Touring Enroute

teetee

New Member
I was going to write about this a while ago and life have been a bit busy. The Monday before Thanksgiving, my husband was finally able to to tour where he was going to be working in May of 2009. What he thought would take 45 minutes to an hour took about 2 1/2 hours!

Since we are working on one car currently, I drove him to the tour. After dropping him off, the kids and I headed to downtown to look around for a bit. After 30 minutes we headed back so he wouldn't have to wait for us. We ended up waiting almost an hour and a half! It was worth the wait though cause he had a blast.

They first took him in and he had to go through security. Once through security they took him around and basically just showed him the building. He was introduced to many of the people that were currently working. The guy taking him on the tour is a family friend and has worked there for 24 years. He is well known and was able to introduce my husband to all the management and everything.

Since my husband is coming into this OTS with pilot background he received a LOT of good advice such as: you have to remember that although you sympathize for the pilot, you can't provide what they ask for just because they ask for it. You have to do your job whether you are liked by the pilot or not (something that was good for my husband to hear).

After this came all the "cool" stuff. They tapped him in with a controller and he was able to sit at the radar with the controller and experience live traffic and controlling. He LOVED it! He talked about it forever upon returning to the car.

It was a good thing he had such great news for me cause I had bad news for him. I had worn out the battery on the car with running only on battery while the kids watched Kung Fu Panda in the back :eek: I guess I should have started the car after 45 minutes to an hour of waiting :rolleyes:

He was going to come on here and give all the info to everyone but honestly he has been so busy between finishing up school for the semester and training everyone at his current job on how to do it when he leaves he hasn't had much time.

Ben was so glad that he was able to get the tour and he put forth the effort to get one set up (even with a FOL for ZLC, there was still red tape to get him in there and touring the place) Actually sitting in the room that will be his future job site and witnessing the work he will be doing really helped him prepare for OKC.

Anyway, just wanted to share cause well, I wanted to!:D:D If you have any questions, you can ask them and I will either ask him and answer or get him on here to answer. He told me so many cool things about it, I have forgotten many but I am so excited for him!!!
 
I have also toured my future facility(ZTL), but it was before I knew that is where I am going. It was very cool, and I would like to go back but I don't want to seem:crazy:.
 
Once you have a FOL call and ask for another tour. Let them know that you toured once but didn't know you were going to that exact location and you would like another tour. I don't think that is bad or crazy at all!
 
I have also toured my future facility(ZTL), but it was before I knew that is where I am going. It was very cool, and I would like to go back but I don't want to seem:crazy:.

Just start going every day and hanging out. In the morning take several dozen Krispy Kreme (lol, playin' Bigey, HUGZ!) and then just walk around high fiving people and then walk over the copy and do the "copy guy" routine with everyone.
 
Just start going every day and hanging out. In the morning take several dozen Krispy Kreme (lol, playin' Bigey, HUGZ!) and then just walk around high fiving people and then walk over the copy and do the "copy guy" routine with everyone.
My memory about "copy guy" is hazy. Is that with Rob Schneider where he is next to the copy machine and someone walks in and he goes "Marty, makin' copies. Doin' the copy thing" etc etc?

I can't find a clip because apparently SNL doesn't allow anything on youtube/hulu/google lol.

zz :)
 
My memory about "copy guy" is hazy. Is that with Rob Schneider where he is next to the copy machine and someone walks in and he goes "Marty, makin' copies. Doin' the copy thing" etc etc?

I can't find a clip because apparently SNL doesn't allow anything on youtube/hulu/google lol.

zz :)

You would be correct.
 
I am wondering how you guys all got a tour of various center positions. I called to try and set up a tour of ZLC and they told me that I couldn't get one because of security restrictions/concerns. I was able to get a tour of the tower which was great but I am just frustrated because I wonder if they are just being punks or if they really aren't supposed to give a waiting applicant a tour. I think once I get my FOL I'll give them a call back and try again!
 
I got a tour because I know three people who work at the facility very well. It was insanely easy, I just called one of them up and asked to come in. One of the controllers was waiting for me at Security when I got there. It was way cool, I highly recommend getting in for a tour if you can. Maybe find out who the main admin guy at the facility you want to tour is (if you don't know anyone there), and then contact him? I know that was who had to sign off on my tour, and I did have to stop in to meet/thank him after, so maybe that's a good place to start?
 
Nofear - my hubby wasn't able to tour ZLC due to security issues until he had his TOL. He knew several guys that were really well known and been at ZLC for 23-25 years. None of them could get him in until after he had his TOL. Once he had his TOL he was able to have a guy he knew give him a tour. You could call them now and get a tour of the center. The lady in charge of the facility tours and related stuff informed him that you are cleared enough to have a tour once you have your TOL.

Once you get your FOL you might not have time to do a tour of the center cause you might only have 1 or 2 weeks notice until you have to be in OKC. Usually your FOL comes shortly before your OKC date. It still takes them about 5 days to get a tour scheduled for you.
 
ive toured ZNY twice. just call up the facility and tell them you got a job there and you want a tour. they let me in very quick. once before i had my TOL and once after
 
I am still trying to get a tour of ZLC. My problem is I don't really know anyone working there. I have one acquaintance who works there. Maybe I'll call him up and plead my case. I talked to the I think he was the training manager or something and he said no dice until after I get out of training:mad:. I am wondering how I can get around him and get myself a dang tour:)
 
The training manager is a woman. I was the one that set up the tour for my husband. I didn't have the phone number of ZLC and I found a phone number for the Tower and I called them. They were setting my husband up for a tour when they realized he was going to ZLC. They told me I could still do a tour there but he probably wanted the tour at the ARTCC facility. They gave me a phone number for a lady in the ARTCC. I talked to her and she told me there was no problem with my husband having a TOL to get a tour of ZLC. The guy that my husband knew did the tour (the Lady I talked to knew him pretty well). Afterwards I found out I had talked to the manager. Didn't know it at the time. Good thing I was nice ;)
 
Yeah the number I have for ZLC online always just sends me to a message machine of a guy saying he is the temp manager or something like that and to leave him a message. I left him a message once and he is the one that called me back and said no dice. I guess maybe I'll check around and try to find a new phone number. I would love to talk to the real manager.
 
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