Walk-on ATC

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Mtns2Skies

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Mtns2Skies
I'm planning on taking the FAA employment test in a few years to be an ATCer. Assuming I score well on the test, Do many people get into the controlling world by this method? Is it impossible?
 
Why are you waiting for a few years? Age? Still to young?

It's a way in the door, if that's what you want to do.
I've been told that you can only be on the hire roster in one region at a time. Apply to a region with a short list and high demand.
 
BillTIZ said:
Why are you waiting for a few years? Age? Still to young?
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Yeah. I'd like to get a full four year degree first, but I won't be going to a school with ATC.

What kind of regions would you suggest? Alaska, Pacific Northwest and the rocky mountain area would be perfect for me.
 
I know two people who were just hired in the Northwest Mountain region. They went to a school which had an ATC program and have waited about two years to be placed.
 
Mtns2Skies said:
I'm planning on taking the FAA employment test in a few years to be an ATCer. Assuming I score well on the test, Do many people get into the controlling world by this method? Is it impossible?
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I think you'd be better off just attending an ATC college. In a few years you'd have at least an AA Degree. Eastman college in central Georgia has an excellent program. They usually have a program set up with the FAA to take a certain number of graduates for lower level towers.

Don't know of anyone who just takes the test and gets in with no experience. All my friends were military or DOD before they got accepted. I've heard from them that a lot of the off the street ATC college grads have a hard time getting their quals. Doing sims all day doesn't compare to working real aircraft at a real airport.
 
I don't think they've hired off the street in years. Heck, I know people that went thru the ATC program at ERAU that have been waiting for years to get a slot. If you want to do it, find an ATC school or enlist.
 
KSCessnaDriver said:
I don't think they've hired off the street in years. Heck, I know people that went thru the ATC program at ERAU that have been waiting for years to get a slot. If you want to do it, find an ATC school or enlist.
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Exactly why I'm going for the 4 year degree (Chemical Engineering). If on the off chance I do get into ATC that'd be great, if not I have other options. I wanted to know my odds of getting in so thanks, know of any trends into the future? or are they pretty stagnant?
 
Mtns2Skies said:
Exactly why I'm going for the 4 year degree (Chemical Engineering).
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Where ('zactly) is ChemE just four years? Not course sched in the catalog but in practice by the majority of the undergrads who attempt the degree.
 
Clark1961 said:
Where ('zactly) is ChemE just four years? Not course sched in the catalog but in practice by the majority of the undergrads who attempt the degree.
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My brother did so at the University of Virginia. I will be at Colorado State University following in his footsteps. We both did eliminate the need for electives in college with high amounts of AP (advanced placement) and college courses during high school.
 
You cannot apply without going to atc school. Sorry. The only way the government is going to train you is if you do a stint in the military as a ATC.
 
With the recent press that Contract Towers save significant $$$ and the state of Washington scrambling for $$$ right now... depending on how things go, one might assume FAA might be forced to do more of those, politically.

I have zero clue what that means for hiring, though. Most of those Towers seem to hire away already-working FAA folk.
 
My CFI was hired off the streets back in 2008. Worked for NorCal Tracon and got bored. :)
This article might help you. Might wanna check out Stuck Mic also. Good Luck.
 
Possibly look into ERAU or UND, they have engineering courses that are top rated (at least undergrad) and also have an ATC major. I would not suggest just a pure 4 year ATC major, but a double major is possible. I have a bunch of friends who Doubled in AE/EE as well as Aeronautical Science. Most programs are five years, but if you have a bunch of AP creds the 4 year option is possible. Military ATC as an officer is Extraordinarily rare! So if you have a Chemical Engineering Degree and end up going Enlisted, be aware that you will be highly educated but very low (bottom infact) on the totem pole. Air Force ATC is most recommended btw (from those from other services that I've chatted with).

Good Luck!
 
Tony_Scarpelli said:
You cannot apply without going to atc school. Sorry. The only way the government is going to train you is if you do a stint in the military as a ATC.
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Yes you can apply without ATC school, does not guarantee you'll get hired. ATC school gets you a management degree, background in aviation, not qualified to start work. You'll still get the FAA ATC school in OKC.
 
Mtns2Skies said:
My brother did so at the University of Virginia. I will be at Colorado State University following in his footsteps. We both did eliminate the need for electives in college with high amounts of AP (advanced placement) and college courses during high school.
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Good luck with it. Consider your school choice very carefully. It's something that stays with you for the rest of your life. There is another school in Colorado which has a ChemE program that is well worth considering over CSU.
 
I'm in the process of doing this right now. I've talked to several higher-ups at the KC up/down, and the STL TRACON. You can get hired off the street, all you have to have is a 4-year degree and be 21yo or older to be a candidate. However, they haven't opened it up to off-the-street for some time. My contact at the STL TRACON has been telling me for over a year there's been talk about opening it up, but it hasn't happened yet.

Having a background in aviation, especially a pilots license, will improve your ranking greatly, one accepted. I know two guys in the KC area that went to the ATC training in the same class, and got the same score on the test. One had no aviation experience and got only one offer. The other had PVT w/ INST, and had 33 offers.

Currently, I'm just continuing my pilot career route, but check on USA Jobs almost daily on the off chance they open it up to the public. Occasionally, they'll have it open to CTI grads, but even that's few-and-far between.
 
