes and say "BUT YOU FLY A G650!" A job is a job is a job I suppose.

I know I'd love to work for the FAA one day, and the opportunities that Mr. Mitchell described are hard to find in any other career. Every time a new opening to go to the Academy in OKC pops up, I'll be first in line to apply. Working traffic (even at the small airport I receive my college training at) is something satisfying I find hard to describe to others. I'm sure you all can relate when you're confronted with the "perfectly good airplane" cliche.

It's one thing to feel like I've hit a roadblock, but occasionally I need that reminder that I'm still 19. I've got nothing but time at this point (something I'm quick to forget, as in my first post), and your posts are really the pep talk I needed.

So, I'll be hitting the local DZ in the next few months, but if I do get that golden ticket to Oklahoma City, I'd be happy to fly with you any time! And if any of you find yourselves in some sleepy Class Delta airspace in New York, tell your pilot to say hi on the freqs!

"Some kind of high-powered mutant never even considered for mass production. Too weird to live, and too rare to die."

[Grzybekystan 0]

Are you a CTI student?

This last hiring bid strongly favored CTI and off the street hires. Many current and previous controllers were pretty much told they didn't have the aptitude for a job they have done for years.


ATC is the most rewarding, pain in the ass job there is. Nothing better than pushing busy traffic.

You're 19. You have until 31 to get hired. Make sure this is the job for you. I've washed out plenty of people who I now have to ask to scramble my eggs. Just be sure to take criticism lightly and remember coffee will be your best friend.

[WorldWarIII 0]

I'm actually not CTI, but rather from one of the few programs that offered a CTO. My second year of the degree has me training in position at a county-owned tower.

There's a few other programs I know of that offer a similar experience, but they are for-profit and insanely expensive. I go to a state school only 20 minutes from my house and will have my tower ratings and pilot's license for a fraction of the cost.

As for the February bid that the FAA opened up, I myself did not make it past the new questionnaire that was added. However, two of my classmates (in a class of 7) did. It's frustrating that the questionnaire more or less reduced the process to a lottery, but there's nothing to do but adapt. I certainly know I have the aptitude to control, and consistently score the highest in evals in my class, so it's not something I'll be giving up on until I age out. I actually applied about a week ago for an Air Traffic Assistant position just to get my foot in the door with the agency for the time being.

It's a waiting game for sure, I just need to kill the time until I'm selected.

"Some kind of high-powered mutant never even considered for mass production. Too weird to live, and too rare to die."

[Grzybekystan 0]

That questionnaire has been screwing alot of people over.

[WorldWarIII 0]

It is a pain, but I have a feeling it won't last very long in its current form.

They could easily fix it by changing the weight of responses around. That way "I am a Control Tower Operator" counts more than "I would rather live in a tree house than a cave", logically.

With the FAA's current logic, the two previous classes that graduated before me (all licensed controllers) were not accepted. Yet two current students without any certifications made it. And one is repeating a year after failing his CTO evaluation! I'm happy for them since they're two of the hardest working people in the class right now, but some of those previous grads are getting close to that age-31 deadline. Government logic is... interesting.

I'm glad that the FAA is at least hiring after the sequester chaos last year. If it wasn't for the questionnaire, I would be pretty content with the changes they made. Having one pool of applicants to draw from makes much more sense than having veterans compete against veterans, CTI against CTI, and off-the-street against off-the-street.

If I get the Air Traffic Assistant position in Palmdale, that would be ideal. I'm so used to the whacked out weather here in NY, that a quasi-ATC position in Cali sounds pretty good. I'm sure there's an abundance of jump-worthy weather and DZs to choose from in SoCal.

"Some kind of high-powered mutant never even considered for mass production. Too weird to live, and too rare to die."