I am a pilot who is about to be out of a job again. 7 Flying jobs in 7 years is enough for me. I want to be an ATCS just trying to decide the best way to go about it. I have a 4 year degree and all my pilot certificates. I am 26 years old. I understand they are doing general public tests but can't seem to find any current vacancies. How often do those happen? Would it be quicker to just go to a community college CTI program. I have heard you can do those in a semester or two if you already have a degree and pilot licenses? Is this true? What schools are good for that?
Need Advice
- Thread starter fracguy
- Start date
I am sorry to here about your job situation. I was a day away from starting my instrument rating before deciding the economy woul dtank. I knew I was going to be in debt and jobless, so I decided to try to get into ATC instead.
The proces takes FOREVER! Its been 11 months and I still don't have an interview.
I know nothing about CTI, and IMO it seems like a waste of money if they are hireing people off the street...
The proces takes FOREVER! Its been 11 months and I still don't have an interview.
I know nothing about CTI, and IMO it seems like a waste of money if they are hireing people off the street...
motrboatr
Well-Known Member
OTS is definitely the way to go. Another poster just said the next PUBNAT is July 7th so I'd jump on that, but in the meantime you're may want to find something to do as this is a very long process. Check out my sig.. it's pretty average on the time it takes.
I wouldn't go CTI because there's no need to spend the money as it doesn't get you ahead at all in the hiring process, unless you complete the CTI program which all that saves you is 5 weeks of basics in OKC
I am trying to read all the threads to educate myself but I am lost with the abbreviations and the process in general. So this announcement comes out in July. You apply. Do they test everyone who signs up and is the announcement for a specific geographic region or for the whole system? Also what do all the PUBNAT ATSAT TOL FOL steps mean? What is done at each step? Sorry just like any part of aviation it has its own lingo so I am just trying to catch on. The only reason I was considering a CTI school is I hate to put all my eggs in one basket because I really want to do this. I know it is a long process either way but I have nothing but time. Well I am 26 so there is some limit. Thanks for the replies
El Kabong
Well-Known Member
Sorry to all the CTI (College Training Initiative) and VRA (Veteran's Referal Act) guys and gals, but do yourself a favor, save yourself the money and go the off the street (OTS) route if you want to get into air traffic control.
If everything works as advertised, expect at least a year from ATSAT (Air Traffic something or the other Test) to OKC (Oklahoma City, OK). Get use to the alphabet soup, it's a gov'mint job.
When you get to your facility, expect 2-3 years to check out, 3-4 if you are not one of the sharper knives in the drawer and that depends on the level of your facility. Retirements will be increasing in the years ahead, 2010-2012 will be peak years of retirements due to the the hiring in the mid 80's and age 50with 20 years of service or 25 years and any age. There won't be that many OJT-I's (on the job training instructors) to conduct your training as these folks leave, so your milage may vary. Love my job, I hate management.
If everything works as advertised, expect at least a year from ATSAT (Air Traffic something or the other Test) to OKC (Oklahoma City, OK). Get use to the alphabet soup, it's a gov'mint job.
When you get to your facility, expect 2-3 years to check out, 3-4 if you are not one of the sharper knives in the drawer and that depends on the level of your facility. Retirements will be increasing in the years ahead, 2010-2012 will be peak years of retirements due to the the hiring in the mid 80's and age 50with 20 years of service or 25 years and any age. There won't be that many OJT-I's (on the job training instructors) to conduct your training as these folks leave, so your milage may vary. Love my job, I hate management.
swinte00
Well-Known Member
PUBNAT = Public Nationwide Announcement. An application opening for citizens with NO air traffic control background or experience.
AT-SAT = The aptitude test that
ultimately determines whether or not you are going to be an ATC.TOL = Tentative Offer Letter. The letter you receive from the FAA after you go through your Pre-Employement Processing Center (PEPC). The reason this is tentative is because you get it prior to your security clearance and medical examiniation. These two steps could cause you to NOT be employed by the FAA if you cannot pass them.
FOL = Firm Offer Letter. The letter that is an official offer from the FAA for a job at a facility.
If you have no college experience under your belt, it could take you two years or so to get through a CTI school. Kind of risky, especially with the limited career options you have in getting that kind of education.
