Question on becoming an En Route controller

L

Lafayette

New Member
Just a little background on myself in case it's relevant.

I'm currently a student at the Green River Community College in WA enrolled in the ATC program. I've finished the private pilot/weather/instrument/other classes and will be taking the first of the ATC and Airline Dispatch classes this fall quarter. I've also applied to the PUBNAT7 and taken the AT-SAT with a score of 97.3. Woohoo!

I've read on the differences between En Route, TRACON, and Tower positions and unless something in my upcoming classes changes my mind, I would like to aim for an En Route position. However all I know is that the En Route positions are offered to the top 10% of the people who make it out of the Oklahoma Academy. In particular I would like to get into the En Route center in Auburn, WA if I could. Although don't get me wrong, I'm not hanging all my hopes on getting into there and I'll gladly go wherever the jobs are, I'm just saying that currently, getting into the Auburn center would be ideal.

So my question is, is there anything in particular that I should be studying or researching in order to better prepare myself for an en route position? Or any other advice someone might have?
 
Lafayette said:
Just a little background on myself in case it's relevant.

I'm currently a student at the Green River Community College in WA enrolled in the ATC program. I've finished the private pilot/weather/instrument/other classes and will be taking the first of the ATC and Airline Dispatch classes this fall quarter. I've also applied to the PUBNAT7 and taken the AT-SAT with a score of 97.3. Woohoo!

I've read on the differences between En Route, TRACON, and Tower positions and unless something in my upcoming classes changes my mind, I would like to aim for an En Route position. However all I know is that the En Route positions are offered to the top 10% of the people who make it out of the Oklahoma Academy. In particular I would like to get into the En Route center in Auburn, WA if I could. Although don't get me wrong, I'm not hanging all my hopes on getting into there and I'll gladly go wherever the jobs are, I'm just saying that currently, getting into the Auburn center would be ideal.

So my question is, is there anything in particular that I should be studying or researching in order to better prepare myself for an en route position? Or any other advice someone might have?
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I don't know who told you that only the top 10% of academy grads get en route. That is dead wrong. Read this thread:

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

When you go in for your PEPC they will give you a TOL which will tell you what facility you will work at. This is month/year/decades before you even see the academy.
 
Lafayette said:
Just a little background on myself in case it's relevant.

I'm currently a student at the Green River Community College in WA enrolled in the ATC program. I've finished the private pilot/weather/instrument/other classes and will be taking the first of the ATC and Airline Dispatch classes this fall quarter. I've also applied to the PUBNAT7 and taken the AT-SAT with a score of 97.3. Woohoo!

I've read on the differences between En Route, TRACON, and Tower positions and unless something in my upcoming classes changes my mind, I would like to aim for an En Route position. However all I know is that the En Route positions are offered to the top 10% of the people who make it out of the Oklahoma Academy. In particular I would like to get into the En Route center in Auburn, WA if I could. Although don't get me wrong, I'm not hanging all my hopes on getting into there and I'll gladly go wherever the jobs are, I'm just saying that currently, getting into the Auburn center would be ideal.

So my question is, is there anything in particular that I should be studying or researching in order to better prepare myself for an en route position? Or any other advice someone might have?
Click to expand...

If that top 10% stat was correct, then our class wouldn't have lost 4, and I know there are a couple who were no where near the top ten and are on their way to their facility; that "fact" is NOT true.
 
Also en route attends different classes than terminal, so that really makes no sense. You will know whether you are en route or terminal before you even get your TOL most likely. I haven't got mine yet and I was picked up by ZNY.
 
Lafayette said:
However all I know is that the En Route positions are offered to the top 10% of the people who make it out of the Oklahoma Academy.
Click to expand...

That is definately incorrect information. I was selected for ZDV and am OTS. You will know your final destination prior to headed to OKC as it will be listed on both your TOL and FOL (both are received prior to academy training).
 
Yeah. Your facility is assigned long before you have a firm offer and way before you attend the academy.
 
