Ask the USAF ATC Instructor!

saw1879 Newcomer

speediebang,

How many folks are getting overseas bases out of tech school, at least retrainees?

ColtsATC Trusted Contributor Indy

still getting waxed in racquetball every thursday?

speediebang Senior Member Gulfport, Mississippi

First of all, don't make me come over there to kick your ass in the raquet ball court. Second of all, man that hurts!

ColtsATC Trusted Contributor Indy

I'll bring the cape and BK crown. Lets do this!!!

speediebang Senior Member Gulfport, Mississippi

For a long time overseas bases out of tech school was a thing of the past. However, they have realised that's stupid and started sending quite a few. As for retrainees, you should have your follow on location prior to entering the schoolhouse. Hint: catch a tour of the radar/tower facility you want to go to if possible. If not make sure you see your local AF facility. Get the Functional Manager's name and contact info and have the highest ranking mo-fo you can find to wheel and deal an overseas slot for you. It's definately possible. Also, if you slip into school without an assignment (very rare but happens) you have a better chance to get an assignment that you like due to you getting hosed. We have connections at the schoolhouse you may not have at your base to hook you up with.

Dude!!! You made it? Boy was I wrong! HA! J/K! Yeah I'll never forget the sight of your tats in my classroom. Anyway, yes they do need instructors there badly. The thing they REALLY need is GOOD instructors that want to be there. I must say that being an instructor is absolutely cake and is AWESOME for promotion opportunity for a young Airman. The schedule is the best one you will find in your career. Work 6-3, every other Fri off, weekends and holidays off, and never a problem to take your 2 weeks for Christmas because there is no studfents. It's awesome! However I really do caution. Because you pretty much teach the promotion test you may make rank quickly, that may be a bad thing. I went there as an E-4 and left 4 years later as an E-6. I missed out on being an experienced Watch Supervisor altogether and when I finally got out of there they expected me to be Superman. I had kick some massive ass because I was well behind the power curve for my rank. But at the same time I succeeded and so can you.
The local area and night life is awesome, you are surrounded by casinos, beaches, boats, and well that's it. But remember, if you are thinking of finding a hot lady out here, we have been named the fattest state again this year! HA! Housing is good, but the rent is a bit high due to insurance. Since Katrina the standard 800/year insurance on a home has skyrocketed to over 3K per. Expect to shell out for rent or insurance if you buy. Co-workers? Depends on who you hang with. Like any facility, you got your ups and downs. Overall, it was a great time there, but I was definately itching to get out. I stress this point: please read more on this site about every opportunity you have before you re-enlist so that you can do right for yourself.


CHOMP!!! THE DUAL TRACK IS BACK!!!!!!!!!! That was stupid to begin with, but as soon as the mastermind behind that stupid idea retired, we are back. All trainees are getting trained in both Tower and Radar ops. I agree totally that the product out of the school sucked when all they were trained on is one facility. I watched trainees in the RAPCON askk, "what is initial or the rectangle pattern?" WHAT???? Yeah we all believe the trainees will be better trained this way. So rest assured, they all will have at least some training time in both facilities.

mah584jr Newcomer

Hi I was wondering how busy the airspace is in the military compared to civilian?

I was thinking of joining up with the air force but I didn't want to become bored with light traffic.

How does one stay busy all day if operations are less at an AFB??

Thanks for your help.

speediebang Senior Member Gulfport, Mississippi

First of all, I'd like to say thank you for even thinking about helping us serve this country.

