I'm looking for some other's opinion.

titansox

titansox

Well-Known Member
Alright.

Here is my situation. I'm a freshman at George Mason University currently doing IT. I always loved airplanes and they've always sparked an indescribable fascination. Over the last few months I've decided I wanted to do something in aviation. Long story short I decided I wanted to do ATC. I can afford ATC training, pay is good, life style is good, ect, ect. After talking it over with my parents, they were on board with the idea. Now I even have a meeting with the ATC school to discuss transferring over and such.

However over the last few weeks or so, I've started to have second thoughts. If I did transfer over, I'd be pushing all my chips in the pot. If ATC doesn't work out, I have nothing. I'll have no more money to go back to school with. I'll have no degree to try to get a job with. I'll be left in the dark with nothing.

If I do ATC and it doesn't work out for whatever reason, my back up plan is to get an airline management degree or something like that. But from what I've read here, that is a pretty useless degree in the real world.

I've never really taken any risks in my life. I've sorta taken the way of resistance and generally speaking, its worked out alright. Do I finally take a risk? What I have is Ok but I think I can do better. But the consequences of failing at that risk is substantial.

Ugh.

So do I finally jump into the deep end and give this a shot? Or do I stick with IT?
 
Your risk seems well thought out and prepared for. It is always good to learn a new trade, so I say follow your heart.
 
I'd say stay with CTI then apply off the street for ATC when you get out of college. That's what I've heard from some other people.
 
Have you spoken to any controllers in person? I have a friend from college at Potomac TRACON that may be willing to meet with you.

Send me a PM
 
The FAA slowed their ATC hiring WAY down. They're swamped with applicants right now.
 
Slugger said:
I'd say stay with CTI then apply off the street for ATC when you get out of college. That's what I've heard from some other people.
Click to expand...

IT (Informations Technologies [aka computer stuff]) not CTI. Ha.
TFaudree_ERAU said:
Have you spoken to any controllers in person? I have a friend from college at Potomac TRACON that may be willing to meet with you.

Send me a PM
Click to expand...
No I haven't. If we can work that out, that'd be great. I'll shot you a PM.
 
College Degree isn't a guaranteed job, however, you can at least get a decent job with a degree (it's applicable to a larger market.)

I would say, get the degree apply for some jobs after you graduate and if nothing bites, go back to school. If you get a job, do ATC training part-time until you finish and then apply.

The main considerations to keep in mind are:

1. Can you provide for you family?
2. Does the benefit out-weigh the risk? For example (and I cite my personal experience here, so take it was a grain of salt.) While I am aquiring flight time and ratings, I am also attending school to earn a four year degree in aviation logistics. The reason why, is that even though the financial risk (loans, etc...) are high, I am counting on having a degree that can be easily diversified (AvLog= Business Degree in Logistics with an Aviation emphasis) as well as a skilled trade to become competitive for a job, regardless of whether or not it's in a cockpit (preferable) or a desk (not preferable, but still better than making crap money doing crap work.)
3. What is the market like? If the market is competitive, how can you make yourself more competitive?
 
1.) Stick with the IT degree!
2.) go to CTI after you get a bachelors. only takes about a year (maybe a year and a half).
3.) In the mean time, keep an eye out for the next Public Announcement from the FAA.

thats what I would do if I were you.
 
I'm so torn on this. Part of me knows that doing this probably wouldn't be the smart choice...However I finally found something that interest me and I want to give it a try. But at the same time, if I screw up I have nothing left.
 
Been following your posts for some time. I believe Beaver is the school in question. Is hiring at a standtill, yes it would seem so. That said, you're what 19? A quick mental survey at my facility shows about 15 forced to retire within a year of you graduating, out of roughly 50 controllers. Replacements have to come from somewhere. I don't care what anyone says, CCBC education vs OTS, feel free to flame me. If you've sat there working traffic in a real life tower, or dealt with the enroute program instructor's hard core training, you're better suited. I went there, it was more than learning the .65. Does anyone know the voodoo behind how and when the FAA hires? Not really. The CTI program helps the FAA. They don't have to expend as many resources to train, it saves them money and time. They won't stop hiring CTI grads. The need will be too great and the ex military types alone can't fill the void. Besides there aren't exactly thousands of CTIs flooding the market.

Say worst case senerio. You're colorblind and only find that out after graduating CTI school (happened to two of my classmates). You've got the same gen ed classes you'd need at GMU anyway. Its no different than spending your first two years at a CC to save cash anyway. CCBC has got to be much less expensive that GMU. The only extra classes you're left out on the cold on are the 3 ATC classes, the instrument ground class and getting your private (not cheap I know). Its probably close to a wash in the end from what you'd save doing your gen eds at a CC and getting your PPL vs getting gen eds at GMU assuming they transfer. If you're worried about credits transfering back, hold on to your syllibi, show GMU admin, hey they taught the same thing in English 102 as you do. I had to do that at Beaver to show them my classes for my BS should transfer, hassle yes but it saved time. Even with my PPL, instrument ticket and 500 hours in the books I still had to retake the PPL written, not as bad as paying for and taking a ton of classes though. One friend who was colorblind had all his gen eds transfer and he's now pre med. Do the same, if it doesn't pan out, transfer credits and resume IT.

