Just wait until you start Separation Standards 1 & 2

If you want to scare yourself have a look at MATS chapter 10:}

Don't worry too much, it all seems hard at first however you will get there in the end.

147 pages! :uhoh:

So far, we've only touched on Ch 9 wrt FIS and Clearances. We start on 'Practices and Procedures' at the end of next week, I guess this is where we'll start delving into Ch 10?

Hi all

It seems that the current ATC ab initio application closure date has been extended from 31 January 2010 to 30 April 2010.

Could anyone hazard a guess as to why this is the case? Does it hold any significance?

Cheers

More applicants required? Poor quality of applicants or more needed to cater for new D class tower positions?

Too right, enemyMiG :ok:

Ok students of the current (and also upcoming course) - thoughts?!

MiG and other ppruner in his course, how's it going?

To the kids starting in March - ****ting yourselves yet? :ugh:

We're a bit over halfway through the exams, and nobody's failed yet :ok:
The class average is pretty high and it's great to see everyone getting through.
I think the 2 groups split off from each other at the end of next week. I suppose that's why we haven't started on Sep Standards yet, concentrating on IFER instead.
So far so good....

Don't know what Salinger's on about, he's one frood who's got everything under control always :cool:

Hey Blippy I'm on the June course in melbourne verbal offer a couple of weeks ago, got offered April enroute but didnt want to end up in brissy

Its ok Blippy, they aren't actually upto the June course yet... they would be upto april, and brissyboy would be the next in line... however his preference of melbourne wasn't avaiable so they offered next melbourne position which is june. It just means one position on the june course is filled and they are working on april (when he was offered). The same thing happened to me, i was offered september last year, but next brisbane was march, so they put me on the list very early.

I hear you Blippy. I was emailed over 2 weeks ago to update my referee details and they still haven't been contacted. Maybe next week :ugh: . Hopefully following your maths it might be early March instead of mid March/April.

I'm in the same boat, Laino. I was e-mailed and asked to updates references 3 weeks ago, updated right away, and none have been contacted yet.

i would just like to ask, that if foreigners can apply too, even if they aren't Ausstralia or New Zealand citizens and don't hold premanent residency status there :)

ty for asnwer

cheers

Question about status
 

To answer your question this is direct from the selection criteria application page

"be an Australian or New Zealand Citizen or hold permanent residency status in Australia"

Hey Blippy

The offer was for melbourne enroute so will end up in melbourne post course. You'll be fine and up very soon I'm sure Mikethepommes comments spot on

On the other hand, my referees were contacted three or so weeks ago without any request to update... and the wait continues.

This 'limbo' is a little frustrating but hey, it'll happen when it happens.

All the big exams are finally out of the way (for now), just a couple of "easier" exams next week.
The vibe on Fri was so much more relaxed, breaks were spent in the Rec Room catching up on the Winter Olympics instead of last minute cramming in the classroom.
Big Flyer (been pretty quiet on pprune lately, but he's always out there, puppet-master that he is:E) has a mini cricket bat that you get to sign if you make your century in any exam. Finally had the privelage of adding my name after Thursday's Navigation result. Pretty happy about that.
We've got 3 more days together before we go our separate ways; the Enroute guys start their HMI on Thurs, and we (Tower) move into our Blippy roles for the current conversion courses for a few weeks.
Had to pack all our gear up on Fri arvo ready for the newbies starting on Mon (not us anymore!). Seems they're being eased into the craziness to come, with a day of Orientation followed by 2 days of Induction (schmoozing and sandwiches). Their test on the pre-course stuff will probably be on Thurs.
That's about it for now, hope it helps.

I'm off to the pub......

Back from the pub....
Little concerned about the correllation between George.W.Bush and ASA Air Traffic Controllers, but anyway....
Turns out Big Flyer isn't responsible for the cricket bat that century-makers get to sign, it's from Captain Mysterio who'se never posted on pprune before, though deep down we know he wants to.....

