Offical PUBNAT 8 is OUT

Aviation_Nut said:
Hello All,...So I am new to this ATC forum and am looking for a little bit of help from anyone willing to send some advice/opinions/etc... I have completed my B.A. Degree and am currently a CFI/CFII building my hours on my way to airline/corporate/who knows what type of flying gig. I have also taken the AT-SAT earlier this month and recieved my score of 95.1 just a week or so ago. DELIMMA: I am now torn between two potential careers. Pending that I get offered an ATC position. I have always loved flying airplanes and I know exactly why I enjoy that, however I am not sure how much I will enjoy being a controller. I was interested in your opinions as to the ups and downs of being a controller. Why have you all chosen this career field? What have been the rewards for you? On the one hand I would sure like the security/pay/benefits of a federal job still in the aviation industry, but on the other hand I am afraid of walking away from a passion for flying that I still have. I am not sure if flying Cessnas and piston singles for the rest of my life will suffice. Anyhow, I have many questions, but I will try to post them over a period of time so as to not tie up too much of your time all at once. Thanks for your help. Best of luck to you all.
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Well I'm at the same place coming up on 1000TT with around 700 Dual Given. It's a debate you need to answer. Mine is I need to pay bills and start a family. I can't do that at 25K/yr. Weirdest thing is I sometimes stutter but never on the radio. It's hard giving up flying, and overcoming the thought of talking all day but we already do it. Now though we have 8 hour days, can CFI on days off, or just fly our own airplane. Heck, we could afford it as ATC.
 
Aviation_Nut said:
Hello All,...So I am new to this ATC forum and am looking for a little bit of help from anyone willing to send some advice/opinions/etc... I have completed my B.A. Degree and am currently a CFI/CFII building my hours on my way to airline/corporate/who knows what type of flying gig. I have also taken the AT-SAT earlier this month and recieved my score of 95.1 just a week or so ago. DELIMMA: I am now torn between two potential careers. Pending that I get offered an ATC position. I have always loved flying airplanes and I know exactly why I enjoy that, however I am not sure how much I will enjoy being a controller. I was interested in your opinions as to the ups and downs of being a controller. Why have you all chosen this career field?
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I'm also a pilot looking to go into ATC. I have a BA in Aviation. There are many reasons why I have chosen to pursue an ATC career. The first is that although I am just going through the hiring process, I honestly think I would prefer being a controller than a pilot. I'm great at thinking spatially and at giving directions, and I LOVE the atmosphere of a tower. Nothing like looking out over the airfield (especially at night) seeing planes come in, looking at the radar and directing traffic. Also, the state of the piloting industry and the job security with ATC is another factor. Most of the pilots I know are furloughed, on reserve, or unemployed because they don't have enough hours. The only way you can lose your job in ATC is to medical out, or wash out during training; while pilots can receive the pink slip at any time. Also, I want nothing to do with the hell that is the airline industry. I like the interesting locations of ATC towers, I'm hoping to go to Fairbanks, AK. Finally, controllers get to sleep in their own beds every night. I'm a total homebody, so I like that.

Many people will mention the higher pay of ATC, which is no factor for me. As long as I make enough to pay the bills and buy groceries, that's fine. I have NO plans to EVER start a family (I don't want kids) so that is also no factor for me.

but on the other hand I am afraid of walking away from a passion for flying that I still have. I am not sure if flying Cessnas and piston singles for the rest of my life will suffice. Anyhow, I have many questions, but I will try to post them over a period of time so as to not tie up too much of your time all at once. Thanks for your help. Best of luck to you all.
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I guess flying (corporate/cargo) is my backup plan if the ATC career doesn't work out. Single engine Cessnas totally do it for me, and I'm hoping to do a lot of flying when I'm not working as a controller. I want to get my seaplane rating and buy a 180 on floats, maybe get my CFI and give some instruction in it. We'll see.
 
PGT said:
First you steal my idea of going for ATC.
Then you steal my idea of what to do after ATC.

Dang.
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Welcome to what all the young guys are saying! Except if you can somehow plan right, and make money with your money, maybe you can fly the rest of your life, but in your own private jet....?

Okay, okay, i know i'm dreaming....;)
 
So I know that the AT-SAT is only an aptitude test and doesn't mean much. It doesn't mean one is definitely going to Oklahoma and that one will definitely make it through school. But does anyone know what are the chances I can get into terminal in Orlando after school? I got a 100 on the test and am hoping that it will help me in some way. By the way, I'm new here. Name's Steve and I'm from Atlanta. Well.... technically Decatur. But I'm only about 5 mins away.
 
Big Daddy Steve said:
I got a 100 on the test and am hoping that it will help me in some way.
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Unfortunally it won't help you at all. They don't see test scores, they just know if you are in the well qualified range. The person who scored an 86 has the same odds of landing a job as the guy who gets a 100 on the ATSAT.
 