HighFlyingA380 said:
Currently, I'm just continuing my pilot career route, but check on USA Jobs almost daily on the off chance they open it up to the public. Occasionally, they'll have it open to CTI grads, but even that's few-and-far between.
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Whenever I see posts about ATC I think back on the fact that I almost went that route. They were hiring off the street big time back then because they were still rebuilding after the strike. I took the test, did pretty well, and got called to interview. However I turned down the interview because I had just accepted a full time job as a pilot which paid more than starting controller's pay. Through the years when I mentioned this to various controllers they had varying perspectives on whether I made the correct decision or not. I would be retired today if I had stayed the whole time or I might have gotten bored after a few years and quit to do something else.
 
Clark1961 said:
Good luck with it. Consider your school choice very carefully. It's something that stays with you for the rest of your life. There is another school in Colorado which has a ChemE program that is well worth considering over CSU.
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Like the school of Mines in which is 4 years of misery? Or CU Boulder which is beginning to have one of the worst reputations around the country? CSU is the best in-state choice, has a great program and I like it there. If I decide to go for my masters in Atmospheric Science they have the #1 program in the country.

HighFlyingA380 said:
I'm in the process of doing this right now. I've talked to several higher-ups at the KC up/down, and the STL TRACON. You can get hired off the street, all you have to have is a 4-year degree and be 21yo or older to be a candidate. However, they haven't opened it up to off-the-street for some time. My contact at the STL TRACON has been telling me for over a year there's been talk about opening it up, but it hasn't happened yet.

Having a background in aviation, especially a pilots license, will improve your ranking greatly, one accepted. I know two guys in the KC area that went to the ATC training in the same class, and got the same score on the test. One had no aviation experience and got only one offer. The other had PVT w/ INST, and had 33 offers.

Currently, I'm just continuing my pilot career route, but check on USA Jobs almost daily on the off chance they open it up to the public. Occasionally, they'll have it open to CTI grads, but even that's few-and-far between.
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Thanks for all the info good luck!

ainokea said:
My CFI was hired off the streets back in 2008. Worked for NorCal Tracon and got bored. :)
This article might help you. Might wanna check out Stuck Mic also. Good Luck.
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That's a great article thanks!
 
Mtns2Skies said:
Like the school of Mines in which is 4 years of misery?
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Wasn't four years of misery for me but if that's how you see it then that's how you see it. A Mines degree will serve you well for the rest of your life.
 
Mtns2Skies said:
Thanks for all the info good luck!
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Thanks! You too!

Clark1961 said:
Wasn't four years of misery for me but if that's how you see it then that's how you see it. A Mines degree will serve you well for the rest of your life.
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My buddy just graduated in May after 3 years from Mines with a double in Petroleum Engineering and O-Chem. He said it was hell at times, but overall a great experience. He got hired by BP before he graduated, and is currently working in Houston and traveling the country. Making damn good money too.
 
Clark1961 said:
Wasn't four years of misery for me but if that's how you see it then that's how you see it. A Mines degree will serve you well for the rest of your life.
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Nephew got accepted. He's a sharp kid. Should do well. He posted his CAD model of a Rubik's Cube he did for fun on Facebook last week. :)
 
P.S. Everyone goes to Houston in the "ohl" biz eventually. Good he is getting it over with early and can get out of there later in his career. Heh heh.
 
HighFlyingA380 said:
My buddy just graduated in May after 3 years from Mines with a double in Petroleum Engineering and O-Chem. He said it was hell at times, but overall a great experience. He got hired by BP before he graduated, and is currently working in Houston and traveling the country. Making damn good money too.
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Probably a good summary of Mines, hell at times but overall great. My question is why wouldn't a person want an education that stretched them? Any less would be like doing PPL training on sunny, windless days and then getting the cert from the CFI.
 
Clark1961 said:
Probably a good summary of Mines, hell at times but overall great. My question is why wouldn't a person want an education that stretched them? Any less would be like doing PPL training on sunny, windless days and then getting the cert from the CFI.
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I take Calculus 3 and Differential equations at Mines now(in highschool 4.5GPA, 32 on the ACT in the #3 high school in the state). The students there are either anti-social or get drunk and party endlessly, neither of those fit me. I personally dislike the school and it has a remarkably high suicide rate. Yes AFTER mines you do well in life but I'm not willing to put up with 4 years of (what I think will be) misery.

CSU fits me better, I'll be in their honors program and they have an excellent science and engineering program. Thanks for your interest.
 
Mtns2Skies said:
I dislike it. I'm enrolled there. No rumors about that. Let me make MY college choice okay?
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Fine, make your choice. Don't slander or libel a school. Okay?
 
Anybody have statistics on people who graduate from the first college they go to? I sure didn't.
 
KSCessnaDriver said:
Anybody have statistics on people who graduate from the first college they go to? I sure didn't.
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I switched campuses after one semester but I basically graduated from the first institution I went to, in four years too. Now ask me if I worked in the field I studied after I graduated. :redface:
 
Everskyward said:
I switched campuses after one semester but I basically graduated from the first institution I went to, in four years too. Now ask me if I worked in the field I studied after I graduated. :redface:
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And 99 percent of the population would cut off their left leg to do what you do.
 
Sac Arrow said:
And 99 percent of the population would cut off their left leg to do what you do.
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Um no, I don't think so. I'm sure that would cause the necessity for a special issuance...

Besides, what people think I do is only a fantasy. :rofl:

Actually I get paid to sit around, surf the web and post on POA. :thumbsup:
 
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Everskyward said:
Um no, I don't think so. I'm sure that would cause the necessity for a special issuance...

Besides, what people think I do is only a fantasy. :rofl:

Actually I get paid to sit around, surf the web and post on POA. :thumbsup:
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Like I said.....
 
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