how long does it take?

[jonathan.vie]

i am currently in the marine corps working as a flight line mechanic with hmh 363 and deployed to afghanistan so my research capabilities are pretty limited due to job search sites being blocked. I want to become an air traffic controller. i have a wife and two kids so i need a job for when i get out in 5 months i wont be able to do much to working twoards a job until i am 2 months away from getting my honerable discharge because ill be deployed til then. reenlistment is not an option, i already tried (just found out last week that i can't stay in) i recived a dui in feb 2009 long story short i switched seats with my friend (who was driving) last minute cuz i thought i was under the limit and wasnt. i have never done anything of the sort before or since, that was the only trouble i have ever gotten into with the law. i was wondering:

will i be eligibale to become an ATC?

Does my experience as a flight line mech do anything for me as far as a resume goes? (I have very high qualifications as a mech; colladeral duty inspector plane captin and collateral duty quality assurance representative)

I will also be getting my a & p license soon does that mean anything since its an faa license?

How long does it take to get the job?

When do you start getting paid?

What requirments are they looking for when i apply?

and I love aviation if i cant be ATC is there other good wage jobs i can be looking into in this field? i am trying to stay away from fixing helicopers... but if i find a good job there i will be taking it into consideration

thank you for taking the time to read my longwinded post and thank you for the responses it is all appreciated.

 

[genot]

To your first question, no, not at this time. They haven't been taking applications from people without the specific CTI degree or prior ATC experience in the last couple of years and probably won't issue one of those hiring announcements in the foreseeable future. The age cutoff is 31 to get hired in the FAA. Your options as a potential controller are to reenlist and crosstrain into ATC or enroll in a CTI program once you're out. Bear in mind once you're actually eligible to be hired by the FAA (ie graduate CTI or separate from the service after an enlistment as a controller) the hiring process can take years and if you hit 31, you're out of luck. If you reelnist and crosstrain as a controller the DOD hires ex military controllers and have an age cutoff of 34, if you obtain a Control Tower Operator's (CTO) certificate in the military there are contract tower companies out there that would hire you.

The DUI could be a major roadblock, then again it might not. The A&P and line mech won't really help or hurt to be honest. It takes about 2 years (FAA) to get the job once you are eligible, so add two years to however long it takes to meet the requirement, DOD, no clue, contract towers I hear tend to have decent turnover, so if you aren't picky on location, I don't imagine it would be terribly long.

You start getting paid when you start training in Oklahoma City (FAA), no idea about DOD or Contract tower, but I'd imagine day one at the facility. FAA requirements are CTI recommendation or full facility rating from the military and a pulse. DOD, not 100% sure on the extras but a previous rating in a similar facility (Tower, RAPCON etc) would be required. Contract towers require a CTO and typically a minimum of one year at the same facility after you earn your CTO.

As for other jobs, I worked with an ex Air Force F-16 mech who was an airport operations manager at a major airport in the north east. I think he later laterally moved over and now heads up maintenance at the airport.

 

[TheGirlinPurple]

As a former A & P, I can say if you get your A & P, it will mean squat with the FAA and being a controller.

If another public announcement were to come out, your military points would give you a step up(my friend got hired out of the 3rd or 4th pubnat and her VRA points helped her in being hired).

As far as the FAA goes I agree with genot, Off the street hiring will not occur anytime soon. My best guesses if it were to happen would be 2013 or 2014(when mass retirements start happening again). If you have a few years left before you turn 31 then either re-up for ATC or go do a CTI program. Honestly I think CTI is way too much of a gamble........

 

[GX]

Wow... You KNOW things are bad when you can't re-up in the Marine Corps. Sorry to hear that you can't stay if you want to.

The GI Bill is paying for all of my flying certs under the 141 program. I'm guaranteed a CFI slot after completion because A. I'm American and a (will be) grad through the program I'm at, and B. There is such a huge influx of Korean and Chinese pilots that we can't keep up with demand. Lastly, my 6 years of ATC experience, CTO, FWS, blah blah blah mean squat in terms of my pilot's ratings. All it means is that I teach my CFI's how to talk on the radio and get better service because I understand things from their perspective a little better (coordination).