ATC RET 2003
No More Vectors
:yup:
forget about the FAA forever and enjoy your whole life!
merry xmas! forget about the FAA for a day and just enjoy living!
She said it is due to less money for training and new controllers after the renegotiated contract with the Union, eligible retirees suddenly staying on unexpectedly due to retirement account hits, and just the economy in general causing budget cuts across the board for the FAA.
Good call. Unfortunately, at 9:53, I thought of it again and came here.
You know, there's always CTI, y'all. I'm not trying to sound callous -- been waiting for longer than many of the regular applicants still here -- but putting in a couple years of college for a highly technical, six-figure job is a pretty sweet freaking deal. There are few very jobs where the median income is that high ($111,870 in May '06 according to the DoL), and nearly all of them require a whole lot more of a financial investment than what the FAA requires. There's also the contract ATC track.
Just something to think about.
You could do that, but depending on what facility you will be going to, you will be waiting just as long, if not longer than OTS.
...
So as long as you have a TOL, there's no need to go to CTI school. However.. if you don't have a TOL, you are right, it might be a good idea, with the competition increasing so immensely as of lately and the lines getting backed up, CTI will offer more of a secure future in ATC.
Yeah, that was aimed at the people earlier in the process, must not've been clear. Obviously there's no reason to go take classes if you've already got your TOL.
Good call. Unfortunately, at 9:53, I thought of it again and came here.
You know, there's always CTI, y'all. I'm not trying to sound callous -- been waiting for longer than many of the regular applicants still here -- but putting in a couple years of college for a highly technical, six-figure job is a pretty sweet freaking deal. There are few very jobs where the median income is that high ($111,870 in May '06 according to the DoL), and nearly all of them require a whole lot more of a financial investment than what the FAA requires. There's also the contract ATC track.
Just something to think about.
What is the contract ATC track?
Contract towers not manned by FAA emplyees. You generally need a CTO to be considered. Maybe CTI grads qualify, too. They will not hire OTSs though.
I know Robinson has hired people without prior experience before, but I don't know what the circumstances were, if it was a regular thing, or what. But I've met a controller at my home airport who missed the age cutoff for the FAA and went to RVA.
I'd go back and ask her more about it, but she's since left to control in Dubai(!). I met her just as the app process was getting started for me; had the opportunity come later when I knew more, I would've pressed her for all sorts of details.
In any case, to answer MariaChi's question... I don't know a thing about it. There's a Contract subforum on StuckMic, but I've never stuck my nose in -- it may have some information. Of course, the best way is probably to get in touch with the companies yourself.
There's a few stragglers from PUBNAT2 still around. Shoot, my first one was PUBNAT3, but ZSE didn't have any remaining selections for the 3/4 panels and I had to wait till 5/6.
While I'm happy for any JC user to get picked up and start classes, it kind of sucks seeing a bunch of people who you remember showing up on the forums well after you applied making it there before you.
They are using the pay raise as an excuse for everything right now. the fact is we are still getting payed less than we were in 2006....and will be for a long time coming.
The real problem is the renegotiation of the Raytheon contract and they are preparing for the possibility that they will not be able to handle as many students as they did before, I would not be surprised if after they negotiate with raytheon, they up the number of people coming through the academy back to where it was.
Robinson recently told me specifically that they will not be hiring anyone without 5 years experience.
<~~~~PUBNAT2 Straggler!