Isn't Broome a one man tower? So someone straight out of the academy isn't likely to be posted there.

To all of those that have been offered a course, congratulations.

It is correct that if you commence an Enroute course, Melbourne or Brisbane will be your two choices.
For those who are completing a Tower course it could be anywhere Airservices has a Tower. That does include Broome and Karratha, as well as Rockhampton, Tamworth just to mention a few others. They are geographically diverse, and you don't get to pick and choose which one you go to. There are a lot of "single man" towers, but that does not preclude an ab-initio being stationed there. Also, capital city Towers are highly contested positions, so expect to do some time in outstations before having the opportunity of moving to the big smoke.
One thing to remember is that you can do a conversion between the two streams later in your career.

To all those that have been deemed unsuitable, my commiserations.

I have read your posts, and understand your frustration. The fact that you think you did well does not necessarily mean you did well. It is not "just one" thing that lets you down. To this end we need to look at how your feedback is delivered, as sometimes the person who delivers the feedback was not there on the day, or has seen so many people it is difficult to remember. I know it will not help those already affected, but we will look into that for future candidates.

Cheers
Boonie.

WhisprSYD and others
 

For those of you who think there is only one separation standard you're in for a shock! Lateral, Vertical, Distance, Time, Wake, Radar, Runway and Visual separation are all used by tower controllers. You then have to be able to change rapidly between these as circumstances dictate. Whereas Enroute and TCU work in miles of distance and thousands of feet separation, tower distances vary down to 600 metres or in the case of a tight arrival and a departure the difference between a separation standard and a breakdown can be down to a few seconds. Don't approach a tower course thinking it's easy, it's not!
As for the comment on the lack of HMI, there's still plenty in a tower and a lot more coming with the new tower technology being rolled out.
P.S Broome is a two man/woman tower.

Fujii, sorry if I offended you by suggesting that Broome is a one 'man' tower, I was just going by what one of the assessors told me (he called it a one man tower) and I didn't think anyone on PPRuNe really gave a monkeys about non-sexist language.

I really don't think the tower controllers have it any easier than the enroute controllers, regardless of the length of their courses. Anyone that's flown out of somewhere like Archerfield will agree. If I was offered a choice, I would pick tower, because I feel that would suit me better. I don't have an issue, nor does my wife, with being posted to Broome. Incidentally, the assessor that said it was a one 'man' tower also said there were excellent financial incentives for controllers to work there, as well a sizeable queue.

Lol. Lesson one. Never trust a word you are told about conditions or postings.

Hi

Well I completed the assessment day about two weeks ago now; I haven't heard anything from Airservices. I'm pretty sure I shot myself in the foot anyhow; I tried to go to sleep earlier than normal the night before and unfortunately never really got into a deep sleep.

They told us to turn up at 8:30am.... This was part of the reason I tried to go to sleep earlier. I turned up at 8:32am and the rest of group was already waiting, there were only four chairs in the waiting room so two of us had to basically sit on the floor or stand up. We did absolutely nothing for 30mins; I mean they didn't even collect our documents during this time.... Which I thought was the reason for turning up at 8:30 in the first place...

I feel my results of the computer testing would have been quite bad, I mean you certainly had to be fully awake for the spatial test for example haha. The computer testing was also the last thing I did in my day I.E it was completed around 4pm. By then I was so tired I could barely keep my eyes open, I had 2 cups of coffee right before hand and I still couldn't focus. It seems like no amount of coffee can save you on virtually no sleep :/

I found the Simulation test quite amusing; it certainly wasn't what I was expecting. But I knew the time you completed it in was important even though they said it wasn't. I mean why else would they be timing it?

The lady who was running the computer testing basically said at the end of the day to the group that if we didn't hear from them via a phone call by the following week we hadn't succeeded.

Which did seem quite fast by the sounds of things I’ve read on here...?

Dncn1,
My thoughts on the simulation test were pretty much the same as yours, not at all what I expected.

I was told just before I left that I should hear something in four weeks. It's exactly four weeks today, so I'll be mugging the postie every day for the rest of the week. Going by what I've been reading on here and privately though, I'm expecting the worst. If they can let the successful applicants know within a week, why the hell can't they do the same for the rest of us. :mad:

Oh well, I've got an interview with BoM next week, so I could still end with a nice view of an airport somewhere, just not from as high up.

