Tower, Tracon and Enroute Compare Questions

[sshaffer]

Hi,

Between Tower, Tracon and Enroute, has anyone done 2 or 3 so they can be compared? I was wondering upside and downside to each of these. Which pays more? Which are more in demand? Which is more fun?

I understand the Tower and Enroute, but is TRACON more like tower or more like Enroute?

If you start at one, is it hard to switch to another?

And finally, which locations have all 3?

 

[WoH]

Hi,

Between Tower, Tracon and Enroute, has anyone done 2 or 3 so they can be compared? I was wondering upside and downside to each of these. Which pays more?

Pay is by facility level...there are level 12 towers too.

Which are more in demand?

ARTCC (en route)...sorta...no one really knows

Which is more fun?

Do you want to look at the real word out a window or direct dots on a computer screen?

I understand the Tower and Enroute, but is TRACON more like tower or more like Enroute?

More like Tower

If you start at one, is it hard to switch to another?

If you switch from tower to en route, you have to go back to OKC for another month for additional training. Other than that, no.

And finally, which locations have all 3?

None...that doesn't exist

 

[ATC RET 2003]

Between Tower, Tracon and Enroute, has anyone done 2 or 3 so they can be compared?

I've done all three.

...is TRACON more like tower or more like Enroute?

TRACON and Enroute are two distinctively different functions with different equipment and different rules. From the standpoint of sitting in a dark or semi-dark room and using radar to separate airplanes, TRACON is more like Enroute.

The similarities between TRACON and Tower also don't go much beyond the equipment and separation standards you use... again, they are two distinctively different functions.

If you start at one, is it hard to switch to another?

As far as the FFA allowing moves between options, it was no harder than moving from one Terminal facility to another.

If you mean was it hard in terms of "learning the ropes", that depended on the individual. I saw Center pukes come to my Terminal facilities and have an absolute bear of a time on some positions (most notably Local Control) and others fairly breeze through it. When I went to the Center it took a while to get used to the faster speeds and all the constant keyboard entries. Not being able to use course divergence was an issue at first, too.

Which is more fun?

They were each enjoyable in their own way... likewise they could be a pain in the ass in their own way. If I had to pick one, I did enjoy actually seeing the airplanes. That's what got me interested in the job in the first place.