Wanna be a controller?
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Join Date: Nov 2000
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Wanna be a controller?
Better read this first.
Best summation of controlling I've read in a long time.
The job often sucks. Even for those of us who love it. We are not appreciated by anyone outside of our profession. We hold more lives in our hands in one average shift than a medical doctor does in his whole career. Pilots don't understand us or even listen sometimes ... but they rely on us to save their asses when they need us and will probably never say thank you. Everything we say is recorded. We have to be prepared to defend every word we say in a court of law should the unthinkable happen. We are responsible for knowing more rules than humanly possible. Those rules are subject to daily change. We can't imagine doing any other job. We carry around in our heads the equivalent amount of data as the average metropolitan phone book. We don't have time to look anything up. We aren't allowed to make mistakes.
We don't have a God complex. We are Gods. We receive more training than physicians. We can't make our "clients" wait in a waiting room until we're ready for them. We are always in control. We control everything in our environment. This affects our personal life in ways that a non-controller cannot fathom. Our spouses will never understand us or what we do. We can't bring the job home. But it is always with us. We all have crash dreams. We will control traffic in our sleep. We never have to worry about a foot-high inbox when we come into work. We can't put an airplane back in the inbox to deal with later. We take extreme pride in the quality of our work, no matter how negatively the FAA, the media, and some politicians portray us. No, you can not imagine the stress. We aren't able to tolerate a read-back error at a drive thru restaurant. Indecision is unacceptable in any scenario. We didn't invent the "Mooney spike" but we see the effects of it every day. We don't get bathroom breaks whenever we need them. We learn to hold it until we get a break. There is always something that needs to be done right now. We have a lack of tolerance for miscommunication. We get grumpy when we don't have enough airplanes to keep us busy. We get grumpy when we have too many. We are the only ones who know where we draw this invisible line between the two. We love gallows humor. When we retire, we will seek out, socialize with, and keep close friendships with other controllers. They are still the only people who come close to understanding us or are willing to put up with us. We get to retire "early". But most of us won't live more than ten years after retirement. We expect people to say what they mean and mean what they say. Everything in life is either black or white ... there is no gray. We can drink a hotel bar dry in about two hours. We use anticipated separation when we drive. We can't understand people who don't know how to calculate speed differences to hit gaps on the highway. There is something "off" about ALL of us. We all want children to have "normal" lives and "normal" jobs. But we are so proud when they choose to become controllers themselves. We are not allowed to treat our depression or anxiety with FDA-approved medicine. Or even admit out loud that we suffer from either. We will lose our jobs if we do. But we can drink our weight in Jim Beam ... as long as we are at least 8 hours from our next shift. Most of us look 10 yrs older than our age and act 10 yrs younger. We know all the different variations of the word "stress." We are drawn to extremely dangerous past times. We will eventually be on blood pressure medication. We don't know what normal sleep patterns are. We're not allowed to use sleep aids. We work in the middle of the night and on Christmas and weekends and your birthday. We will never have "normal" days off. We will never have a regular social life. We can't participate in our kids' school activities. We know that our worth isn't reflected by our position in the FAA or our rank in the military. Our friends won't understand that we can't just leave work or get off work or stop thinking about work. We are not "Disney-friendly." People think that we are the guys on the ramp with the flashlights and that we get to fly for free. We make more money than you do. But you have the house and the cars and the vacation home and the time with your family. We have the clothes, the watch, the sunglasses and the attitude. We are fluent in three languages: English, Acronyms and Cursing. We speak all three simultaneously and loudly. We don't say "goodbye" when we hang up the phone, we give our operating initials. Controller candy comes in two flavors: TUMS and Ibuprofen. When a cold or flu strikes we just suck it up 'cause we can't take otc cold medication without being medically disqualified. We are brutally, ridiculously, ruthlessly hard on each other. We have thick skin. We will be the last person a pilot talks to on this earth. We will hear the terror in his voice. We will calmly use every tool we have to bring him down safely. We will hear his screams when we can't. We will never forget it. We will relive it again and again. We will go right back to work the next day and do it again. We aren't allowed to cry. When one of us fails we will laugh at him. When one of us succeeds we won't acknowledge it. We don't have time to pat ourselves or each other on the back. We have vectoring to do.
