flyingwriter Senior Member Niles, Michigan

# 1

OK, I'm a clueless newbie here with a few question on ATC, specifically on Enroute vs. Terminal jobs.

I'm someone who would prefer the enroute environment - I like the slower pace of centers, like the high altitude aspect, and I even like the dark, closed in feeling of centers and TRACONS! However, the biggest issue for me is location - specifically staying in Michigan, a state in which there are no centers. My top four location choices are Michigan, Michigan, Michigan, and Michigan. The nearest center to me is Chicago, and that's two hours away. If I go enroute it means an impossibly long commute or a painful move, neither of which are good.

So my question is - would it be better to apply for a terminal job in-state, or suck it up and commute or move to take an enroute position? I don't have any ATC experience, so I don't know much about this. Are towers really all that different from centers?

JosueZQ8 Trusted Member Akron, OH

# 2

You're going to get a bunch of different opinions on this topic, because that's what it all boils down to, everyone's opinion on if enroute is better than terminal.

I couldn't give you a list of differences between the 2 paths, aside from the obvious environment aspects, but I know enroute people still have to perform approach and departure control for some VFR towers and what not. Terminal only deals with airplanes up to a certain point, then they're done with them. As explained here at school, Centers are at the top of the hierarchy of ATC, everything gets handed down from there...

Roddy_Piper Resident Knucklehead SW Vegas

# 3

first, i wouldn't exactly call the pace of centers as SLOW. those are your busier facilities, even though u have a lot of airspace.

on your question about commuting...u couldn't pay me enough to drive 2 hours each way to work. that's just me. i would much rather move to chicago if your dead set on working at a center. again, that's just me. it won't take long until your miserable driving 4 hours a day for work.

if i were u, my choice would be to get chicago center and move, or just take a terminal facility closer to home.

JosueZQ8 Trusted Member Akron, OH

# 4

+1!

4 hrs a day is insanity!!!

How far are you from Detroit TRACON kazoo?

RC4524 Senior Member Corpus Christi, TX

# 5

From someone who used to drive two hours each direction to work... move. You can visit Michigan on the weekends. And to think I did it when gas was $1 a gallon. Besides, it would probably be much more than four hours a day... I'm not sure where the enroute center is in Chicago, but traffic within a fifty mile radius of the city is madness at times.

Just my two cents. Having never visited an enroute facility, I cannot offer any insight on the other question. Good luck!

JosueZQ8 Trusted Member Akron, OH

# 6

Chicago center is not actually in Chicago, it's west of the city in Aurora. (ZAU) Just like Cleveland center is located about 30 mins west of Cleveland, in Oberlin. (ZOB)

So that could possibly add more time, since the center is past Chicago.

flyingwriter Senior Member Niles, Michigan

# 7

Also 2 hours, maybe 1hr and 45 minutes if I drive over the speed limit.

I would rather just commute than move, as I would HATE to live in a city as large as Chicago! I'm a country boy. Besides, my life in Michigan isn't really something I'd be willing to give up. Four hours a day is tough, but not nearly as tough as being away from family, friends, and home.

If I had to move I'd pick Indianapolis or Cleveland Centers anyway, as I have family near those areas, and they're located in smaller cities.

flyingwriter Senior Member Niles, Michigan

# 8

Aurora's almost three hours away from me, so I don't think that's an option. Detroit TRACON may be, it's close enough. Oberlin's actually a place I wouldn't mind living in, good small town.

Puckhead Newcomer

# 9

Boils down to "swivelheads" vs. "mushrooms". Enroute generally makes a bit more $ in the end than all but the busiest terminal facilities, but if you ask around, the training schedule is positively brutal, in some cases taking years upon years to complete due to lack of trainers and a surplus of trainees. Terminal option usually provides a quicker check-out, but again, in most cases the $ isn't nearly as good. As far as switching opitions, I've been doing this for a long time, and I've seen a total of one (1) person switch from terminal to enroute after checkout, and that was a hardship case. It's not an easy argument, since anywhere there's a center there's usually a major airport nearby where they can stick you in the tower, which you've already been trained for in the past. I've seen 3 center people move to terminal option, but those were hardship cases also.

CL4TKoff Trusted Member West Palm Beach, FL

# 10

I'd prefer Terminal. Even though it may not be busier than EnRoute, I don't think it is much slower than Enroute either. But also there is more action; To me, EnRoute you monitor planes flying through your airspace, you are not always climbing or descending them or vectoring them [Don't get me wrong, I give an enormous amount of respect for EnRoute controllers]. 9 out 10 times in Terminal, a plane is either climbing or descending and there is a lot of vectoring going on. And I definitely don't want to be controlling airplanes all day and not see a single plane.
For the most part, EnRoute is where the $$ is at.

Try this ATC Sim, Free 15 trial.
It Simulates the job of a Terminal controller - You either can sequences planes for arrival, or you climb departures and send them off to the Centers.
See if it appeals to you.

Welcome to the ATCsimulator®2 Website

Good luck!

If the location is a deciding factor, ATC is definitely not easy,[don't forget how much time and dedication you would have to put in studying to check-out within the allotted time at your facility] and for doing a job like this, traveling anymore than 1 hour a day, you wont have any energy to enjoy a family life when you got home.
Either you move close enough to the facility you want, or take a facility closer to where you live if moving is not an option.

Listen to
http://www.liveatc.net/
And see what is actually going on in the Towers, TRACONs, and Centers around the world.