Enroute vs. Terminal

Cirrus12 Epic Member So. NH

There's also Cleveland Center.

JosueZQ8 Trusted Member Akron, OH

I grew up in the larger cities surrounding Oberlin (Lorain, Amherst, Elyria if you're remotly familiar with the area), but once my mother started her ATC career at ZOB and had the means to move us out of the city, she did. You said you were a "country boy", there's plenty of rural area's surrounding the center that you would probably feel REAL comfortable in. My parents built a house about 10 mins from the center, just on the outskirts of Vermillion and Amherst. It's perfect because they have 11 acres and their neighbors are like 1000ft away, but you still have the convienience of being close to the city accomodations.

I can't stand city life anymore now...lol I can't wait to buy a house where I can have my privacy!

At 1st, I thought Enroute would be tougher than Terminal, but having completed a course on the 7110, there's ALOT of crap Terminal has to know, it was almost overwhelming! lol As time goes on, I'm starting to think that Terminal might be tougher, for the reasons you stated.

CL4TKoff Trusted Member Sunny South Florida

Honestly, there is no part of ATC that's easy. No matter where you work, there is an enormous amount of info you need to learn, master, remember and make sense of.
Even if you work in a level 5 tower you have to know everything, its just easier caz you have about 10 planes or less an hour to work.
It may be tough, but only as tough as you make it. If someone really dedicates a lot of time and effort and really works their butt off, either one will be fun!
What makes it harder is if you hate your job. If you like it, then you enjoy it.
I hated my first job as a telemarketer, even though it was so easy, a caveman could do it.

JosueZQ8 Trusted Member Akron, OH

I agree. I'm well aware of the challenges that are in my future, but my hatred for my previous job in auto body, gives me all the fuel I need to achieve my goal!

CL4TKoff Trusted Member Sunny South Florida

Lolz, I had went to college 2 yrs to be an Auto Tech, and after working for 1.5 years, i realized very quickly I had to get out asap!
I feel the same way bro. I love cars, I just don't love changing the oil 35 times a day! lolz
I'd take ATC any day over all other professions no matter what the challenges are.

JosueZQ8 Trusted Member Akron, OH

I LOVE being able to take a car that's been wrecked, and make it look like new again, but OMG is it a CRAP way to make a living!! hahaha Took me like 5-6 years to realize that though....d'oh.

I'll always be doing side projects, but I'm looking forward to this avaition career.

BoomerSooner77 I am rubber, you're glue. Plano, TX

It's so easy a Lawn Gnome could do it...

Haha, I kid, I kid.

Rosstafari Daaaang. /X

Seconded. I used to have to drive about an hour and a half each way to a job for a half year... it's just too much. You're going to lose so much time on the road that you'll be spending your off time sleeping... and you'll go broke spending on gas before you ever get bumped up the pay scale.

Since some Centers are set away a bit from the city, if you're really attached to living in a more rural area, I'd suggest doing my research to try and narrow down places that are far enough out that you can find a nice country home without requiring too much of a drive. I hear ZTL is like that. Of course, there's no guarantee whatsoever that you'll even get a Center, so you're rolling the dice if you select the En Route Only option.

Bottom line... if you're set on staying in Michigan, En Route is out for you. There's no practical way to make it happen.

barty Trusted Member

ZTL used to be in the boonies, but now the 'burbs have almost surrounded it. I grew up about 10 miles away from there and the area has changed quite a bit since I moved out of that area bout 16-17 years ago. The biggest problem with it now is that alot of the area has gone to hell in a handbasket. Lots of corruption in the gov't and school system in Clayton County and Henry Co is getting overcrowded as hell. Fayette Co is a little better because the county commission hasn't let things get too out of hand, but you've pretty much got to stick to the southern half of the county unless you want to live in the same conditions as Clayton County. Peachtree City, south of Fayetteville and perhaps the Tyrone areas are really the only areas I could recommend to anyone unless you wanted to live on the other side of Henry Co, which really is in the sticks still.

BoomerSooner77 I am rubber, you're glue. Plano, TX

Why do you want to live in the sticks? People die out there.