We don't have a God complex. We are Gods. We receive more training than physicians. We can't make our "clients" wait in a waiting room until we're ready for them. We are always in control. We control everything in our environment. This affects our personal life in ways that a non-controller cannot fathom. Our spouses will never understand us or what we do. We can't bring the job home. But it is always with us. We all have crash dreams. We will control traffic in our sleep. We never have to worry about a foot-high inbox when we come into work. We can't put an airplane back in the inbox to deal with later. We take extreme pride in the quality of our work, no matter how negatively the FAA, the media, and some politicians portray us. No, you can not imagine the stress. We aren't able to tolerate a read-back error at a drive thru restaurant. Indecision is unacceptable in any scenario. We didn't invent the "Mooney spike" but we see the effects of it every day. We don't get bathroom breaks whenever we need them. We learn to hold it until we get a break. There is always something that needs to be done right now. We have a lack of tolerance for miscommunication. We get grumpy when we don't have enough airplanes to keep us busy. We get grumpy when we have too many. We are the only ones who know where we draw this invisible line between the two. We love gallows humor. When we retire, we will seek out, socialize with, and keep close friendships with other controllers. They are still the only people who come close to understanding us or are willing to put up with us. We get to retire "early". But most of us won't live more than ten years after retirement. We expect people to say what they mean and mean what they say. Everything in life is either black or white ... there is no gray. We can drink a hotel bar dry in about two hours. We use anticipated separation when we drive. We can't understand people who don't know how to calculate speed differences to hit gaps on the highway. There is something "off" about ALL of us. We all want children to have "normal" lives and "normal" jobs. But we are so proud when they choose to become controllers themselves. We are not allowed to treat our depression or anxiety with FDA-approved medicine. Or even admit out loud that we suffer from either. We will lose our jobs if we do. But we can drink our weight in Jim Beam ... as long as we are at least 8 hours from our next shift. Most of us look 10 yrs older than our age and act 10 yrs younger. We know all the different variations of the word "stress." We are drawn to extremely dangerous past times. We will eventually be on blood pressure medication. We don't know what normal sleep patterns are. We're not allowed to use sleep aids. We work in the middle of the night and on Christmas and weekends and your birthday. We will never have "normal" days off. We will never have a regular social life. We can't participate in our kids' school activities. We know that our worth isn't reflected by our position in the FAA or our rank in the military. Our friends won't understand that we can't just leave work or get off work or stop thinking about work. We are not "Disney-friendly." People think that we are the guys on the ramp with the flashlights and that we get to fly for free. We make more money than you do. But you have the house and the cars and the vacation home and the time with your family. We have the clothes, the watch, the sunglasses and the attitude. We are fluent in three languages: English, Acronyms and Cursing. We speak all three simultaneously and loudly. We don't say "goodbye" when we hang up the phone, we give our operating initials. Controller candy comes in two flavors: TUMS and Ibuprofen. When a cold or flu strikes we just suck it up 'cause we can't take otc cold medication without being medically disqualified. We are brutally, ridiculously, ruthlessly hard on each other. We have thick skin. We will be the last person a pilot talks to on this earth. We will hear the terror in his voice. We will calmly use every tool we have to bring him down safely. We will hear his screams when we can't. We will never forget it. We will relive it again and again. We will go right back to work the next day and do it again. We aren't allowed to cry. When one of us fails we will laugh at him. When one of us succeeds we won't acknowledge it. We don't have time to pat ourselves or each other on the back. We have vectoring to do.
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IMHO it's a bit of a curate's egg mixed with the worst of Pushing Tin. It DOES have some good bits, but overall it's a bit too Hollywood for me....
I doubt if anyone has ever met someone in the job who fits the description, but I sure recognise some bits of a few people
I doubt if anyone has ever met someone in the job who fits the description, but I sure recognise some bits of a few people
Join Date: Mar 2013
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In my 24 years here, I've worked with several that come pretty close to fitting that description to a T.
