ATC age max?

[Low&Slow]

Yesterday, a woman I'm friends with asked me how she can become a controller, or if she can at her age. She's still relatively young, only in her upper 40s. She said she'd been thinking about it for the past few months and only asked me because I'm a pilot.
I told her that I don't have any idea, but told her I'd ask around to find out if, where, how long, and how much it would cost to do that.
So, can anybody throw me a bone here and tell me what to tell her, or show her where to look, who to call, etc?

 

[Luigi]

I think the max age for the academy is 31.

 

[mskldrmn]

Unfortunately, the cutoff age is 30. I did see a handful of waivers, but they were people just over the cutoff who had been applying before they were 30.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

 

[RDoug]

You have to be in the agency by the last day of the month in which you turn 31 years of age.

 

[Low&Slow]

Thanks everyone!
Kind of a silly rule to have, but it is what it is.

 

[RDoug]

Thanks everyone!
Kind of a silly rule to have, but it is what it is.

The rule is in place because of the mandatory retirement age, which is the last day of the month in which you turn 56. If you hire on much over the age of 31 the agency can't get enough years out of you before retirement.

 

[cezzna]

It's a young persons game. My roommate from college is already retired at age 51.

No more direct HOXIE for me.

 

[cmac88]

There's always a shot of her working at a contract tower... not really a career spot but I guess it would depend on her situation. The age thing sucks for those a little late to the game but it's needed. There are some who can certainly stay after 50 but we already have a few that need to retire. She could always get into dispatching if she just likes aviation.

 

[Low&Slow]

Okay thanks for clarifying. Fifty-six is usually too young to be retired, and too old to start a new career. They should move it out to 60 or maybe 65.
Fifty-six years old and back on the street at square zero has gotta be a rough transition for most people. I know plenty of guys that stayed in the military until they were forced to retire at 60 though.
They all seemed to do well after, as far as I know. A few started a new career, and some others just went on vacation. All of them were either E7+, CW4 or CW5, or O4+.
Is ATC retirement pretty good so you can live off of it? I know it's none of my business really, I'm just curious.

 

[ShyFlyer]

Fifty-six is usually too young to be retired, and too old to start a new career. They should move it out to 60 or maybe 65.

I believe it's the typical stress levels controllers experience that have the mandatory retirement age so low.

I think the only way to get hired after 31 is to have prior DOD/Military controlling experience and there might be a limit on how long one can be out of the DOD/military before hiring as well.

 

[Low&Slow]

That's interesting @ShyFlyer . I remember talking with an AF controller about 8 years ago and she said that they don't receive any civilian credit or certification as a military controller.

 

[ShyFlyer]

I remember talking with an AF controller about 8 years ago and she said that they don't receive any civilian credit or certification as a military controller.

Interesting. I've got a buddy that's in the Air Guard as a controller and once he completed training, he had civilian and military certs. Perhaps it's a recent change or a Guard thing?

 

[NovemberEcho]

That's interesting @ShyFlyer . I remember talking with an AF controller about 8 years ago and she said that they don't receive any civilian credit or certification as a military controller.

Your AF controller friend is wrong. We get higher initial pay, and if we buy back our military time we get an additional 1% retirement per year of military service. And yes, our retirement is pretty damn good although it can greatly vary depending on what level facility you're at as it's based on your high 3. Although Republicans are trying to do away or at least greatly change FERS and our defined pension plan.

 

[Low&Slow]

Interesting. I've got a buddy that's in the Air Guard as a controller and once he completed training, he had civilian and military certs. Perhaps it's a recent change or a Guard thing?

Wow! That's awesome!
That's how it should be.

 

[NovemberEcho]

Wow! That's awesome!
That's how it should be.

The certs are the same and show that you have experience, but a Control Tower Operator certificate (CTO) earned at McDill AFB doesn't mean you're qualified to work at any other tower yet. You still have to start training all over again and get certified anywhere else you go, whether a civilian or a military tower.

 

[NovemberEcho]

I believe it's the typical stress levels controllers experience that have the mandatory retirement age so low.

I think the only way to get hired after 31 is to have prior DOD/Military controlling experience and there might be a limit on how long one can be out of the DOD/military before hiring as well.

Prior experienced controllers must start the Academy before their 36th birthday. There is no limit on how long since you last controlled.

 

[Low&Slow]

Your AF controller friend is wrong. We get higher initial pay, and if we buy back our military time we get an additional 1% retirement per year of military service. And yes, our retirement is pretty damn good although it can greatly vary depending on what level facility you're at as it's based on your high 3. Although Republicans are trying to do away or at least greatly change FERS and our defined pension plan.

Yeah, I'm a federal technician, I saw something about that this morning at the printer, but didn't have time to read it.
I don't think it would matter if it's Republicans or Democrats, we usually get screwed one way or another. My favorite is when they don't approve the budget and shut down. We don't get paid for weeks or months, but still have to go to work every day.
Meanwhile the stubborn, lazy, sleazy, a-holes in DC are drawing full pay during the government shutdown like it's a vacation, while flipping us "the bird". I always have to keep a YOOOGE buffer ready to mitigate this potential incident every September-January.
Federal Employee Lives Matter!?

 

[ShyFlyer]

Prior experienced controllers must start the Academy before their 36th birthday.

Maybe that's what I was thinking. I knew there was a caveat in there somewhere.

 

[Deleted member 27505]

The rule is in place because of the mandatory retirement age, which is the last day of the month in which you turn 56. If you hire on much over the age of 31 the agency can't get enough years out of you before retirement.

In other words, legalized age discrimination.

 

[Skåning]

Yeah, I'm a federal technician, I saw something about that this morning at the printer, but didn't have time to read it.
I don't think it would matter if it's Republicans or Democrats, we usually get screwed one way or another. My favorite is when they don't approve the budget and shut down. We don't get paid for weeks or months, but still have to go to work every day.
Meanwhile the stubborn, lazy, sleazy, a-holes in DC are drawing full pay during the government shutdown like it's a vacation, while flipping us "the bird". I always have to keep a YOOOGE buffer ready to mitigate this potential incident every September-January.
Federal Employee Lives Matter!?

Hey at least you get a pension, shut up and color!