CATC - Advice

[steve_atc]

I have recently been accepted onto the NATS course to become an ATCO.

I wanted to know (from past College Graduates) if....it is advisable to live close to the College or if it is reasonable to commute from Southampton (approx 35-40min drive).

Basically I want to know if you would recommend living close to the college, ie. closer to colleagues and closer to 'what is happeing' or if it is possible to function from somewhere else and still remain up to date with whats going on (Academically, not socially!). Thanks

[tired-flyboy]

There are several people who travel that far (and further) to the college everyday.
If you live in the Southampton area then why move...?
If you need to move to the area for the college then why not move to the area then that way you will be in the same boat as everyone else who has to move.
Some of the guys on the course i am on - travel and go out with us in town then drive home (or get a bed for the night with somebody on the course - not always the same bed as...you understand!!)
Hope that helps
Anything else feel free to pm
:ok:

[Lock n' Load]

Congratulations Steve; now the hard work begins... :E

I moved 500 miles to Bournemouth so commuting was not an option, but from Southampton you should be okay, and it may even be a good thing to be far enough away to avoid the temptation of going out drinking every night. Every course has its own character, mine being for the most part very cohesive to the extent that other courses felt left out!
Whether you stay in Southampton or move to Bourenmouth, don't forget to take time out to enjoy yourself every few weekends, but be prepared to work your arse off!

[Bumpy]

CATC - Advice

Yeh stay well clear and get a professional job in a professional organization if you can.

More cannon fodder on it's way and at a reduced price(ten grand).

Someone really should tell these poor jerks the truth.

[Bumpy]

I do though wish you the very best of luck.

My nephew is still there (often with feelings of disbelief which I am pleased to say he can hide very well facially)



takecare

[ukatco_535]

Steve

Don't listen to Grumpy, sorry, Bumpy.

The starting wage is becoming despicable, but the job is worth it. The management are never going to be able to set the world alight, but the coalface workers you will be alongside are amongst the best at their jobs in the world - in some of the busiest and most complex airspace.

Steer clear of any politics you read on here and concentrate on getting through the college and then validating.

Or, as Bumpy suggests, you could join a more professional company and do a more professional job - how's about flying an airliner - at least you would only be in charge of one aircraft at a time then....

No actually, I would rather be on this side of the microphone issuing instructions instead of taking them ;) ;) . Good luck!!

[booke23]

Yeah...........who'd wanna be a pilot.

Well ok.....you'd get paid more, get more respect, more job satisfaction.....as well as moments of great exhilaration......hell you'd probably be more attractive to the opposite sex.

I for one, would much rather spend the rest of my working live sitting in a darkened room.......in front of a nice radar screen keeping the blips apart.

At break times I can go get some hot coco from the canteen, and return to my position, finish the crossword and eat my sausage sandwich. You pilots seem to think that with each transmission I make, there is a tone in my voice which really says "I wish I could have been a pilot"......not true. It's actually a deep seated longing that eats away at my very being.

Anyway, must be off now. Going to visit my therapist now..........;)

[ukatco_535]

Booke 123

I can't work out your tone of the post so I will bite.... as long as my bumhole points south, I would rather be a controller.... sitting monitoring Ts and Ps does not float my boat.

I've done a lot of professional flying in my past job - so maybe that taints my view as it was in the military, fighting the aircraft as well as flying it.... I'm afraid the lack of things to do in a passenger airliner would get me down eventually.

It's my opinion, different people enjoy different things. I know of a couple of very lazy people at my work who are trying to become pilots; they cannot even do their own job diligently (they are not ATCOs) - I hope they seriously change attitude or they will fall by the wayside - unless they are thinking that once qualified it is easy money... I honestly do not know what they are thinking.

[viaEGLL]

Steve atc check your pm's

[Lassie]

Steve,

Having left the college fairly recently i'd suggest you get yourself in the thick of things down in Bournemouth unless you've got a really good reason not to, ie have a house and family in Southampton for example.

To me, living near to the guys on the course was invaluble and the support you can get and give to each other is incredibly important for keeping your sanity. I saw my course as a team and we were all there for each other on the good days and the bad. It is a lot easier for that kind of team to gel and be effective if you get to know each other outside of the academic environment.

However, saying that we had people who commuted over an hour to college and they still did just fine so all in all it's down to your own priorities and personality.

Hope that helps

Lass