Advice please !

[shandyman]

Hi there
thought I'd look in and escape from the military forum just for a moment and squeeze some information from you ATC guys, if I may.
I have limited time left in the RAF and have decided to call it a day. I am considering paying for a place at an ATC training college to obtain an aerodrome licence and possibly approach radar whilst I'm at it. My background is as a military assistant ATC with a met. obs. certificate, FISO licence and city and guilds in aviation studies. I have for the last 10 yrs however been rear seat aircrew and have amassed 3000 flying hours.
My question is: as a forty year old, inexperienced controller holding an aerodrome ticket, how employable would I be? The root of the question being . . . is it worth the hard work at college to find that I am unemployable?
Thanks in advance to anyone who finds the time to help me decide upon a future career.

[caniplaywithmadness]

You could look at applying to NATS you're over the age restriction, however your previous expaerience as an assistant and your current aviation background would mean that the age restriction would not apply.

This way, if you are accepted and successfully complete the training, you will have a job with NATS and not have to worry about being a forty something looking for a job having forked out for your ratings.

If you do choose to pay for your own ratings, then I'm sure that you would be able to find gainful employment with an ATS provider, but remember there are no guarantees for success and you could fail a course at any stage and say bye bye to all the money you have paid.

[Chilli Monster]

Shandyman

I went down the same road you're considering 8 years ago (the big redundacy session of '95/'96). If it works then it's worth it - but

1) ADC and APR seriously cuts down your employment options as a private entrant to the job market - airfields inside class 'D' only.

2) As caniplay says, it's frought with risk. What you're looking at will cost approx £30K. No gurantees of passing, no guarantees of a job. You're an unknown quantity to a potential employer.

Look at the NATS option first. In your position it's the safest bet at the moment.

[shandyman]

Many thanks to you both for your helpful replies. I wasn't aware that the NATS option would be open to someone of an almost geriatric age, such as I!
I have also spent time considering the civil ops jobs that may or may not exist out there. Do you know of any cousres that I could start now that may help in either air traffic or ops. It's all really useful info and the only advice I have been able to glean so far so thanks again for reading and replying.

[Europounds]

I take it you were a navigator? Rather than working as an active controller try Eurocontrol.

Have a look at their web-site for jobs, current vacancy for a nav specialist.

Good luck.....