Dispatch to Ramp Control

nyk

Well-Known Member
I was wondering if anyone in this section could give me some guidance on something. I assume that since some Air Traffic Controllers work at ramp towers maybe you would be able to give better guidance than anyone else. I'm currently a aircraft dispatcher and have been doing it for three years. Now my question is what are the chances I have to move over to the ramp controller position. I know most prefer or even exclusively want ATCs but this is a position I'm very interested in. What are my chances realistically?
 
Your chances are very good if you have connections and look at the right tower. We're going to be doing a lot of hiring in my tower, but since I don't know you enough to hate you, I wouldn't recommend you come here. The higher paying ones(like Las Vegas) prefer ex-FAA(sometimes exclusively) but will sometimes accept dispatch or pilot experience. The heavily contracted one's like mine are far easier to get into with no prior FAA or ramp tower experience and just being a dispatcher and/or pilot would be a huge plus, BUT, I will tell you every ramp controller hired at my airport since I started was in a "Hey this is my buddy so-and-so" situation.These jobs have stacks and stacks of resumes that will never even be reviewed. You honestly need to know someone, or at least call and ask for a tour and meet them face to face.

Next month I start training a member here who I met at NJC this year who was a furloughed dispatcher, they were very impressed with his credentials(pilot as well). I'd like to say personality goes a long way, there is usually a link between humor and intelligence and I've noticed the majority of ramp controllers and many FAA controllers I've met are funny and chill/laid back folks. Sure there are high strung and not too bright ones out there, but I know when my friends have interviewed successfully, I usually hear "he seems chill" or "Yeah he's a cool dude I'd work with him" from the people who matter rather than talk about their backgrounds. One guy who didn't have an internal reference(but was still recommended by an airport duty manager)was about to get hired up here had his offer revoked when he came up for a "welcome aboard" interview and rubbed everyone the wrong way being cocky and having a know-it-all attitude. Keep that in mind if you talk with and meet guys in the tower, just try to relax and be yourself.

All that being said, working in a busy tower, especially one like mine where you also responsible for a huge chunk of the airport operationally on top of ramp control, is the best job I've ever had fun wise. Love every second of it. Even when I come to work pissed that I couldn't be out doing this or that, it all goes away when I'm moving planes around and making big decisions that effect everyone as problems come up on the ops side. Highly recommend it, but know what you're worth and get on with a good company like Robinson or a city run tower. Any more questions feel free to PM me, or just ask here if they aren't too specific/private so others get an idea.
 
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I was wondering if anyone in this section could give me some guidance on something. I assume that since some Air Traffic Controllers work at ramp towers maybe you would be able to give better guidance than anyone else. I'm currently a aircraft dispatcher and have been doing it for three years. Now my question is what are the chances I have to move over to the ramp controller position. I know most prefer or even exclusively want ATCs but this is a position I'm very interested in. What are my chances realistically?

Seems like a short career path with no where to go once you get in there. What is the appeal for a position like that?
 
Seems like a short career path with no where to go once you get in there. What is the appeal for a position like that?
My real goal in life was to work as a ATC and I applied to late ( after the age limit ). So in my opinion the next best thing is ramp tower.
 
Does every airport have a ramp controller? What company other than Robinson, that I know of, hires these positions?
 
You need a CTO with at least 6months (per reg's) experience, but most require 1-3 years. Mostly filled by former military/faa controllers.
 
Seems like a short career path with no where to go once you get in there. What is the appeal for a position like that?
It depends on the tower, some pay very, very well with great benefits. Managing some of these towers can pay close to double of dispatch at some LCCs and regionals.

Have you considered the non-FAA contract tower positions?
The one's I know of don't seem to hire people off the street with no former FAA or Military experience.

Most of the controllers I know avoid stuckmic, it seems to be mostly ATC hopefuls with few actual controllers to give direction and advice. That being said, I'm not on it and haven't browsed it in a while.
 
Does every airport have a ramp controller? What company other than Robinson, that I know of, hires these positions?

Every airport? I'd say definitely not. Smaller airports like mine I highly doubt have one.... no need really. I think that's more for the busy airports out there. My airport, we have 4 carriers, United has one gate only, we have 3, Delta has two, and southwest has 3 or 4, no need for a ramp agent I don't think. I don't know that for sure, just a best guess.
 
From what I have found out, they are mainly run by airlines or private contractors. MWAA runs the tower at IAD and I believe the county has the contract for LAS. Those both pay pretty well, but good luck getting in there without extensive atc experience. I know IAD is mainly staffed with retired/retiring IAD controllers.
 
Here at ATL, Delta runs Ramps 1, 2, 5, 6, and 8. My company TBI Airport Management runs Ramps 3, 4, and 9. We had 5 and 6 a couple of years ago but Delta out bid us last time it was up.
 
Who owns/staffs these towers? The airline? The airport? Someone else?

Different airports = different agreements. At PIT the agreement was the largest user (hence US Air) provided ramp controllers on their own dime. Those of us in ops as well as the TSA command occupied the 5th floor, while Ramp sat atop us on the 7th (6th floor was the emergency tower) Some places use former controllers, if its airline provided its normally former rampers.

As for who would do that job and the appeal, ask me when I turn 56. If I can crank out 15-20 hours a week and get flight bennies I'm applying.
 
I used to work ramp control in a major hub for Envoy. All the real money was on the terminal sides where the ramp control was provided by the airport. For instance IAD ramp controllers get paid a starting salary at like 70k. Although IAD requires you have previous ATC experience, so there's that...

Anyway good luck to you.
 
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