Working at Night

[jhp8]

For those of you that work in 24 hour centers, what is it like working overnights? Does time go by slow? Are you just as busy even though there is less air traffic? Is the staffing level a lot lower?

 

[K-Dog]

If you work at a center, is it possible to get scheduled the overnight shift for long periods of time if you want?

 

[bippoptl]

my good friends dad is a controller at ZNY, and here is how the overnight goes there...


there are 3 controllers scheduled for the overnight shift for his Area. they consollidate all 6 radar positions into just ONE. 1 guys works all the traffic, and the other 2 sleep. then 1 wakes up and relieves him, and he goes and sleeps, then the 3rd guy wakes up and the 2nd guys goes to sleep.

now if there was lots of weather during the day, and flights get delayed, and end up flying at night then they all work and are busier. not as busy as a day shift, but not completely dead.

 

[ZDCATC]

Personally, I do not like the midnight shifts. Not only is it sometimes very hard to stay awake during my turn at the wheel, but the next day (and sometimes my whole weekend) I play catch-up with sleep and I feel like ####..

Plus, we used to be allowed to bring a little DVD player and watch movies on the midnights. I didn't mind it so much then. But someone had a deal on the mid-shift in Atlanta Center a few years ago while a movie was playing - to my knowledge there was never any claim that the controller had the deal BECAUSE he was watching a movie, mind you - and since then DVDs are a no-no. We can stil read BOOK, though!

Yeah, cuz reading a book is a GREAT way to stay awake....

Morons! :banghead:

 

[Raydon]

Yeah, cuz reading a book is a GREAT way to stay awake....

:yup:


meh.. what can ya do

 

[K-Dog]

So am I correct that you do not get put on shifts?

I.E. I have family in law enforcement and they are on a set shift for 3-6 months and then they rotate. This seems like an ok way to go to me, as they get used to their shift, so they aren't playing catch up everytime they work nigh shift...only when shift rotation first starts.

 

[ZDCATC]

Every facility is different. Some have all fixed RDOs, like Washington Center. Some facilities rotate all days off. Some have a combination, Like Potomac Tracon.

And it can change from year to year. We used to have a combination. Mostly fixed RDOs with two or three rotating day off shifts. But, for the last 8 years or so we have had all fixed RDOs.

Washignton Center does still have some reverse shifts. Usually a person's schedule will have 3 evening shifts to start the week and 2 day shifts to end it. Or 2 eves 2 days and a midnight shift. The reverse has the days first and ends with the eves. Reverses do not have midnight shifts.

Here's the thing... the weird thing... it seems no matter which facility you go visit, no matter what type of different schedules they have.... they like their schedules just fine and they do not want to change to that frigged up schedule YOU have. haha No one likes change.

RDO = Regular Day Off

 

[K-Dog]

Seems to me that if you worked one mid a week...that would always be a miserable day at work as you would never be used to it. But whatever, I am happy to work whatever shift they give me.

 

[coops2k]

So am I correct that you do not get put on shifts?

I.E. I have family in law enforcement and they are on a set shift for 3-6 months and then they rotate. This seems like an ok way to go to me, as they get used to their shift, so they aren't playing catch up everytime they work nigh shift...only when shift rotation first starts.

I have work in 2 different center ZAB & ZHU. most work a 3-11,2-10, 7-3/12-8(or any hour between 7 & noon), 7-3, mid/6-2.
midshifts are assigned just like all other shifts, but on most crews there are people who like midshifts and you can trade out of them.

 

[K-Dog]

Oh, so it is fairly easy to trade shifts?

I think I would like working Mids most of the time.

You get to avoid traffic going to work and coming home where I live.

 

[RetiredATLATC]

Oh, so it is fairly easy to trade shifts?

I think I would like working Mids most of the time.

You get to avoid traffic going to work and coming home where I live.

You won't be working any mids until you get a whole lot of seniority. That shift is for us old dogs, not you young pups.

Gotta go to sleep, got three mids in a row.

 

[nathanw]

You won't be working any mids until you get a whole lot of seniority. That shift is for us old dogs, not you young pups.

Gotta go to sleep, got three mids in a row.

because of the differential pay?

 

[RetiredATLATC]

because of the differential pay?

It has nothing to do with pay. When you work six day weeks EVERY week, that little extra half day off is like a vacation added to your ODO (Only Day Off). Plus it gets you away from idiotic manglement for a day.

 

[AnImbroglio]

My curiosity about this goes something like this:

I am used to working later in the day. I prefer it. I'm a night owl, by nature. I don't mind working the late shifts.

My only concern would be when I'm starting out. I want to get trained as quickly as possible (obviously), and it seems to me like working the late shift might not be in my best interest as far as this is concerned. Is there some sort of happy medium that can be reached here?

 

[nathanw]

My curiosity about this goes something like this:

I am used to working later in the day. I prefer it. I'm a night owl, by nature. I don't mind working the late shifts.

My only concern would be when I'm starting out. I want to get trained as quickly as possible (obviously), and it seems to me like working the late shift might not be in my best interest as far as this is concerned. Is there some sort of happy medium that can be reached here?

When you're in training you are going to be on whatever shift your trainer is on, except for the classroom training, which is during the day. At least it is at my facility.