Question for the old guys...

sitonatack Newcomer

I've certified through one facility and am currently training at my second facility.....I'm in a training slump. I was ready for cert at the end of last year but changed training teams. I feel like I'm playing a whole new ballgame....My frustration level is through the roof. I hide it well, but it's probably getting in my way.

Any tips on how to break through this slump?

towerflower Junior Member Palm Coast, FL

Ask for a new training team or primary instructor. Seriously, I had something similiar happen to me. With me it had to do with training in the tracon, I could never figure out what mood my instructor was in that day. One day he expected me to terminate VFRs at 5 miles and the next day it was "why are you terminating them?". He would transmit over me just to give someone a wind check or altimeter setting--something I felt could wait. He was a good guy and a good controller but he was just frustrating me as well. So one day I went to the front office and requested a new primary instructor, they'll ask you why so just be honest. With me the next day it was changed.

Good luck

sitonatack Newcomer

Wow, that sounds pretty similar to what I'm going through. The overkeying is always unneccessary and poorly timed...plus he doesn't have anything nice to say about any of the female controllers here....so where does that leave me?

I'm a little hesitant to make waves at this point....I don't care what anyone thinks of me, I just don't want to hurt my career. Did you feel set back at all by requesting a new team?

Also, it's just my primary, not my secondary that I'm having trouble with...

Thanks for the help!

MikeATC Retired FAA, NATCA Member Nashville TN

First let me address why I removed the three post, the first was for name calling because several individuals who were concerned with how their training was going asked for our opinions. The other two were for being off topic or responding to DASAUTO's post.

For you developmentals or CPC's in training, you are just as responsible for the quality of your training as your OJTI's are.

If you are having conflicts within your training team, and it is a valid issue you should address it with your facility rep, training team, supervisor, or with whoever is in charge of training.

If you had a training team change and with the previous team you were doing well and then mid stream you have a training team change that adversely affects your training, then you need to address it with facility rep, training team, supervisor, or with whoever is in charge of training.

We are talking about your career, and that should never be taken lightly. You as a developmental or CPC in training deserve the best opportunity for success that can be provided, anything less is wrong.

You have to realize that you are working on someone else's ticket, if you screw up and your OJTI misses it, he/she is the one that buys the error, not you.

Earning that "TRUST" of your OJTI's is a huge hurdle to overcome and some OJTI's just can't let the trainee go and talk about possible issues later.

Be honest with yourself as well as your training team, if you aren't working well together management has the obligation to make a change to give you that fair and equal opportunity to succeed.

I caution you, don't become one of those individuals that make constant excuses, or blame someone else, be responsible, be truthful, and be honest.

ATC_ZDC_Retired Rookie North Carolina

I like towerflower's suggestion. I had a similar situation too where i was bogged down in my training ... to the point where they (the training team) were talking about me not making it through training. I requested and received a new training team and the difference was like night and day ... i flew through my next 3 sectors without a problem.

Sometimes chemistry is an intangible factor in success or failure. It's no different than working with certain crews and everything always seems to go wrong during the shift. Work with other crews and even the busiest, craziest nights go super smooth.

Change things up.