P.S. I've just realised that the bat only came out after Captain Mysterio got 100% for SAR....I should think before I post:suspect:

Cheers for all your updates enemymig
congrats on the century.
Us newbies are ready to go for tomorrow.
Bit nervous but happy the wait is over

Good luck to the newbies for tomorrow. Looking forward to meeting you all.

thought this was interesting

http://www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc...c=GetTRDoc.pdf

Hahaha the fun is just begining now for you then! There is plenty more exams Enemymig as the course rolls on (unless there has been a big shake up since I left a few years back) and just wait for your prac exams! Talk about nerves! Procedural tower is great fun though :ok:

Did you get scones for morning tea at the induction today?

That's what gave us the edge in surviving 'Death by Powerpoint'.....;)

ha ha.. Yes we did.. Yummo! With Jam & Cream :-). We went out for dinner tonight also at an Italian place - thanks AsA ;-)

Funnily enough I was side awake for every presentation... think I'm about to flake out now though.

Hi all and thanks for all of the helpful information everyone has shared so far. For those waiting patiently on the current merit list (from the Dec '09 email), there is a light at the end of the tunnel. I have just received my verbal offer for a June 7 course start. So I imagine that many of you will also be getting phone calls in the near future. Looking forward to meeting all of you in June, especially many of the entertaining characters I feel I have gotten to know through their posts on this thread over the past 9 months since my application... Thanks again. Cheers AFR... :ok:

Heard yesterday that the training bond has been increased from $70K over 5 years to $250K over same period. Anyone got anything in writing yet?

AFR, just out of curiosity, when did you receive the e-mail asking you to update your references?

Hi nick83, just had a look through my emails and I rec'd the Order of Merit list email on the 21/12/09 and then I got the Confirmation of Referees email the following day (22/12/09). My referees were contacted mid to late Jan so it's been a long 5-6 weeks waiting since they were contacted. I was starting to think it was all over and my referees blasted me, so was very happy to get the call today... Hang in there, it's going to happen and you'll be glad when the call comes.

I also got my call today, verbal offer

i start, june 7th, melb enroute :)

worth the long wait! :ok:

edit : i live in QLD so im looking for some housing, if anyone is interested in sharing a place

"the training bond has been increased from $70K over 5 years to $250K over same period"

:eek:

Is this so that the Germans are less likely to continye paying it out for those who decide that Airservices may not be 'a great place to work'?

Are you pulling my leg?

AFR, Viper looks like we are on the same course, look forward to meeting you both. Viper I live in brisbane and am in the same boat we should catch up for a beer sometime.

Only in america
 

interesting!

Air traffic controller suspended for allowing son to direct planes

Congrats brissyboy & Viper, I too am from Brisbane and yeah I reckon we should try and organise something prior to moving down to Mlb. When did you do the psych testing? I did mine on show day, Wed 12th August.

We started course this week & the bond is still $70k. There was rumour a few months ago that it was $250k.. but it's still $70K at this stage.

See you at the Academy in a few months !! :-)

Glad to hear all is running well! :ok:

Our paperwork from 12 months ago is $250k.

be nice to clear this up!

whats a lazy $180k!!

Is the bond amount that big a deal? Are you all planing on leaving before 5 yrs? As long as they don't up to it 10 or 15 yrs I don't see a problem with a larger figure.

Do you really want someone doing the job who doesn't want to be there (for whatever reason), but are locked into a huge debt if they leave?

Yes, that means they've written off a large training cost but that already occurs when they release to the field trainees who shouldn't have passed. And yes, that does happen.

Considering that with less than 5 years experience you are very unlikely to get a gig anywhere* else in the world, what on earth is the reason for bonding new joiners with a crippling pay out figure like that?

Having worked on Tops, I said at the time I got the transfer that had I gone into that group straight from the college I would have quit straight away (it took me 2 years to do so after 13 years elsewhere in AsA and CAA). If these poor suckers get that posting AND a $250000 bond, I really feel for them. Seriously. The 15 or so (27 man roster) of us that quit from Tops in the last 12 months are proof of that.


*Germany have been paying out the bond for 'experienced' recruits from OZ at the $70K level who are still bonded bt I expect the $250K will be another matter.