Current Controllers : A few questions!

Raydon Happy Camper OKC

If you are currently a CPC or developmental at an FAA facility:

What are some things you wish you had known more about before getting out to your facility?

1: Questions you wanted to ask or didn't realize you may have benefitted from asking during your interviews.

2: Steps/actions you could have taken which may have accelerated or eased the transition from the Academy to your facility.

3: Anything else that you feel anyone else going through the hiring process can benefit from knowing in advance?

4: What facility are you working out of currently?

Answer any/all that you feel comfortable with, this is just for brief personal reference.

**readers please do not take examples or situational information put forth in this thread as a reflection of FAA employment/operational standards as individual experiences can and probably will vary. this is for brief reference and here to aid you in making it through the fog-of-war which may be encountered as we all transition from lowly OTS applicants to developmentals and beyond!**

Thanks guys!

Raydon

archie_league Junior Member Chicago

1: ? No interview

2: ? No academy

3: Shut up, color between the constantly moving lines, and get to the finish line under the radar ASAP.

4: ORD

meatasaurusx Trusted Member Chi-town

I am currently a trainee at the Chicago TRACON (c90). I am an OTS hire so hopefully I'll be able to answer some questions for you.

My main piece of advise would be to contact your facility BEFORE you leave for the academy. Get a tour (i know some of you don't live where you have been hired), meet some of the people, see what the atmosphere of the facility is like, etc. A lot of the bigger facilities have a beginning class where you start learning a lot of the fundamental things to controlling at your facility, such as the airspace, company designators in your area, frequencies, adjacent facilities, letters of agreement, etc. When I toured before I left for Oklahoma, I was able to get a cd with all of the information on it. It was very helpful having this in advance because it was a lot of information to learn.

If you meet some of the controllers and managers at your facility, or at least are in contact with them, it can really help your transition from oklahoma. If you are not from the area, they may be able to recommend a place to live in the area. Also, it is a very good idea to contact your facility before you leave oklahoma so that you know what day they expect you to start and what time you have to be there. Remember, even though training is typically during the days mon-fri, there are never "regular" hours for this job, and every facility is different.

As far as any other information for someone who is in the hiring process, be patient. There are a large number applicants they are processing through so things can take time. It really is luck whether you will start training at the academy quickly or if you have to wait a while. I know that sometimes the hr people are not the easiest to get ahold of, and yes, ive been through all of that frustration as well. Just remember to work hard, but have fun while you are in oklahoma as well, because you will go crazy if you don't get out and do anything. Feel free to ask anything else if you have any questions, and I'll try my best to help you out.

mattrix2428 Rookie

on question three, keep in touch with Oklahoma City every week to find what your status is in the hiring process

Retnavyac Newcomer Dallas/Ft. Worth

Didn't have to go to the Academy since I am retired Navy....guess we are the only exception for now.

From what I have observed most of the FAA facilities aren't geared for the HR part of the job. Simple things like annual leave, sick time, how to request either, medical, dental, vision, etc...believe it or not I had to ask about calling in sick around 9 months after I got to the facility.

The training end is completely in your court...self motivation is a must...as it should be....if you're not motivated then find another job!

The people are great...most of the sup's are even good people....

ColtsATC Trusted Contributor Indy

Don't worry too much about your facility information until after you've passed OKC.

When you get to your facility...STUDY!!!! Don't be that guy dicking around all day. Trainers talk to each other and everyone pretty much knows what you do all day. You look like you don't care, then people are gonna be a lot less willing to help you if you start struggling.

Oh ya...Keep your mouth shut and do what the trainers says....even if you "already know that information". Just listen and do what they say. They like helping you if you listen.

brownchickenbrowncow Newcomer

I really feel like I'm beating a dead horse by saying this, but it really can't be stressed enough.

If you have no prior ATC experience, don't try to start out at any facility above a level 9.

I don't care how smart you are, how quick of a learner you are, or how much you want this career. It isn't worth it. All it takes a few mistakes (give a guy a clearance to cross an active runway that your trainer has to fix, put some guys nose to nose, or anything else that looks really bad) and your coworkers lose trust, and its hard to get that back.

Also, some facilities, ESPECIALLY high level TRACONS, are getting a huge influx of trainees. Now prior to about a year or so ago, these facilities NEVER accepted anyone who didn't have radar experience, let alone ATC experience. Everyone who went to these facilities was already CPC. Now they were forced by the FAA to begin training OTS hires, and they really don't have a training program that has been used and proven to work for these types of hires. I'm not saying they don't work, Im just saying its new and the washout rate is ridiculous. If you have no experience, I can almost guarantee you won't talk to a single airplane for at least 9 months, and thats if you're SUPER lucky or the agency gets desperate and checks you out based on need (or brownnosing; and an early checkout which would be bad for you, because you don't want to work complex traffic when you're not ready, for the sake of a good resume).

Go on airnav.com, and check out some of the instrument approaches some of the busy airports in new york have. At New York approach, you need to know all of the major airports' procedures like the back of your hand.

People who say they want to go to JFK and N90, and don't know the first thing about wake turbulence, clearly have no idea what really goes on in the world of ATC. Those facilities are where people get the idea that ATC is stressful. And at these places, it certainly is.

And believe me, plenty of level 9s can be harder than 12s. Their traffic count appears lower, but they may have so much VFR traffic and student pilot training that it becomes much harder.

Ideally, start off at a 6 or 7 (tower and radar for the best of both worlds) and your career will be much less stressful. Don't let money be your motivating factor until you can actually do the job.

If I knew what I know now about ATC, I would have taken the advice Im giving you now. I ended up at a level 6, and trust me, its waaaay more laid back than other places.

Good luck

Stan Marsh Senior Member The Beach

Award for the longest username ^

P_to_the_R Ruler of the Movement Area funkytown

my advice is to study hard at the academy and ask as many questions as possible from the guys and gals that watch you in the sims each day. they have a ton of experience and are eager to share their skills. i was military for about nine years prior so i coasted through the academy but they info i got from the trainers was helpful. as for your new facility...just study the airpsace, LOAs and other pertinent stuff for your operation. knowing that information verbatim quickly will assist you in learning the most efficient ways to apply that knowledge. i am chillin at PNE, watching deer cross the runway and mowers mowin. hope this helped!

meatasaurusx Trusted Member Chi-town

As a trainee at a level 12 facility with no prior experience, i for sure agree that it would be much better to start at a lower facility and work your way up to the top like many of the people in the faa have done in the past. with that being said, I didn't really have a choice in coming here. I was offered this facility and I'm sure most people would agree it would not have been wise to turn it down, especially since I wanted to stay in the Chicago area. With that being said, the training programs at these big facilities are getting much better at handling new hires. We have several people who are ots (and to settle the cti vs ots debate, both are considered ots in the eyes of the controllers) who are close to checking out in chicago, and there are more who have progressed fairly significantly in the training process so far and they are doing pretty well. The main thing is to always have a good attitude and to work hard. If you are seen studying and you know your information, then the controllers will want you to do well and they will be a lot more patient with you. If you come in with an attitude like "I already know this" or "this is easy" or "i don't need to study", then you will have a very, very hard time.

As far as the not talking to airplanes for 9 months, that isn't necessarily true. I started at my facility the beginning of march and I'm on the floor training on flight data. I'll probably start departures sometime next week, so I'll be talking to airplanes then.