1. The airspace you will be controlling in the USAF is strictly terminal airspace. It is extremely rare that you will find yourself in a center situation, albeit a few I know of who are military liaisons in an enroute center in Iraq. You will be assigned to either a RAPCON (military TRACON) or Tower. Busy? Depends on your location. Controllers at Nellis AFB, NV or Eglin AFB, FL can tell you horror stories and about how they get their butts whipped on a daily basis. Keesler AFB will definately be among the slowest with maybe 70-100 ops a day (which includes just people flying through your airspace.) Some might say, however that even though the traffic at locations like Keesler is light, there is a certain complexity level (abnormal traffic patterns) that might keep you on your toes. Compared to the FAA, military traffic as a whole is well lower if considering traffic count. But, if you get a tower assignment, you will see operations that many civil ATC'ers do not get a chance to see or control, such as multiple aircraft doing pattern work, low approaches and the like. The norm in the FAA is straight in straight out (like I said it is norm, don't jump on me FAA'ers.) By volume the FAA has an incredible load however just to be able to do that. You will not normally see the level of responsibility in the USAF as they do traffic wise. That is as blunt as it gets.

2. You may get bored at many locations across the USAF, however no matter what, you will be proud to wear the ATC badge wherever you go. It will take years however to get to the point of boredom (assuming you have no prior ATC experience.) Even the FAA'ers will tell you, ATC is a constantly changing world and there will ALWAYS be something new to learn. But the USAF is most definately a step in the right direction if you want to control 6 months from now and get pretty damn good training for your future.

3. Don't worry, there is plenty of things that will keep you busy throughout your day. A huge perk about civil ATC is that many go to work, talk to a shit-load of planes, then go home. USAF on the other hand is handed many additional duties to accomplish should you have free time. That is where the majority of us get a chance to obtain management experience. It is amazing to figure that I joined the USAF to talk to planes, but at the same time I have learned to manage a facility, conjure up procedures, define new airspace, as well as learn what it takes to build an airport. Those types of experiences are invaluable compared to what you will get in the FAA. It is part of the USAF's plan to ensure you are taught to be more than a controller. They will teach you to lead from day one, as soon as you get facility certified you will be taught to train, then to supervise, and so on. YOu will have no choice but to learn. That is what keeps you busy even at the slowest places.

Besides, all you really want is the CTO or radar facility rating right? Then you can take your training and get your ass spanked by the FAA traffic. All we'll say is thank you for your service, when it's time for you to move on.

Radium Epic Member SoCal Tracon

Remedies for boredom include:
shooting the shit
trips to the smoke pit (even tho I dont smoke)
making fun of the tower people
playing spades
playing hearts
running sims
studying the .65
watching tv in the break room (go for the record of most time per shift!)
sneak in an xbox on the night shift!

I was rarely bored on a day shift, night shift/mid is a whole different story (see above list). Tho Bang is correct, you could always kiss ass and find something 'usefull to the AF' to do... I'm sure ur facility heads will have loads of things that you can do... like clean endlessly.

MikeATC Retired FAA, NATCA Member Nashville TN

Speedie,

You might want to amend this statement, "Compared to the FAA, military traffic as a whole is well lower if considering traffic count. But, if you get a tower assignment, you will see operations that many civil ATC'ers do not get a chance to see or control, such as multiple aircraft doing pattern work, low approaches and the like. The norm in the FAA is straight in straight out."

I've worked at 4 FAA towers and Approach Controls, and we see a lot of multiple pattern traffic, low approaches, SFO's, which includes C5's, KC135's, T1's, T38's, TEX's, T39's, as well as all the standard GA, and Commercial traffic that wants to do local training.

I know the military controllers at GUS tower don't work much traffic but their approach control is as busy as any FAA approach control, so you military controllers do have some busy facilities that rival some of the FAA AT-7 facilities.

speediebang Senior Member Gulfport, Mississippi

[QUOTE=MikeATC;56846]Speedie,

You might want to amend this statement, "Compared to the FAA, military traffic as a whole is well lower if considering traffic count. But, if you get a tower assignment, you will see operations that many civil ATC'ers do not get a chance to see or control, such as multiple aircraft doing pattern work, low approaches and the like. The norm in the FAA is straight in straight out."

QUOTE]

Very nicely done, Mike. By the way I love the name. HA! Anyway you are absolutely right, however I was just speaking on an "on average" basis and what he can expect. I assume most ATC applicants are always thinking level 12 in their head. But great info and please continue to hook me up when I run astray as I did in that statement. Thanks again for the input!