ATC licenses + US controllers overseas

[Vector361]

I am a US center (area) controller & have been offered an area control position at a ME ACC. I've been asked to furnish a "license" & letter verifying that I had been issued that license.

US radar controllers are not issued a "license". I assume that is, in part or whole, because all ATC radar facilities belong to the government. (FAA or DOD)

I know there are US controllers in the ME. How do you meet the requirement?

Thanks in advance.

[slatch]

Well In the first/second quarter of 2008 the FAA issued a Card similar to a current pilot certificate that listed facility ratings and that you were english proficient. Everyone I know that was working in a FAA ARTCC at the time recieved one........

[Vector361]

slatch

I assume you mean the" credential." I have one and wasn't asked to turn it in when I retired. It is issued on your FIRST certification,(first radar associate position) so the order states, so I wonder if it will work. I assume it will in the future so long as you can verify that you made FPL/CPC and when.

Try getting a letter from you facility in the US now!!! They are under orders NOT to release ANY employment verification now. I guess all the employment verifications are "tubing" HR since the economy tanked.

How did people prove their qualifications before the credential???

[Gianni17]

Info

Vector361,

I feel your pain mate but this is how it stands in Europe and ME.Here everybody has a licence even ATC Assistants carry one.

Unless you can not provide a proof that you have a licence and that the licence is issued by in your case FAA then there is no job for you in the ME.

What I did when they asked for a letter I phoned directly my CAA(equal to FAA) and asked for the letter.They even asked me what do I want in the letter and couple of days ago I received it.Of course it was easier since I have a licence as well.

I suggest you find some proof that you are an ATCO and send it to the person that requested it and ask if it is sufficient and take it from there.You will probably need to send at least couple of documents but if you really want the job try to get this stuff.

Maybe it will make it easier for you if you know that everyone needs to prove that the licence is not fake.

Good luck,

Gianni

[cons]

As posted earlier, the FAA issued these licenses to ATCS' a couple of years ago. Its very similar to the pilot certificates that the FAA issues. The only difference is there's a picture of a tower instead of the wright brothers on the license. there's a credential number and date of issue on there as well. on the back, it states the credential number again and any ratings you have (i.e. enroute facility).

I believe the license, much like a pilots license, is only valid if you're medical is current/valid. thus, if you're retired, i don't believe your medical is current and thus your license is invalid. however, i'm sure if you call the HR department at whatever facility you worked at, they'll be able to provide a letter confirming you were an ATCS at that facility and give the dates you were certified there as well. that should be good enough...unless the position you're applying to is requesting you have a current valid atc license, then i think you're SOL and the letter won't do you any good.

I've heard of controllers retiring and then applying to other jobs (non-atc related) and asking for recommendation/employment verification letters from the faa. from what i can recall, they had no issues with getting these letters from the faa HR department at their respective facilities.


good luck

[Vector361]

Want a laugh!!

I have my credential, found a flight surgeon and passed the FAA ATC physical, found my AA50 from when when I made FPL/CPC back in 1987. Photocopied all and sent to my old FAA facility.

When I called the facility, I was told by the assistant manager, a guy I trained as a controller and respect a lot, that they had been ordered NOT to provide any type of employment verification from upper FAA management and that by acknowledging I had been certified there for 20+ years, it could taken as employment verification. (I guess since the economy tanked, every time a controller applies for financing, they call the facility.) I know I'll eventually get the letter but I'm laughing at the thought of the FAAs lawyers trying to explain/defend that should someone lose a job because they won't verify credentials/qualifications. LOL$$$$$$$

[YankATC]

I just moved to Australia and took a job here, they needed that too but it was acceptable (for them) for me to turn in that credential card. I retired from the FAA at almost 27 years so they were also able to verifiy that and that worked.

[cons]

Vector, good luck, and let us know how everything turns out overseas.

yeah this is the first i've heard of the faa doing this. i know when i applied for a mortgage a few years back, all i had to show was my most recent L&E statements and bank statements and the lender was happy with that. no calls to verify anything. it's sad that HR is now pretty much running the faa.

see if you can get in touch with the union rep at your old facility. the union might be able to pull a few strings and get that letter for you. if you can't, let me know what facility you worked at and i'll try to get the union rep info for you.

[Vector361]

Thanks to all for advice!!

Problem solved! I'd advise any US controller that get the same response I got to my request for a letter verifying my credentials to promptly go to their US Senator or Reps. Letter received today via overnight FedEx, not from my facility, but from HQ HR.

[BDATCF1]

Hey Vector,
I am in a similar situation and was told I needed a copy of my "pink card". They issued it when you first achieved FPL. I inquired whether my new plastic credential would be sufficient and was told I needed the pink card. If you still work at the center just request a duplicate from the training department "in accordance with Article 22 of the CBA". Didn't take me more than a week to get it. Officially its FAA form 7220-1