1. On average how many aircraft would you guys manage at once (Per person) and what would be the maximum you would handle?
This is no definate answeer for this because it depends entirely on what position you are workings. A tower controller will generally have less than a TMA controller who again will have less than a Enroute controller. The large procedural sectors can have to 20-30 aircraft at once, the larger radar sectors maybe 15-20, the smaller radar sectors 10-15, TMA about 5-10.
2. How is the support if you think you have too many A/C and you want some help with them? One of the guys I spoke too said you can allways ask for some help to manage the A/C. But how does this work generally? can someone pull up your sector and take a couple of A/C or does someone just stand next to you and have a look?
If there is someone spare you can call upon them but that may not be the case all the time. See you comment about short staffing. How does it work? Often you are working 2 or more sectors combined. If the workload gets high someone will take one of your sectors to relieve the workload. If you can't split anything off then someone may plug in next to you and monitor whats going on, point out anything you may have missed, work on separation problems and coordinate with other controllers to relieve workload.
3. How long do you stay on one sector? Do you generally learn an area with several sectors or just a sector?
You will be assigned to one group which covers a particular area of airspace. This airspace will usually have multiple sectors within it. You will usually starting training on the easiest sector in the group. Once rated and after some consolidation you will progressively train on all the other sectors within you group until you have all the ratings for that group. How long you stay in that group is a difficult thing to answer. Due to the staffing shortages there is quite a bit of gridlock with staffing. Ie people can't be released to move to another group because there is noone to replace them. But you can probably expect a minimum of 5 years in the one group before you can move one to something different.
4. They guys were saying that AsA is severely understaffed (as suggested by people on here also) and working 10 days is not uncommon. But After 10 days you must be given time off right? anyone know what that would be?
Also I don't quite understand how overtime can be forced. If your busy or unreachable or not at home on your day off, It seems a bit silly to be expected at work in say an hours time. I'm sure there are days when your not busy and you may as well go into work, but I'm just wondering how often you get called for extra shifts?
Minimum rest after 10 days working is only one day off. Your working conditions are governed by our certified agreement which covers working hours and time off. The CA states that you are required to do "reasonable overtime". The CA also has list of reasons why you may refuse to do overtime. If you do not have one of these reasons, then ASA may discipline you. You are not required to be contactable or to return calls when you are rostered off. Some groups are more short staffed than others and if you are on a really short staffed group you can expect to be called on every day off. Others maybe a once or twice a fortnight.
5. Anyone know a rough hourly rate for controllers (base rate of $83,000PA I think)? Just curious if anyone has worked it out.
=(83000/52)/36=$44.33/h
6. How tough is the training? Is it mostly dependent on each individual (some people can ace it without studying and others have to study 24/7)? Or is it really quite tough. The trainer guy I spoke to said it changes person to person, but its structured quite well (building block style) and its not as bad as its made out to be. I would assume, you have to really work hard (just being on the safe side), but anyone have any personal stories about the training? Did you enjoy it? Some parts easy? some parts hard?
It is tough. The theoretical part is not conceptually difficult and anyone who has passed all the testing should be able to complete it without to much difficulty. The difficult part is applying the theory to the simulation component whilst under pressure. Yes some people will breeze through without many problems, others will struggle until it clicks and a significant number won't get through. I would suggest studying hard because there is nothing more annoying than having a trainee who fails because of lack of book knowledge. If you fail due to the lack of ability then there is nothing we can do. If you fail due to lack of diligence then we have all wasted our time.