My advice? Go OTS. If you don't get it and you don't mind blowing a couple Gs on a CTI education, go for it. Nothing beats doing what you love for a living.
genot
Well-Known Member
I just don't believe OTS is the best route for absolutely everyone. I was in the same situation as the OP, but before they started hiring OTS. All my credits transfered to the CTI community college I went to along with my pilot certificates. I needed a total of 3 classes to graduate. I was in class with two guys who continued to fly charters full time and anyone who wanted could have easily held down a full time job. It probably won't make the process any faster unless you don't get picked for the next PUBNAT. Those 3 classes had to be taken in succession and I waited 4 months after that for my OKC date, which seems to be on par with the timelines in people's sigs. The only real advantage is increasing your odds of being hired. In my class 12 were hired, one was medically DQd and one somehow failed the ATSAT. I don't know what the OTS odds are, but above 85% is pretty decent. Basically if you graduate you don't have to worry about if you've been selected for the announcements you've applied for, you go straight into the processing stage from there, nor do you wait for another announcement to come open.
Its like you said, putting all your eggs in one basket. If you really want the job it might be worth taking a few classes to up your odds and still apply to the PUBNATs.
Its like you said, putting all your eggs in one basket. If you really want the job it might be worth taking a few classes to up your odds and still apply to the PUBNATs.
El Kabong
Well-Known Member
Fracguy,
If you want to cover all your bases, I recommend that you join the military as an air traffic controller, a four year enlistment leaves you at age 30 when you ETS (end tour of service). While you are on active duty, go to one of the many CTI colleges and finish that program, since you have all your airplane ratings and you are already a college grad, it will only take you three consecutive semesters/quarters to complete that program. The added benefit there is that you can use your GI Bill to offset the additional expense of your education…. Hey, get yourself deployed to a combat zone and pick up an additional 10 veteran’s preference points!!!
Let me make sure I got the math thing right:
After a four (4) year enlistment, you will be eligible to be a VRA hire.
After “3 consecutive courses” at one of the College Training Initiative institutions (does this sound like one year to you?) you will be eligible as a CTI hire
After a competitive score on an OTS application and about a year of jumping thru bureaucratic hoops, you could be an OTS hire.
As far as the statistics for the FY2008 (fiscal year) hiring, yeah, the majority were CTI graduates…. Simply because the first public hiring announcement wasn’t until February 2008! I know that a lot of CTI's waited almost a year after their graduation until they were at Oklahoma City, OK, again this is a gov’mint job, you want it done right or do you want it done fast… You don’t get both.
Throw you name in the hat at the next OTS opening (July 7-16th), fly your ass off (continue to fly after you are hired), network (never stop!), you never know who you will bump into at the next FBO, aviation is a small world (my last 2 flying jobs were from friends that knew somebody was looking for…).
Good luck.
If you want to cover all your bases, I recommend that you join the military as an air traffic controller, a four year enlistment leaves you at age 30 when you ETS (end tour of service). While you are on active duty, go to one of the many CTI colleges and finish that program, since you have all your airplane ratings and you are already a college grad, it will only take you three consecutive semesters/quarters to complete that program. The added benefit there is that you can use your GI Bill to offset the additional expense of your education…. Hey, get yourself deployed to a combat zone and pick up an additional 10 veteran’s preference points!!!
Let me make sure I got the math thing right:
After a four (4) year enlistment, you will be eligible to be a VRA hire.
After “3 consecutive courses” at one of the College Training Initiative institutions (does this sound like one year to you?) you will be eligible as a CTI hire
After a competitive score on an OTS application and about a year of jumping thru bureaucratic hoops, you could be an OTS hire.
As far as the statistics for the FY2008 (fiscal year) hiring, yeah, the majority were CTI graduates…. Simply because the first public hiring announcement wasn’t until February 2008! I know that a lot of CTI's waited almost a year after their graduation until they were at Oklahoma City, OK, again this is a gov’mint job, you want it done right or do you want it done fast… You don’t get both.
Throw you name in the hat at the next OTS opening (July 7-16th), fly your ass off (continue to fly after you are hired), network (never stop!), you never know who you will bump into at the next FBO, aviation is a small world (my last 2 flying jobs were from friends that knew somebody was looking for…).
Good luck.
PUBNAT1 wasn't the first OTS announcement. There were dozens of public announcements in 2007. They weren't national, but were targeted to individual states. My class in 2008 had many who were chosen from that group of announcements.