After I got out while waiting on the FAA I got hired by an airport authority in airfield management at a class b airport based soley on my AS in CTI and my PPL, nobody gave a scratch about my BS. The money was pretty good (albiet not mid to high level ATC money) and the retirement was pretty dang solid. Most of my time was spent abusing county SUVs and 6X6's on "wildlife mitigation" runs, teaching old hands how to "Control F" PDF files and shooting guns. I also gained a healthy appreciation for deciding against persuing a life of airline flying (no offense intended to you regional guys and gals) Most of the people I worked with didn't have a degree period even the new hires who came after me. The last one before I left had worked in an FBO for 5 years as a desk worker before they hired her. I was a member of AAAE, hit up a couple of their shindigs on per diem and even got a job offer to go work at Logan after a late night arguement with the director of BOS. On an unrelated note, would any King Air people care to tell me their thoughts on relying on Beta alone to stop in legit braking action nil conditions?

I say go for it. If you need a gig after you graduate, I still know some of those very people at that class B. I also know a controller or two at DCA who would be willing to talk to you or take you on a tour. Best of luck.
 
I say if you want to go for ATC then go for it. Yeah, it's a big risk but so is flying for me. Life is all about risks and i doubt there is a succesful person in this world that got where they are without taking a risk somewhere along the way.

If you go for it and it dosen't work out at least you can live with the fact that you tried and you wont look back on your life in 30 years asking yourself "what if". That seems like a horrible place to be in my oppinion.

On the other hand, if it does work out you have accomplished a goal that you set out to acheive and can live your dream.
 
I think a good idea would be to consider Middle Tennessee State. MTSU gives in-state tuition to VA residents for the Aerospace major. Tuition is only around 3,000 per semester + 3,000 room/board. In the Aerospace major, you choose between Dispatch/Scheduling, Pro-pilot, aviation management, aviation technology and finally maintenance management. If you want to do CTI, you simply add the CTI to your concentration. Most concentrations take a majority of the CTI courses anyways so it really is only 2-3 more classes for any concentration to do the CTI. MTSU has an Aerospace dorm for both freshman and upper classman. I am a summer 2010 Liberal Studies major and Fall 2011 Aerospace/Dispatch with CTI major at MTSU and I love it so far. MTSU has a decent amount of scholarships for Aerospace and offers a good amount of classes in the summer as well. Murfreesboro is built for MTSU and the cost of living is very low compared to many college towns especially GMU, where I also used to attend before transferring to MTSU. MTSU took all my classes from GMU just fine.

As for risk taking, I have taken many risks in my college life. I have bounced around a few colleges trying to find the right fit for me both academically and socially. The key is to take a calculated gamble and to get out before you get yourself into a bad situation that will hurt you in the future. For example, it is a bad idea to take out 40K or more in loans to pay for flight training. The best you can hope for when getting your ratings is a 15-20K a year CFI job or equivalent traffic watch job. MAYBE after you build enough hours will a regional that pays crappy starting wages pick you up. Do I feel bad for pilots who face this? I used to but the information is right there in front of your face! You took a gamble that you could get to a B777 in a short period of time making 100K+ to pay off the loan and it didnt pay off. Only a complete financial moron takes out a large loan for a job that makes less than many burger flippers. The prudent financial man wouldve taken a job and paid for his ratings with his own money so he could leave if things got too bad for him. Huge loans trap you into an industry if you do not have a good backup plan. When I chose MTSU Aerospace, the fact that the CTI is an add on to another career area weighed heavily. In the Dispatch concentration, it qualifies you for dispatch and crew scheduler in aviation. In the railroad industry, you could in theory take the CTI add on and the dispatch concentration and try to get a respectable paying job as a rail dispatcher. With Aerospace, I think chances are good Norfolk Southern would also give you a serious look for their management trainee in freight operations which starts at 55K. I think the key is to look at all the possibilities that a degree could give you and if you think the possible benefit is greater than the risk than go for it!
 
Follow your dreams! The world can always use another unemployed aviation professional

No seriously, why would you walk away from a college degree, and the potential for a good job and career, to risk it all on something that may not pay off? Not doing ATC now does not eliminate that option after you graduate.
 
Philip Greenspun (http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/philg/)

Typical IT pro with aviation as a hobby. Owns a Cirrus. Any full-time aviators on here own a Cirrus?

Point is you can choose to fly your own plane, or choose to fly (or be an ATC guy to) someone else's. Can't say that I wouldn't of chosen aviation as a career, but then again I'm a dumb pilot :insane:
 
I don't work in aviation but I know enough to say that there are no jobs in the field.

I would go with IT for you.

I plan on majoring in Finance, getting a good job and having enough money to have my own plane. There's good money in both majors. But only if you're like me, and you have an interest in them. No matter how much money you make, if your job sucks, your life sucks.
 
Sit down and have a beer with the TRACON guy, he can probably get you a tour of the center. Then go to the towers at some of the nearby airports and ask for a tour, its not a state secret and they don't mind showing you what they do. While you're there talk to the guys in the cab and ask lots of questions.

Getting a tour of towers, especially at smaller class D airports, is usually as hard as pushing the button on the squawk box at the entrance or gate at the bottom of the tower.
 
Thanks for the replies guys, I really appreciate it. Unfortunately, your opinions seem to be as split as my conscious. I'll have to take another look at MTS. I know I've looked into it before, but I've always dismissed the idea and I'm not sure why. It may be a good fit for me. I can go there for instate tuition. I can check out some other aviation degrees so if ATC doesn't work for me I can try something else. If I learn that I don't want to to aviation as a whole, I can go back to IT. The only down side is if I do ATC, I'd be wasting a lot of time. Why do something in 4 years when it can be done in 3 semesters at CCBC?
 
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