Thanks for everyone's reply to my earlier post. I know that there are some big decisions to be made regarding my career paths. Both are very interesting and both have advantages and disadvantages as all jobs do. Here are my next couple of questions: 1) Pending that I am offered an ATC position and am able to complete the training, are there any time commitments to remain with ATC? (Just incase I later decide to go back and pursue flying as a career, once the industry turns around.) 2) Typically, how long is the process from AT-SAT scores to finish training at Oklahoma? Last questions for now: 3) I live in the Atlanta area, which is a pretty busy area for pilots and controllers alike. Would choosing the Atlanta area as an initial assignment be too much to handle? Does the FAA start you off at less congested, less busy areas and then move you up as you gain experience? I don't want to set myself up for something too much to deal with, but I wouldn't really want to be stuck in the middle of nowhere either. Thanks again for everyone's input and help. I hope all of your own careers and pursuits are going great as well.
 
mbalunda said:
Unfortunally it won't help you at all. They don't see test scores, they just know if you are in the well qualified range. The person who scored an 86 has the same odds of landing a job as the guy who gets a 100 on the ATSAT.
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I thought I would share some info I recieved from my local ATM that I have been in contact with:

"You are a good candidate with your high ATSAT (they wont give me any under 95) and pilot background."

Whether this statement is true or not, I don't know. But if it is, they do look at the test scores and they do matter.
 
Aviation_Nut said:
Thanks for everyone's reply to my earlier post. I know that there are some big decisions to be made regarding my career paths. Both are very interesting and both have advantages and disadvantages as all jobs do. Here are my next couple of questions: 1) Pending that I am offered an ATC position and am able to complete the training, are there any time commitments to remain with ATC? (Just incase I later decide to go back and pursue flying as a career, once the industry turns around.) 2) Typically, how long is the process from AT-SAT scores to finish training at Oklahoma? Last questions for now: 3) I live in the Atlanta area, which is a pretty busy area for pilots and controllers alike. Would choosing the Atlanta area as an initial assignment be too much to handle? Does the FAA start you off at less congested, less busy areas and then move you up as you gain experience? I don't want to set myself up for something too much to deal with, but I wouldn't really want to be stuck in the middle of nowhere either. Thanks again for everyone's input and help. I hope all of your own careers and pursuits are going great as well.
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1) There are no contract time constraints that I know of. Anyone wanna help out with this one? But, as long as the ATC hiring process takes, I would think you'd be so elated to finally be offered the job opportunity, the other careers will be behind you! I mean with job stability, benefits, paid vacation & sick time, nice salary to start & pay increases through phases of training etc., this is not a gig, it's a career, you know?

2) As far as the length of the process goes, it varies. Everyone is different. PUBNAT 7 in particular has probably had the longest waiting time between progressional phases of the process. Check out people's signature, you can usually get an idea of timelines from there. As I see it, from the close of the application to 1st day in OKC, there's an average range of 14 months to 18 months. But, some would argue, in this process, nothing is average! :)

3) As far as what Level faclity you may want to select to work....well, that's a matter of debate. Some say go for the highest pay, busiest traffic & work your butt off! Some say start out at a mid-level facility if your OTS to increase your chances of success (& hopefully decrease your chances of "washing out"). Some say if you go EnRoute (Level 10-12 only), it's okay because EnRoute facilities have better designed training programs & more equipped to handle trainees.

These should answer some questions (or generate more questions, ha!):

http://forums.jetcareers.com/applic...ements/90351-pubnat-ots-hiring-explained.html

http://forums.jetcareers.com/applic...prefs-announcements/89161-hiring-process.html

http://forums.jetcareers.com/applic...efs-announcements/90976-ots-success-rate.html
 
I heard that you dont have control over what TYPE of station you are assigned to (i.e. enroute, terminal, etc.) only what states you can prefer.

Do you have more control over the type of station you get sent to than what I have been told?
 
basefrk2 said:
I heard that you dont have control over what TYPE of station you are assigned to (i.e. enroute, terminal, etc.) only what states you can prefer.

Do you have more control over the type of station you get sent to than what I have been told?
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Sometime after passing the AT-SAT, you will receive a Geo-Preference email, requesting you select what position for which you'd like to be considered (Terminal, EnRoute or both). The "Geo-Pref" email also instructs you to select two states in which you would like to work. I have heard most say they received their position of choice in the state of their choice. But, I have also heard of some who received an offer in a state they did not select and/or position they did not select in the Geo-Pref.
 
basefrk2 said:
I heard that you dont have control over what TYPE of station you are assigned to (i.e. enroute, terminal, etc.) only what states you can prefer.

Do you have more control over the type of station you get sent to than what I have been told?
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Limiting yourself in this way lowers your chances of selection
 
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