possible new controller

EvoJoeIX said:
hey guys, im new here. im 20 years old and hopefully on my way to being a ATC. i just been looking around mostly, lots of great info on here.

anyway, i have been notified that im chosen to take the AT-SAT. ill be going monday for the exam. i have a few questions though.

1. I have been using the ATC career prep book to do all my studying, as i am an off the street canidate. is there anything else i should look at that might not be in the book? also i have a litte bit of trouble with the letter factory part and where you have to manage all the planes on the screen. how big of a part of the AT-SAT is this? Sorry, but I can't help you here, I didn't use the books

2. What happens after i take the test? when will i be notified of my results? how long does it take for you to get sent to okalahoma? After you take the test, like everyone said, you wait. The is not a standard waiting period, but your ATSAT results should be back rather quickly.

3.Just a basic question, those who are ATC's or becoming ATC's. do you love your job? is it everything they say it is? is it as hard as they make
it out to be? or do you just get used to it after doing it everyday? I am currently a student at OKC for the terminal option. I disliked some of my tasks (the academic aspect and memorizing the phraseology, but it for the betterment of my career), I love my career (if fate will so have it). From the training simulations at the Academy, it is as hard and stressful and fun and exciting as everyone that I have ever talked to with ATC experiance as told me (a.k.a. while you will be busier some times than others, it is only as hard as you make it). I'm sure (this is only a guessmation but I am sure you/I/we/CPC's get used to the work load of the facility physically I can't speak to this, but I'd put my money on what ATLTRACON said).

4. Is it like doing the same thing day after day, or is everyday a different story? i know their gonna be different planes, but asfar as the situations you face at you jobs. Even in the simulations, it is different situations EVERY day, heck sometimes there are different situations within the same computer simulation during the runs, it just goes to prove that ATC is never the same, if it was the same routine everyday I probably wouldn't love this job half as much as I do right now.

I have zero idea what the training is like once you get to your facility, but the academic courses are dry and boring. Hopefully you get instructors like BW and DB for your basics or AL and SJ for your "phase 2" training.

thanks for all the info guys. im very excited to take my test and i hope i pass it, which i should since i been studying my butt off lately I wish you the best of luck and remember keep your arms, legs and anything else inside the rollercoaster at all times, and hand on for the ride of your life!
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oreo 10 said:
Many say I have it made getting paid $20/hr to sit and do nothing. Believe me I am appreciative of the position I am in however, it is very hard to go to work and do nothing for 8 hrs/day 5 days/week. Very hard.
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You got that right! I did it for a few months as a GS-14... For me, there is no amount of money that makes being totally bored worthwhile.
 
queeno said:
to many nubee are worred about what they will make when they are checked when they havent even been hired yet.
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I know this is an annoyance, however... what you need to keep in mind is that Gen Y has been conditioned to plan their finances until they die. That is generally the reason they want to know starting pay, pay bands, raises, etc... They are planning 40 years out.

I guarantee you, most of the 20 somethings want this information, not for "Dude, look at what my check is going to look like" but instead looking at is as... "based on how the pay process works I am going to have to put X dollars here and X dollars here and I will buy a house in X years based on X housing market projections and then in 30 years from now I will be able to plan to X dollars for this and that and if I live 40 years from now my finances should look like X."

It's just a generation that has had financial planning shoved down their throats and not depending on government for any money.... no retirement... no social security... gotta plan this stuff out NOW, TODAY, tomorrow is too late... that's what we know. You'd be surprised how many 20 somethings have financial planners... we've been scared into it.

Does that make sense?
 
.... -bites the bullet-....

I 100% whole heartedly agree with BoomerSooner77.
Hey, Boomer, sorry about the Game, next year?
 
could someone show me all the math formulas i will need to use? the green book shows some, but doesnt explain them to good for me. i mainly have trouble on questions that give you a descending rate and ask how long has the plane traveled when it hits XXXXaltitude.

also i have trouble when it says X plane left this airport going XXXspeed and Z plane left this airport at ZZZspeed. how far will they be apart in 30 min?

if anyone can give me the formulas and maybe some tips they use to help them out, that would really help me out.

my test is on monday. im excited/nervous/stressed about it.
oh yea, what did you wear on test day? is it casual attire? jeans and tshirt ok? i dont wanna show up over/ under dressed
 
EvoJoeIX said:
could someone show me all the math formulas i will need to use? the green book shows some, but doesnt explain them to good for me. i mainly have trouble on questions that give you a descending rate and ask how long has the plane traveled when it hits XXXXaltitude.

also i have trouble when it says X plane left this airport going XXXspeed and Z plane left this airport at ZZZspeed. how far will they be apart in 30 min?

if anyone can give me the formulas and maybe some tips they use to help them out, that would really help me out.

my test is on monday. im excited/nervous/stressed about it.
oh yea, what did you wear on test day? is it casual attire? jeans and tshirt ok? i dont wanna show up over/ under dressed
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This is all the same equation... just know it and you can do all the math
distance = rate x time
rate = distance / time
time = distance / rate

As far as clothes, it doesn't really matter... jeans and tshirt are fine. Just be comfortable and somewhat presentable (no holes, stains, etc... although even those things wouldn't really matter).
 
ahh thanks a lot for that info..

test day is closing in for me and im just really nervous and just hope i do good. i will post back up here with my results when i get them

in the meantime, if anyone has any info. that you would like to share that you think could help me, please post. i want all the help i can get. thank you
 
chichi said:
This is all the same equation... just know it and you can do all the math
distance = rate x time
rate = distance / time
time = distance / rate

As far as clothes, it doesn't really matter... jeans and tshirt are fine. Just be comfortable and somewhat presentable (no holes, stains, etc... although even those things wouldn't really matter).
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Yeah, there were a lot of people dressed up for the test. I saw one dude in a 3 piece suit. I played it safe and wore slacks and a polo.
 
nathanw said:
Yeah, there were a lot of people dressed up for the test. I saw one dude in a 3 piece suit. I played it safe and wore slacks and a polo.
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We had one guy in a suit... everyone else was split pretty evenly between either slacks and a button down/polo or jeans and a t-shirt.
 
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