I won't be the fifth person to say that you were mistaken (...uh, whoops), but regarding what you could study... don't worry about that. Your CTI stuff will take care of everything you'd learn in basics (and then some), and you'll have a minor edge when it comes to the other classes. Work on getting your CTI wrapped up, study some for the AT-SAT if you haven't taken it already, and worry about the Academy stuff when you get there. Brush up on your phraseology a bit if you'd like. If you're desperate to do something else, you could look over the map for the En Route class -- it's floating around here somewhere -- but you don't need to get ahead of yourself.
 
Good man choosing en-route, the real meat & potatoes. Unlike those tower pukes next door with their fancy computer games and "you have disobeyed" buttons :)


(However, the tower classes get a lot more "scenery," if ya'know what I mean.)
 
scongdon said:
Good man choosing en-route, the real meat & potatoes. Unlike those tower pukes next door with their fancy computer games and "you have disobeyed" buttons :)


(However, the tower classes get a lot more "scenery," if ya'know what I mean.)
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Heck yes, they get more "scenery!" When I was in OKC for enroute there was a tower class that almost had a 50/50 ratio if you know what I mean... Made me want to go tower...
 
darli328 said:
Heck yes, they get more "scenery!" When I was in OKC for enroute there was a tower class that almost had a 50/50 ratio if you know what I mean... Made me want to go tower...
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Funny thing is I actually thought he meant looking at airplanes out the window. Guess that's what happens when you get engaged. :insane:
 
Thanks for the replies all. I am VERY glad to hear that you get to indicate a preference as to which path you want to take.

I have also discovered that 7110 makes for some good reading material on nights that you can't sleep.
 
Lafayette said:
Thanks for the replies all. I am VERY glad to hear that you get to indicate a preference as to which path you want to take.

I have also discovered that 7110 makes for some good reading material on nights that you can't sleep.
Click to expand...

Haha...yeah, the NATURAL sleeping aid...
 
Lafayette said:
Just a little background on myself in case it's relevant.

I'm currently a student at the Green River Community College in WA enrolled in the ATC program. I've finished the private pilot/weather/instrument/other classes and will be taking the first of the ATC and Airline Dispatch classes this fall quarter. I've also applied to the PUBNAT7 and taken the AT-SAT with a score of 97.3. Woohoo!

I've read on the differences between En Route, TRACON, and Tower positions and unless something in my upcoming classes changes my mind, I would like to aim for an En Route position. However all I know is that the En Route positions are offered to the top 10% of the people who make it out of the Oklahoma Academy. In particular I would like to get into the En Route center in Auburn, WA if I could. Although don't get me wrong, I'm not hanging all my hopes on getting into there and I'll gladly go wherever the jobs are, I'm just saying that currently, getting into the Auburn center would be ideal.

So my question is, is there anything in particular that I should be studying or researching in order to better prepare myself for an en route position? Or any other advice someone might have?
Click to expand...

Hey there, I graduated from GRCC a year ago, anyway i think you got a good chance of getting a job in Seattle area, i heard TRACON and Center still need more people and Seattle tower is full for now. It's hard to know which maps to study for Center, because it's divided into four ares A,B, C and D. Student's get assigned to their area when they get to their trainning at the facility. Good advise i think is to talk with the center manager and ask him which area will need more people soon. Talk to Curt about this. Good luck.
 
maksvell said:
Hey there, I graduated from GRCC a year ago, anyway i think you got a good chance of getting a job in Seattle area, i heard TRACON and Center still need more people and Seattle tower is full for now. It's hard to know which maps to study for Center, because it's divided into four ares A,B, C and D. Student's get assigned to their area when they get to their trainning at the facility. Good advise i think is to talk with the center manager and ask him which area will need more people soon. Talk to Curt about this. Good luck.
Click to expand...

Best advice is don't study anything facility specific. What is the point if you don't make it through the academy?
 
Tower gets the scenery, En Route gets the pay.;)

When I first started En Route, I was bummed. My previous jobs had mostly been out doors, and/or around airplanes all the time. I never sat in the same spot. It was a very tough transition.

Now I love it. I love the work, love the pay. I tried to get my Fac Rep to help me transfer to a tower when I got here and he told me two things: "Wait until you reach the floor or wait until radar training, then come see me." I hit the floor and have loved it since. I actually dread the posibility of being forced to a tower if I fail training.
 
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