Contract Tower job questions

meadelz Senior Member

Hi all,

Couple of questions. First though a little history. I have a CTO with only CTI experience. I was in the middle of hiring freeze in early 90's and was tired of waiting around for FAA to call. Decided to take my life in a different direction. Soon after I was offered a job at NY Tracon. I turned it down because of my circumstances. Call me crazy, but don't really regret it. I have stayed in Aviation Business (self employed) ever since. Now, by FAA standards I'm old and gray at 35. Would still love to get into contract tower somewhere. I'm a pilot, have maintained my 2nd class medical and have my CTO in my wallet. Seems like all FCT's require more experience than I have, however, would bet that given an opportunity would be able to walk on almost anywhere and get promptly checked out. Suggestions? Thoughts? My chances?

Thanks

Roddy_Piper Resident Knucklehead Vegas baby

suggestion is to apply and call the hiring official at the company u wish to work. your chances are decent enough. there's a shortage of FCT controllers with the hiring going on in the faa. as u will see by all the Serco openings, there is many to be had.

Link to Serco jobs

p.s. there's no way to know that you will promptly get checked out, so don't say that to your co-workers if u get hired. just show them, instead of telling them.

meadelz Senior Member

after re-reading my post, I sound like I've got a bit of an attitude..... I really don't. Honestly. Certainly wouldn't walk into any facility and announce I'd like to be FPL by days end. Serco seems to want the experience...... Who knows, it's never easy.

Thank you for responding.

noid Curtis E. Carr Jawja

If you'll go to TX, I'm sure RVA will pick you up.

You just have to call like rowdy said. That's the only way you'll know for sure.

Buck Junior Member Online

I work for RVA currently and I can tell you there are multiple postings weekly for jobs. I've seen majority for south Texas but others as well. RVA Robinson Aviation - Home and apply. Good luck.

meadelz Senior Member

Seems as though RVA's online application process is so exhaustive that you are defeated before you get started. Have CTO, will travel!!! They want the last 6 towers you have worked at. I've only worked one, so how will I fit in???

Thanks for the advice.

Roddy_Piper Resident Knucklehead Vegas baby

if they really want the last 6 towers, their fooling themselves. most people have not worked that many towers. except maybe in the military. although in the military their all pretty much the same type of towers. either you worked heavies, or u worked jets, or u worked a combination of the two. so basically only 3 types of towers. hardly the 6 towers they are asking for.

when i first got out of the air force i only worked at one tower (and one deployment, so i guess 2 towers) for my entire 8 years. i got picked up no problems and adjusted just fine with the limited experience of 1 tower. hint of sarcasm.

all u need is 1 tower to get hired. the contract tower companies are crazy if they require anything in the vicinity of 6 tower ratings to be "seasoned". you'll be just fine with your "only 1 tower". trust me on that. i learned more in 2 years at IWA (an FCT tower) than i did in 8 years of AF tower experience. i further doubt that 20 years of AF experience would've given me the experience and knowledge that i gained from that FCT tower in only 2 years.

best of luck and don't feel like your a lesser controller because u only worked 1 tower.

polo708 Epic Member tower

Serco cant be hurting that bad... they just sent us 12 applications to fill one slot. Many werent sent because there was too much time between now and the last time they actually controlled traffic.

As for the last 6 towers?? I call BS, either that or wishful thinking.

geardown Junior Member GA

I applied to RVA as soon as I got out of the military. I never recieved one phone call or e-mail concerning the applications I filled out. The crazy thing is that I did get 3 offers to work RVA contract towers. Now the only reason I got those offers was because I knew someone at all three facilites. Never once did they look at my application. They just told me to e-mail my resume to the regional director of RVA. Basically what I saying is that you either have to know someone or just start taking tours of the facilities to get to know someone.

Roddy_Piper Resident Knucklehead Vegas baby

oh damn...that many. i think we got 3 for the opening we have right now.