- Joined
- 2 Aug 2005
- Posts
- 8,720
- Location
- Cleveland, Ohio, USA
After a few years of being a student/IT support troll/truck driver/salesman I decided that I needed to get out and try something else. After a period of study and examination I re-discovered the career opportunities in the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration). I applied over the interweb this February, took an entrance exam/aptitude test in March, and just yesterday returned from my interview an pre-employment processing in lovely Queens, New York. 
Long story short, in mid-August I'm shipping out to FAA headquarters in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma to begin my training as an ATCS, an Air Traffic Control Specialist.
In the U.S. there is a great need for more ATCSes at the moment, and this demand will continue for years into the future. In a nutshell in the early 1980s President Reagan fired all the controllers participating in a union strike. A great number of new controllers were hired around that time. Fast forward 30 years and those ladies and gents are reaching the age of retirement. As a result, the FAA needs to hire more than 12,000 new trainees over the next decade. in order to facilitate this demand they are attempting to train large numbers of people in the role very quickly. I figure that if I can get in on this now I will be in a prime position when even more retire and the FAA switches to satellite-based control systems (ASD-B, and others).
It takes a particular variety of insanity to be a good fit for the job; excellent multitasking, intense concentration, ability to cope with stress, dependability/reliability, quick decision making, etc. The application and hiring process seems to screen for these characteristics extensively. However, the pay and the benefits are outstanding, especially the medical and pension plans.
This week I received a tentative offer suggesting when I will begin training and where I'll go. I'll be in OKC until mid-November where I'll ship out again to continue my training at my assigned duty station. They asked me to request 10 places I'd like to go. All of my requested cities were in the west and southwest. I wanted to go far, far away. I opened my letter and lo and behold I'm being sent to CAK, Akron/Canton Regional airport, less than an hour from where I currently sit. Ah well, at least I already know where all the good restaurants are.
I'm not quite sure why I'm telling you folks this, but I'm quite excited. The future looks bright for me!
Long story short, in mid-August I'm shipping out to FAA headquarters in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma to begin my training as an ATCS, an Air Traffic Control Specialist.
In the U.S. there is a great need for more ATCSes at the moment, and this demand will continue for years into the future. In a nutshell in the early 1980s President Reagan fired all the controllers participating in a union strike. A great number of new controllers were hired around that time. Fast forward 30 years and those ladies and gents are reaching the age of retirement. As a result, the FAA needs to hire more than 12,000 new trainees over the next decade. in order to facilitate this demand they are attempting to train large numbers of people in the role very quickly. I figure that if I can get in on this now I will be in a prime position when even more retire and the FAA switches to satellite-based control systems (ASD-B, and others).
It takes a particular variety of insanity to be a good fit for the job; excellent multitasking, intense concentration, ability to cope with stress, dependability/reliability, quick decision making, etc. The application and hiring process seems to screen for these characteristics extensively. However, the pay and the benefits are outstanding, especially the medical and pension plans.
This week I received a tentative offer suggesting when I will begin training and where I'll go. I'll be in OKC until mid-November where I'll ship out again to continue my training at my assigned duty station. They asked me to request 10 places I'd like to go. All of my requested cities were in the west and southwest. I wanted to go far, far away. I opened my letter and lo and behold I'm being sent to CAK, Akron/Canton Regional airport, less than an hour from where I currently sit. Ah well, at least I already know where all the good restaurants are.
I'm not quite sure why I'm telling you folks this, but I'm quite excited. The future looks bright for me!