As bad as that movie Pushing Tin was, the movie was inspired/based on real characters that worked in my area right here at the New York Tracon, and while Hollywood did add quite a lot of crap to it, many of the stuff in did actually happen. Our Union rep at the time was the ATC "consultant" for that movie, and yes, he will be forever blamed for that.
As bad as that movie Pushing Tin was, the movie was inspired/based on real characters that worked in my area right here at the New York Tracon, and while Hollywood did add quite a lot of crap to it, many of the stuff in did actually happen. Our Union rep at the time was the ATC "consultant" for that movie, and yes, he will be forever blamed for that.
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ATCOs summary
I have to say, as an ATCO of many years I found that summary really awesome. Either On the Beach is a little bitter about his work or he has a brill sense of humour and writing talent. I love my job at a fairly busy international airport but I have to admit I can relate to some of the summaries statements. Reference pilots never saying thanks though, they often do where I work even though we have done nothing more than what we get paid for. I do say things like "standby" when someone rings for one of my kids or the wife. Great post
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As pilot of many years in the airline industry I would certainly say that pilots are extremely thankful for good ATC service. There is a great relief in the cockpit in many a busy environment when there is a competent controller on the airwaves, this is not always the case sadly.
Pilots can relate to a lot of the points in the initial post also. Don't worry my ATC friends, you are greatly appreciated and we all appreciate a smooth and efficient operation from either end of the microphone and courtesy should always be applied.
Rgds
Jack...... In the middle of the night in my hotel room, unable to sleep, the only English Channel on the TV is CNN and unable to go to sleep in my own bed after my shift. On half of my days off I am stuck down route unable to get the things done at home that I need to do. When I do get home I will be unable to get the things done that I need to do as I will be jet lagged and trying to recover and rest before the next bout of this glamorous lifestyle.
Courtesy, Respect, Manners CRM to all.
Pilots can relate to a lot of the points in the initial post also. Don't worry my ATC friends, you are greatly appreciated and we all appreciate a smooth and efficient operation from either end of the microphone and courtesy should always be applied.
Rgds
Jack...... In the middle of the night in my hotel room, unable to sleep, the only English Channel on the TV is CNN and unable to go to sleep in my own bed after my shift. On half of my days off I am stuck down route unable to get the things done at home that I need to do. When I do get home I will be unable to get the things done that I need to do as I will be jet lagged and trying to recover and rest before the next bout of this glamorous lifestyle.
Courtesy, Respect, Manners CRM to all.
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Caerpark et al
Go back and read OTBs post. FFS he DIDN'T write it, he read it and passed it on.
Having worked with OTB in a previous life in a land, far far away there were one or 2 not far off the mark.
Having worked with OTB in a previous life in a land, far far away there were one or 2 not far off the mark.
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Seems a bit sanctimonious to me and kind of patronising and insulting to presume other jobs don't have similar pressures.
I don't think anyone is under the illusion that ATC is all fun and games, but jeez....
I don't think anyone is under the illusion that ATC is all fun and games, but jeez....
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Of course there will be some generalisation. Some of it is applicable to the job in general and some of it is more particularly applicable to the job, and job conditions, in the USA. On the whole, as retired ATC myself, I'd say it's a fairly good summation.
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A bit arrogant, we are not anywhere near gods. If you think controlling is stressful then you should find another career.
Also, I'm a controller, ex instructor and examiner; married to a surgeon and we certainly do not receive more training than a physician or are we required to remember even a tiny proportion of the amount of theoretical knowledge a doctor does.
Also, I'm a controller, ex instructor and examiner; married to a surgeon and we certainly do not receive more training than a physician or are we required to remember even a tiny proportion of the amount of theoretical knowledge a doctor does.
That's not very fair to the current crop Cripes. Pretty much all the ATCOs I've worked with have been a great laugh, whether in their twenties or drawing their pension and salary. I can think of very few who would even consider describe themselves in such Daily-Mail-esque chunder.
