What else can we all do?????

[elcrusoe]

Hey everybody,

Well i've been on this site for awhile and well i'm not sure i ever seen a thread that actually spoke about others options we might have as an ATCer....Like i really love the job have been doing it for the past 5 years but well i would like to hear about other people....

Like what kind of possibilities do we have other then controlling a/c and well entering the dark side of management? What kind of oppurtunities do we have?

Like i'm kinda curious since well my wife might receive a job offer which would take her far from our current location and well i wanna be a supportive hubby and encourage the move but well a move within the system is pretty much not possible with the current staffing they will never let me go somewhere else and saying well my wife got this job is not a good enough reason for them.....

So yeah basically what else can we do out there.....???

Thanx

[good egg]

Xmas hampers?

[Foxy Loxy]

I'd quite like to be a lock keeper if I wasn't an ATCO.

Foxy

[tribekey]

We could be authors.Well,maybe not.

[bottom rung]

In my next life I'm going to be a tattooist and body piercer. Or an astronaut.

[flower]

Play table tennis

[BAND4ALL]

I was a porn star back in the 70's then went on to be the first British astronaut! (and you thought it was Helen Sharman! Shame on you). I then spent the rest of my career as Brad Pitt's body double in films like Troy etc.

[ILS 119.5]

On a sensible note, you could be a pilot, same hours and good money if you work for the right company. If not run your own business as aviation is not everything, family and quality of life is first.

[man friday]

i was thinking of gynacology, as i've a lot of experience of working with C*@#'s!!!

[CAP493]

Depends on whether or not you want to get completely out of ATC.
You could ~ if you've already got the necessary experience in the job ~ start your own ATS consultancy company. Or join one of the companies that employs such people.

It's an easy job.

You just have to ask the people doing it what they do and how; then write up their ideas and present them as your finished proposals...

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

Being super-clever I hold a) a Cycling Proficiency Certificate and b) a 35mm Film Projectionist Certificate. I'd long thought of giving up ATC and using those two qualifications but I don't think I could stand the Paparazzi around our house all day.. I mean, cycling Film Projectionists are pretty rare stuff..

[Romeo Oscar Golf]

Well, there you go elcrusoe, outside of ATC you're as useful and employable as a retired RAF Navigator (or USAF WSO).

[BDiONU]

Originally Posted by elcrusoe

Like what kind of possibilities do we have other then controlling a/c and well entering the dark side of management? What kind of oppurtunities do we have?

I dunno how big the company you work for is but in larger ones (or Eurocontrol) there should be opportunities to use your ATC experience. Engineers are not ATC and when they design new systems they need expert knowledge from the users. Obviously active controllers are the best source, however they're not always available. So there are people who are the interface between the ATC and the engineering world. People with a very good knowledge of ATC and how it works, who can talk ATC talk and convey requirements to the engineers. People who are much more easily available than controllers, who can schedule meetings, who have time to become familiar with engineering speak, management speak and project speak.
This job does not mean that controllers get left out of the loop, far from it because without user buy in you might as well not bother with the project. It does mean that new and future systems (not to mention existing systems which need to be sustained) have an ATC focal point with sufficient expertise to keep things on track.
I'm one of those people and there are quite a few of us in the division. What you never see in the operational world is just how much behind the scenes effort goes into things like resectorisations or new tools or even just keeping what you've got going.

BD

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

<<Engineers are not ATC and when they design new systems they need expert knowledge from the users. Obviously active controllers are the best source, however they're not always available.>>

That's OK as long as engineers take note of ATC recommendations - which they often don't!!

[BDiONU]

Originally Posted by HEATHROW DIRECTOR

That's OK as long as engineers take note of ATC recommendations - which they often don't!!

Could get into a long debate with you about this In essence I completely agree, however there are often other pressures.

BD