To OKC, then to location, then back to OKC

Chris Barnes

Well-Known Member
I was talking to a gal at my local tower facility over the weekend who came from OKC about a year ago. She said that she went to OKC for 4 weeks, came to her facility to become certified on local control then went back to OKC for 3-4 more weeks to train on the radar portion so she could work in the Tracon. (The airport has a tower and radar room at the same location)

I'm curious. Anyone heard of this? I will probably talk to her again here in the near future. I really didn't catch what she had said until I was in the car on my way home.

C.
 
thats what I heard when I toured Cedar Rapids, cant remember the amount of time spent the first time in OKL, but the second trip was about 6 months later and lasted about a month, Cedar Rapids is an UP/Down
 
I wonder if its only 9 weeks the first time, 5 basic and then 4 more, instead of the 3 months Ive been hearing?
 
Ok this isn't definite, but at your up/downs, you go to OKC for tower school first (no experience must take basics too), go back to facility and get all tower certs. After that must go back to OKC for Intro to radar class, then back to facility for more certs. I had a friend at Bakersfield do the same thing.
 
I believe you are correct. I hope someone there now can give us a definite answer...

C.

The CTI's at my facility went to OKC for initial training and are now training in the tower. When they check out all the way through the tower, they will go back to OKC for RTF (radar) training for 3.5 weeks. Two trips to OKC at two different times. I beleive this is the way everyone is doing it now. Before, VRA's skipped the academy and only went to OKC for RTF but not so anymore, everyone goes for initial and then back for RTF ata later date. Of course this is terminal option only, not artcc.

HD
 
For the first trip to OKC, it's still the same 5 weeks of basics and 7 weeks of tower cab, correct? Then, if it's an up/down, go back to OKC for an additional 3.5 weeks for radar?

Just trying to see that the first trip to OKC is the same length as someone going to a tower only or if there's something different that I'm missing.
 
wow - so 12 weeks first time, then to facility, then back down for another 3.5....

so here is my question, when you go back down for radar, do you make your facility pay on top of per diem.....or is it back to OKC pay plus per diem..... ?
 
Yikes, I hadn't thought of that. Surly they don't bump you back down for 3.5 weeks. That would be a payroll nightmare.

My other question still stands, is the initial training still 12 weeks then back for another 3.5 after tower certification?
 
Yes. Maybe the person you talked to was CTI, but for all of us OTS, we will need the standard terminal training of 12/13 weeks.
 
Then to the facility to cert on tower then back for 3 1/2 right?

Right, that is correct (assuming you certify on all the ground/local positions)

I don't think your pay goes down when you return to OKC. You should get the same development rate (D1 or D2) for the 2nd part of OKC training.
 
It all depends on the facility. One guy in my class is going to Reno, NV and in 2 weeks when we graduate, he starts RTF like a week later, and will then go to Reno for good. But everyone else is doing training at facility then going to RTF.
 
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