NATS or Eurocontrol?

[paulriggers]

Could anyone possibly indicate which of the two organisations maybe preferable to work for? Maybe with a list of a few pro's and con's?

[Radar]

paul,
You're going to have to narrow it down a bit for us. What had you in mind? Pay and conditions, area control versus (the possibility of) approach / tower, roster cycles, annual leave, etc. Last, but (definitely) not least, working / living at home versus an ex-pat life. If you give us some idea of what you consider 'preferable', then we can start with the answers.
Cheers

[paulriggers]

Well I'm thinking more of a general overview. I'm due to finish Uni in 12 months and thinking about which should be my 1st choice. Pay would definitely be a nice 1 to start on, because nobody wants to work for free, and obviously the comparable cost of living out there. And what it's like to live and work in Maastricht? Anything really that anybody cares to contribute.

Cheers

Paul

[lukewarmskywa*ker]

Hey Paul... you're leaving University? Why are you considering either option?
Go and get a proper job!

[paulriggers]

Come on ppl someone should know something that may sway me to one or the other. Is the lifestyle good in Maastricht? Is the pay better for NATS, Anything that someone at the frontline could advise on and the brochures don't tell you!

[Lon More]

Lifestyle. What do you want?
Salary, now or later after training? BTW It's on the website

It has all been discussed here before.

Come and have a look for yourself

[Lon More]

Quote:
____________________________________________________

in the past LonMore posted his salary which compared well to the NATS salaries until they realised that he got that every month and not every year.
____________________________________________________

Went a bit quiet after that didn't it. :cool:

Don't forget 35 years service, B1/8, expat, shift allowance etc. There are a couple (JD?) making more. Might make a bit more out with OQAI, but not complaining, only 6 months til ETS, can then come back and spook the sim..:ok:
In the past we fought long and hard for what we got - the Union and Guild reps and others like Appie, Gert, Jan. Phillipe and to a much lesser extent myself, put our careers on the line and fought for what we have today,
Frank S. and co. are doing a good job, and although their frequent absence may be annoying they have fully earned our support and appreciation. When I see the frequent complaints about the UK union I am glad I took the decision to jump ship all those years ago.

Paul You ask about the lifestyle, what do you want; if you want a large town take your choice, Maastricht, Liege, Aachen, dependent on your linguistic skills ( if none go for Mastricht, most people understand English and you can begin to learn Dutch in any of the cafes, een pils, twee pils etc. . Plenty of friendly smaller towns around, opening hours until 2a.m. Accomodation not too expensive outside Maastricht which is a university town = discos etc. If you make it alll the way to establishment a nice perk is the tax free car, but show some taste, unlike Zed3 and ohers blinded by the four sprung duck techniek. There ain't no substitute for cubic inches .
I've seen both sides and despite a few (!!) kicks in the teeth, mostly outside the work environment, if I had to choose again I'd still go this way.

Lon More, more than an Atco
here since Pontius was a Pilot and Mortus was a Rigger

[Spank me baby!!!]

Originally posted by topupper:
"The upside is the world's most advanced ATC system with for example, the only continental airspace with operational controller/pilot datalink."

I heard that Australia has the most advanced Eurocat system, and they've been using ADS and CPDLC datalink for some years now. I also heard that they are the first to trial ADS-B, a radar display that uses the transponder on the aircraft and the VHF radio sites on the ground. If it works to spec, it'll replace SSR radar, be dirt cheap to operate and provide better surveillance coverage than Primary or Secondary radar.

[Scott Voigt]

Spankmebaby;

Actually the US has been testing ( trials ) ADS-B for a few years now up in Alaska as well as in Louisville. The company UPS is equiping their aircraft now with ADS-B and CDTI which is the cockpit traffic display... We have been doing this sort of thing for years. We also have data link working and being tested at Miami Center. We were ready to start deployment of the system, but with the downturn in the economy, the airlines were not yet ready to step up and start equiping all the aircraft. So we have held off doing any more with it as yet. In fact, with the hold up, it appears that we may wind up going with NEXCOM ( Digital Radio ) to use for both voice and data link...

regards

Scott

PS. We have five enroute centers that are more or less stripless and using URET ( User request evaluation tool.) which handles all the flight planning info and also works as a longer term conflict probe for probing flight plan requests 20 minutes into the future. We are in the process of deploying this system to 5 more centers.

[Scott Voigt]

topupper;

The FAA has it on their website... I don't know the exact link for it though. You can find it by going to www.faa.gov and then looking up nexcom. It might be as easy as trying www.faa/nexcom.gov

regards

Scott

[Spank me baby!!!]

topupper,

Sorry, I was trying to simplify it for our non-technical guests. ADB-B requires all aircraft to fit a special transponder. svoigt has the finer detail (and a link?). I heard there was a trial in Australia, good to see a trial in North America. The concept is good and if its as cheap to install and operate as the rumours say, then we could see an increase in ATC surveillance coverage globally.

That's got to be good for everyone in the industry. :ok:

[Lon More]

Topupper
You get what you pay for:O :O

1. The salary is still posted

2. Ain't no substitute for cubic centimeters

Chevy 5700
Harley 1340
Beer Gut ??? - shrinking slowly, gotta get fit to enjoy the pension you lot are going to pay for

BTW Anything new on OQAI?


Lon More, here since before Pontius was a Pilot and Mortus Was a Rigger

[Scott Voigt]

Lon;

So are you going to be going to ATCA this year???? I am trying to get off the schedule to go to it and one our safety meetings.

Scott

[WX Man]

Lon, if they get what they pay for why did they recruit me???!!! :E )

Serious answer to original question: first 12 months of training with Eurocontrol, I got paid about £19,000 all included.

And after that? Well, who the f*ck knows, I got chopped didn't I??? Not that it matters...

WX

1 week into ATPL course :ok:

[flowman]

I've worked for both. 14 years with NATS and 8 with Eurocontrol. Enjoyed both but have to say that Eurocontrol is better organised and on balance better to work for. No staff shortages (at least not on the same scale as NATS) and no two tier bias Area v Aerodrome/ London v the rest which can be irritating.
I think you should apply to both though. Ater all there are no guarantees that just because you select one or the other that they will select YOU!
Competition is stiff for places in either organisation. You should have your fingers in as many pies as possible.
Good luck,
flowman

[Avman]

Hey Lon, your beer gut isn't shrinking, it's just that the new ops room is bigger ;)