That's a pretty high standard, Surreal. I can see 30K not meeting your standard, but not even 89K? Maybe it's because I plan to live in OK, but 89K would be a darn good way of life for my family. Just curious what you're doing now? I was in the military for a few years and have my masters degree, but I found it incredibly difficult to find a job after getting out of the military. I always felt it was because the 2 years of military experience was the ONLY professional work experience I had and in general, civilians tend not to see the applicability of military experience to their requirements.
Right now, I fly for a living. First year FO for an ALPA represented 121 company.
Prior to that, I was a flight instructor. Prior to that, I was meteorologist with a DoD agency.
I've heard of people having trouble getting employment after leaving the military. For a number of reasons, one of them being the inability for them to adjust. Sure, some employers like hiring ex-military members because of their (usually) good work ethic. But some military members have been in too long, and are unable to adjust back to civilian life. Not saying that is you, just a general observation.
Nevertheless, you may think 89k is a good enough amount of money to be making for the rest of your lifetime, but not me. I have 40+ years to go, and making 89k a year would have been the most that I could have respectfully figured I'd end up making. Prior to the imposed work rules, my return on my ATC education investment was well into the lower 100k (125-130k range) over my lifespan as an ATC'r.
So on one hand, I put in hard work while the FAA was not hiring OTS individuals, only to then to see work rules, benefits, and pay substantially decreased. Sorry, I'm not one to play that game.
My family, and the future that I can provide to them is much more important to me than doing my "dream" job.
I'd love to work traffic, but I'm not going to work it for peanuts, 6 days a week, mandatory overtime, and 10-12 hour shifts.
Already did the 12 hour shifts stuff in the military - I'm done sitting in a chair for 12 hours behind a computer monitor - unless I was going to compensated well for my knowledge and skills.
So like I said, 89k. . .that's nice money, but I refuse to limit my earning potential just to work traffic, and put myself and my family through the headache of working for the FAA.
I take issue with this, as I have every other time it has been mentioned. Hiring OTS is not "scraping the bottom of the barrel". Why do we keep having to remind everyone that the post-strike hires in the 80s were ALL off the street hires. CTI was not conceived until the early 90s. I also think its been well established that CTI does not = good controller. I work at the FAA Academy and can tell you that I have seen some POOR excuses for ATCs roll through here who were CTI grads.
I did not graduate from a CTI school but I am confident I have that "it" factor and would be glad to go toe to toe with any CTI grad.
I'm sure you might have that "it" factor. Everyone should obviously think that about themselves.
CTI also does not = good controller. You're correct about that.
But, while the CTI program has it's flaws, it was a program that actually provide a great deal of education about the factors (human, and machine) that allow controllers to develop the skills that they can use for the rest of their life. Combined with a somewhat excellent training program in OKC, and excellent front line OJT experience, those guys will be some of the best controllers in this country.
I wouldn't be so quick to be willing to go toe to toe with a CTI grad. Which, reminds me. Don't start to think that everyone really cares where you came from. Your other controller next to you just wants to make sure you hand that target off before his boundary, at altitude, at airspeed, and spaced properly.
They don't give a #### if your OTS, or CTI. CTI students have their faults, some wash out at OKC, some wash out at their facilities, but far more OTS are washing out.
That's just the numbers side of it.
So sure, the post-strike hires after 81 were OTS'rs, but some of them *gasp!* had ATC experience in other arenas. Military, etc.
Also, airspace congestion, and sector spaces were substantially smaller during that time period. The two decades that followed allowed all of them to develop their skills at a pace that ran right next to the development of our airspace system and infrastructure, and the increased demand placed on it.
The OTS hires today are being thrown right into the beast, large sectors, increased capacity, due to a lack of staffing ability by the FAA.
My scraping the bottom statement is a pretty easy example of supply and demand. Supply of qualified individuals for the job = low, Demand = High. So, much like the airlines, requirements are being decreased to put warm bodies into classes, seats, and behind radar scopes. If the FAA wanted the best and brightest to come work traffic, they'd offer a better compensation package (pay, work rules, benefits) than the DoD (both contracted DoD controllers, and military controllers).
That's not happening though, so the FAA is having to look elsewhere to band-aid their staffing shortcomings. That location is off-the-street.
Which, get in anyway you can. Knock your socks off, but I think what most of us here are saying is at least listen to what is being said by those who are actually behind the scopes right now. These guys know what their talking about, and have no patience of kids coming in and treating them like ####.
Sit down, shut up, and listen. It's real simple. See how the machine works, read what is happening to those who not being able to put food on the table, not being able to pay bills due to the lack of compensation. Especially with $100bbl of oil, EVERYTHING costs more. Food, gas, lawn care, house fixes, etc.
You guys should be demanding better compensation, as should EVERY employee in this country.
It's amazing that a one time, well paid profession where the income figures were way above the inflation adjustments year after year, is now down to more than 25% below inflation adjustments from year after year.
It's just mind boggling when you actually take the time and run the numbers, just amazing that anyone would be willing to work for such. But hey, like you said. . .89k would make your day.
Not me, and I suppose I'm following my boyhood "dream" of flying for a living. The ATC was a more rational decision during my teenage years and early adulthood. Things happen for a reason though, and I couldn't be any more happy to fly for a living. I just hope the future controllers of the world don't let me down and I end up coming in contact with another plane.
Anyway - another long-winded post. I'm off to bed. Good luck.
