need a little timeline help, please

erok17

New Member
hey everyone..

i'm absolutely new to the whole air traffic controller 'scene', and i'm still a little confused about everything i've read. hopefully some of you can help and it might help others..

the only thing i've done so far is take the ATSAT test in March, which i passed safely. 3 days ago (Jun20) i got an email which said, loosely, 'congrats, youve been selected for further consideration for ATSC position at a terminal in CA.' then i had to select a date for the PEPC, which i made NY in July. so my question is, now what? what usually happens after the PEPC if you were selected for a terminal position? is there a different path for terminal vs. en route? when everyone talks about training and the academy, is that the same thing.. are the classes in OKC the 'academy' everyone's talking about? and how often do they start new classes? basically, i'm trying to get a general timeframe for an approximate date to start in OKC (provided i pass through the PEPC), time in OKC, and when I can expect to be at my facility in CA.. speaking of, arent there more than one terminals in CA? it seems like everyone else knows specifically which one theyre going to.

btw, when youre responding, please bear in mind that the only acronymns i know are the ones i've already used. and if someone wants to go over some of the more commonly used ones, please feel free cause i get pretty lost sometimes.. ATRSCC, TRACON, FEBOT.. (i dont even know if any of those were right)

anyway, i appreciate any and all help you give me. this is a great forum..
 
well first things first, congrats on making it this far. I'm sure someone out there can divulge a little more info than what i've got, but basically, assuming all goes well at the PEPC, you get a TOL (tentative offer letter) from your facility - which in your case could be any of the terminals in CA, it looks like you'll find out the specifics at the PEPC. As far as different training at the academy (yes, OKC) for en route vs terminal, I'm not 100% sure, but i'd say they are slightly different. i read somewhere that they're having 2 classes per month at OKC, someone can correct me if I'm wrong. you can expect to get to your facility right after you pass the academy which is roughly 3 months from what i've gathered. and for the acronyms, FEBOT is referring to the February OTS (off the street) applicants, ARTCC is an air route traffic control center (en route center) and TRACON stands for terminal radar approach control. hope this helps and good luck the rest of the way.
 
hey everyone..

i'm absolutely new to the whole air traffic controller 'scene', and i'm still a little confused about everything i've read. hopefully some of you can help and it might help others..

the only thing i've done so far is take the ATSAT test in March, which i passed safely. 3 days ago (Jun20) i got an email which said, loosely, 'congrats, youve been selected for further consideration for ATSC position at a terminal in CA.' then i had to select a date for the PEPC, which i made NY in July. so my question is, now what? what usually happens after the PEPC if you were selected for a terminal position? is there a different path for terminal vs. en route? when everyone talks about training and the academy, is that the same thing.. are the classes in OKC the 'academy' everyone's talking about? and how often do they start new classes? basically, i'm trying to get a general timeframe for an approximate date to start in OKC (provided i pass through the PEPC), time in OKC, and when I can expect to be at my facility in CA.. speaking of, arent there more than one terminals in CA? it seems like everyone else knows specifically which one theyre going to.

btw, when youre responding, please bear in mind that the only acronymns i know are the ones i've already used. and if someone wants to go over some of the more commonly used ones, please feel free cause i get pretty lost sometimes.. ATRSCC, TRACON, FEBOT.. (i dont even know if any of those were right)

anyway, i appreciate any and all help you give me. this is a great forum..
No worries man. here is where it goes from here. You will be told your specific Facility at the PEPC. Assuming you Pass everything at the PEPC you will be given a Tentative Offer Letter (TOL), Pending your Security Clearance, and you will select your class start date. Usually, from what I have been seeing, about a month to 6 weeks after your PEPC. Don't worry to much about your Security Clearance, it will not be finished at the PEPC, but they will give you a conditional Clearance that will allow you to go to the FAA Academy (which happens to be in OKC, thus the constant mentioning of going to OKC.) and your Clearance will be finalized while you are in class. Aftrer the Conditional Clearance Goes thru, you will be Sent a Final Offer Letter (FOL) that confirms/finalizes your class dates. The class will be in OKC at the FAA Academy, you will start with basics, which cover the general rules regualtions and procedures to ATC. This last about 5 weeks. After that, depending on what type of Facility you got will determine your next set of classes. Since you are Selected for a "Terminal" you can go to Either a TRACON (Terminal RADAR Approach Control) or an ATCT (Air Traffic Control Tower), they are different classes depending on where you are going. However, some Facilities are combined, and referred to as "Up-Downs" which means they have both an ATCT and a TRACON, and eventually you will be trained on both. Initially, however, you will be trained in the Tower first, then after you get checked out on all the positions in the Tower Cab you will be sent back to OKC for further training at a later time (from what I have been told, that is usually about 18 months after you begin training at your actual facility). Chances are excellent that with the Terminal Selection that you have, you will be trained in an ATCT first, which has a 8-week course at the Academy. After you finish the Academy, the FAA gives you 1 Business day to get to your facility, and no, I am not kidding. But if you talk to your facility they will generally give you a couple extra days if you need it.

The other route Available is for the ARTCC (Air Route Traffic Control Center, or Just "Center" or "EnRoute"). After basics they go to their own series of classes as well.
 
After you finish the Academy, the FAA gives you 1 Business day to get to your facility, and no, I am not kidding.

This makes me laugh every time I hear it. It is simply the most horrendous thing I've ever heard.
After the months, and even years some applicants have been made to wait during this process, and allowing the the FAA to take their sweet time with every tiny little step, they best they can do is give you 1 day to get wherever the hell it is you've been assigned???
In some cases people are moving thousands of miles away from their previous home, all the while attending the academy.

It just seems like there is a lot of work involved with relocating your life... The amount of work that couldn't possibly be done in 1 day.

Is there time while your at the academy to pull off a move of epic proportions like that? You know, flying to places, checking out apartments and meeting with landlords, (or roommates), actually getting an apartment , and moving your ****, ect ect?
Hell, It would take me longer than a day just to DRIVE MY CAR to anywhere I've considered going from OKC.
This 1 day business is a reality check for those of us considering the ultimate cross country move.
 
This makes me laugh every time I hear it. It is simply the most horrendous thing I've ever heard.
After the months, and even years some applicants have been made to wait during this process, and allowing the the FAA to take their sweet time with every tiny little step, they best they can do is give you 1 day to get wherever the hell it is you've been assigned???
In some cases people are moving thousands of miles away from their previous home, all the while attending the academy.

It just seems like there is a lot of work involved with relocating your life... The amount of work that couldn't possibly be done in 1 day.

Is there time while your at the academy to pull off a move of epic proportions like that? You know, flying to places, checking out apartments and meeting with landlords, (or roommates), actually getting an apartment , and moving your ****, ect ect?
Hell, It would take me longer than a day just to DRIVE MY CAR to anywhere I've considered going from OKC.
This 1 day business is a reality check for those of us considering the ultimate cross country move.

I know this is a whole lot of crap..... Anyways, what I am planning on doing, is leaving early, and moving my crap to my final destination, in my case, BOI, putting it in storage and then drive down to OKC. After I get done with the Academy go back and then find myself an Apartment....
And By the Some screwed up chance that I don't make it thru the Academy, I already have a Joba available in BOI if I want it.
 
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