Best and worst
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Outer Space
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Quote from Sandstorm Inferno
"- if you're a pilot but can't get another job..."
Anyone with time and money can get a pilots licence .Not everyone can get an ATC licence.And I challenge anyone to be honest and say in an ATC interview when asked why are you applying "Because I did not make it as a pilot"
"- if you're a pilot but can't get another job..."
Anyone with time and money can get a pilots licence .Not everyone can get an ATC licence.And I challenge anyone to be honest and say in an ATC interview when asked why are you applying "Because I did not make it as a pilot"
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: Near Stalyvegas
Age: 78
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Me?
I'm an Assistant [ATSA]. RAF, 1963-68, NATS [and its predessors {sp} since]
Would I change it? Of course...if I won Umpteen Million on the Lottery. Otherwise NO.
watp,iktch
I'm an Assistant [ATSA]. RAF, 1963-68, NATS [and its predessors {sp} since]
Would I change it? Of course...if I won Umpteen Million on the Lottery. Otherwise NO.
watp,iktch
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Fort Worth ARTCC ZFW
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The plusses are the JOB!!!! It is one of the most fun things that you can do with clothes on <G>... Shift work in and of itself is nice since you can be off when everyone else isn't. There are a lot of good things to say about that.
That worse part would be working for the govt. and it's management in the US. In simple terms, it stinks, (not that I would want to work for a private company that only cares about the bottom line.) Working midnight shifts, and having quick turn arounds between shifts such as eight hours. Other than that, well there is that stress thing from time to time, but I think that even that is a healthy thing most of the time...
Enjoy your new found passion...
regards
Scott
That worse part would be working for the govt. and it's management in the US. In simple terms, it stinks, (not that I would want to work for a private company that only cares about the bottom line.) Working midnight shifts, and having quick turn arounds between shifts such as eight hours. Other than that, well there is that stress thing from time to time, but I think that even that is a healthy thing most of the time...
Enjoy your new found passion...
regards
Scott
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: At home
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"Failed pilot?!?" If you have the money and the time, I can GUARANTEE you will get your wings. And no matter how much money or time you have, you can be sure that out of a class of 20, only 5 will become controllers.....
But I digress. You wanted the plus and minus. Although you've heard this before, it's worth repeating: If you truly and fully enjoy air traffic control, you'll never work a single day of your life.
Best of luck!
But I digress. You wanted the plus and minus. Although you've heard this before, it's worth repeating: If you truly and fully enjoy air traffic control, you'll never work a single day of your life.
Best of luck!
Life's too short for ironing
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Scotland, & Maryland, USA
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To digress slightly, I've always thought that if I lost my flight medical, but could still pass one for an ATC position, I'd love to try. It always sounds like its very rewarding, challenging and varied, thanks in part to the hiccups us pilots make 
Presumably one of the few ways a person could "fail as a pilot", but still make it in the ATC world would be to lose the use of their legs? Or do you need to be able to walk to work in a radar control room?
Presumably one of the few ways a person could "fail as a pilot", but still make it in the ATC world would be to lose the use of their legs? Or do you need to be able to walk to work in a radar control room?
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Fort Worth ARTCC ZFW
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Don't know about the UK, but if you fail your flight physical for flying, you have automaticaly failed it for controlling, they are basicly the same. A first class medical is every six months and a second is the same requirements but once a year.
regards
Scott
regards
Scott
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Sydney, Australia
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With regards to 'failed pilots', I wouldn't call myself 'failed' just yet but as a low hour commercial pilot I've been earning something similar to the dole for the last two years as an instructor.
Right now I'm trying my hardest to get into NATS, a job that pays well, appears to be loved by the majority of people doing it, a bit of job security and possibly enough disposable income to allow me to fly just for the pleasure of it!
Right now I'm trying my hardest to get into NATS, a job that pays well, appears to be loved by the majority of people doing it, a bit of job security and possibly enough disposable income to allow me to fly just for the pleasure of it!
Join Date: Feb 2005
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Just an anecdote...
When my son was leaving school at 16 (he's 40 now!!) he was a lazy bugger - a real 'Kevin'! - At the interview where they determined the most suitable job for him he answered 'nothing' to all the questions about interests and didn't give any indication about his willingness to do any work at all (he did say that he was 'interested in computers' however).
The result of the interview was they suggestion that he should seek his career in air traffic control.
He's an estate agent now!
Yes this is a true story - there's got to be a moral in there somewhere?
Mart.
When my son was leaving school at 16 (he's 40 now!!) he was a lazy bugger - a real 'Kevin'! - At the interview where they determined the most suitable job for him he answered 'nothing' to all the questions about interests and didn't give any indication about his willingness to do any work at all (he did say that he was 'interested in computers' however).
The result of the interview was they suggestion that he should seek his career in air traffic control.
He's an estate agent now!
Yes this is a true story - there's got to be a moral in there somewhere?
Mart.
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Scotland
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Badgerbadger:
It's a fabulous job; of course there are whingers in every industry, but ask the ones in this industry what they'd be doing / earning if they weren't ATCO's....
Shift work is much much better than 9-5, given that we're pretty well protected and only tend to do 2 nightshifts at a time. As somebody mentioned above though, 4am is indeed a hideous time to be awake and feeling like cr@p!!!!! I particularly enjoy never, ever driving in the rush hour, and practically never having to go shopping at a weekend.
Also, don't forget this is a high-status job which gets a whole lot more respect from people than most other jobs you could think of. Add the pay, and the time off, and the fact that it's physically impossible to take your work home with you, and the fact that your decisions have immediate and visible consequences, well... I wish you the very best of luck with it!
It's a fabulous job; of course there are whingers in every industry, but ask the ones in this industry what they'd be doing / earning if they weren't ATCO's....
Shift work is much much better than 9-5, given that we're pretty well protected and only tend to do 2 nightshifts at a time. As somebody mentioned above though, 4am is indeed a hideous time to be awake and feeling like cr@p!!!!! I particularly enjoy never, ever driving in the rush hour, and practically never having to go shopping at a weekend.
Also, don't forget this is a high-status job which gets a whole lot more respect from people than most other jobs you could think of. Add the pay, and the time off, and the fact that it's physically impossible to take your work home with you, and the fact that your decisions have immediate and visible consequences, well... I wish you the very best of luck with it!
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Netherlands
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Hi Badger, here an air traffic controller from EHAM
the class i started in here in netherlands i was only 1 that ended up obtaining license out of 16 so could be worse... heard some bad figures at eurocontrol too...
in holland if it keeps going like this the shortage of staff gonna keep growing!
peter
Canoehead quotes "you can be sure that out of a class of 20, only 5 will become controllers".
in holland if it keeps going like this the shortage of staff gonna keep growing!
peter
Join Date: Mar 2002
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Hi BB - I reckon ATCOJ30 got it about right......... the shift work does allow time off when the rest of the world is up and about, but those same shifts can be a hinderance if you want to plan regular social events, such as the gym every Tuesday....or whatever. After many years they can be wearing. And it's a sedentary job.
But it can be very rewarding, depending upon where you work - with available openings into other aspects of the job as ATC evolves........and we're by no means all would-be pilots !
Good luck, if you go for it !
But it can be very rewarding, depending upon where you work - with available openings into other aspects of the job as ATC evolves........and we're by no means all would-be pilots !
Good luck, if you go for it !
