Contract Tower and FAA

Ramstar13 Senior Member

Hey im looking for some help. I took a tentative offer with the FAA in September. They are supposively waiting for academy space before i start. Im running low on money noy having a job right now(recently out of military) living in expensive california. I got a contract job and i wonder if i should take it considering i will be working with the FAA, just dont know when. Is this smart? Ahould i take the conract job cause the FAA will take awhile?

Roddy_Piper Resident Knucklehead Vegas baby

heck yeah. easy money. the only downside might be that you'll burn some bridges if u hire on with Serco and then quit pretty quickly. however, if u plan on going faa fairly quickly you may not care about burning bridges with serco. so many people quit FCT for the FAA that it's not a big deal.

i would take it and quit when appropriate.

polo708 Epic Member tower

It will come down to what type person you are and how bad you need the job...

It will be good money but if you take it and leave a few months later there will be some upset people. Especially if you know you are leaving and choose to not tell anyone. On the other hand if you tell them that you have an FAA job and will leave very soon I doubt they will hire you.

A few other things to look at is that you are possibly taking that Serco job from someone who may really want it and plans to stay there. Also, if you happen to not make it in the FAA and washout that bridge with Serco is gone. The ATM does a type of survey when you leave with things like would they hire you again, how are your work ethics, why did you leave/quit... that sort of thing. If you washout then your chances of a contract tower job with them will be far fetched.

Buck Junior Member Online

It's very common for people to get FCT jobs while waiting for FAA. Depending on how far in the FAA process you are, it could still be a year before you get in and start collecting a paycheck. If it was me I would definitely take the job. The managers at FCT's see this stuff all the time. I would take the job and sometime later (after you are rated) tell him you just applied with the FAA for whatever reasons. When you finally get the call to go to school just try and make sure you put a notice in and tell him you didn't expect it to be that quick and you're very sorry. Usually if they are not totally blindsided they will understand but it all depends on your manager.

Ramstar13 Senior Member

Wow, i kinda feel bad now. Well maybe iy would be better to have a career with contract towers then? i have to do something. I put my resume online sunday and i had 4 job offers the next day so it seems like the contract towers might be hurting for people. But i was thinking, if i choose a careeer with Serco, Midwest, or RVA....that could mean i could be getting laid off easily since they re-bid on their contracts right???

Roddy_Piper Resident Knucklehead Vegas baby

yeah they re-bid, but they don't normally fire the people in place. the last contract Serco had Hawaii. they lost that bid and some stayed with the new company and some got fired/quit. i wouldn't worry too much about losing your job in that sense though. it's temporary anyway.

markthetape Senior Member

Contract towers are job's not careers. The only people that stay are ones that have retired or couldnt hack it in the faa or got fired in 81, the only way to compete is if they started some sort of pension and a decent medical package where you do not pay 1/4 of your check for bennies.

ATCBOY Trusted Member Screwston

couldnt hack it in the FAA?

markthetape Senior Member

meaning washed out

Raptor Rookie Dallas,TX

very few if any in contract towers are faa washouts. Some are people that have retired from the military or got out of the military and a waiting to get hired by the faa or are now over 31.