Letting successful applicants know in a week? Never happened yet, and I would be EXTREMELY surprised if it managed to start happening now...

I agree fatty, but I know some successful applicants were hearing their referees had been contacted 7 days after the assessment day. That's a pretty good indication that you're in, that they've decided they want you.

I know a lot of employers hold off turning down the unsuccessful applicants, in case someone turns down an offer of employment and the next person in line can get an offer. It's not the same with this job, you're either suitable or you're not. If they know enough to be contacting referees after 7 days for the successful applicants, they know enough to put the unsuccessful ones out of their misery. It's not like they need to ring them up and say "sorry, you weren't good enough". I wouldn't wish that job on any recruiter, that's why the vast majority of employers will tell you via email or snail mail.

The only reason I can think of for them making the unsuccessful applicants wait, is that after 4 weeks of waiting they've pretty much resigned themselves to the fact they aren't in. If you get an email a week after your assessment, when you're still on a high thinking you did well, then you're gonna fall a lot further, when they tell you no.

Personally, I'd rather be told early, so I can concentrate on other things. A job with Airservices is not the holy grail, and it was never portrayed that way during the whole selection process.

I was at the same assessment day as dncn1 and I didn't hear anything about 1 week.
What I took away was that it would be about a 4 week wait to hear anything. If we were successful then we would be getting a phone call, and if we weren't, an email.

So I wouldn't be concerned about anything just yet.

Ain't that the truth! ;)

Help with CASA medical issues for ATCs.
 

Hi all,

I am having an issue with getting my class 3 medical for air traffic controller training. (I am supposed to be starting the tower course on November 21st.) I have a minor mental illness which CASA are using as reason to not give me my medical. They have refused the medical based on assumptions about my illness rather than fact, I was given 30 days to send in more evidence as proof that I do meet the requirements of the medical. I sent in a number of reports from my doctor, psychologist, medibank health solutions and my gliding club all addressing the requirements and my ability to meet them without issue.
When I sent these documents into CASA they were supposedly reviewed but my medical was still denied based on the same assumptions they had made the first time around. There was no reference to the evidence I had sent in and it appears to have been completely ignored despite the fact that the documents I sent in clearly demonstrate that I meet the CASA medical requirements. :confused:
I intend to appeal the case as my evidence has clearly been ignored, I also intend to make a complaint through a discrimination board as my medical has been denied based on assumptions about the general opinion of what my condition involves rather than on individual evidence provided by medical professionals.

Main point, has anyone else been in this or a similar situation with CASA and have any useful advice on how to deal with it? Has anyone had more luck than me? I have heard of many people with medical conditions worse than mine being granted a medical and I'm starting to wonder whether being granted a medical depends purely on which doctor at CASA 'reviews' your paperwork and which side of the bed they woke up on that morning.

Any useful advice would be much appreciated and to anyone else applying for medicals, good luck and I hope your experience with CASA is more pleasant than mine has been so far! :ok:

This is the relevant part of CASRs FWIW:

Mental fitness
3.4 Has no established medical history or clinical diagnosis of any of the
following conditions, to an extent that is safety-relevant:
(a) psychosis;
(b) significant personality disorder;
(c) significant mental abnormality or neurosis

How "safety-relevant" is judged I have no idea.

Gliding
 

Before I moved to Australia 7 years ago, I did quite a bit of gliding in the Netherlands and Germany. I landed in Cairns and the closest club is 500 km away from where I live. So not much flying for me in the past years.

It looks like I'm on the tower course in Melbourne from February. So I'd like to get some more information about gliding around Melbourne. Many clubs, which one to pick? Bacchus March? Which one of the 3 clubs there? Or a bit further away? Do we have Airservices staff as members there? Any suggestions and advice is most welcome!

Gliding
 

ask23,
I fly at the gliding club of Victoria, one of the larger clubs and about 2 hours from Melbourne. I also have a friend who flies at VMFG in Bacchus Marsh. Which club you want to fly at depends on your preferences, I fly at Benalla because it is a larger club and they do weekday flying during the summer season, most clubs only fly on weekends. Best advice I can give is to go to the Gliding Federation of Australia website (Gliding Clubs) it lists all the clubs and has contact details. Bacchus Marsh clubs are definitely the closest to Melbourne but personally (obviously I'm biased) I'd recommend Benalla, there are far less airspace restrictions, it is a bigger club and there is weekday flying, it's about 2 hours out of Melbourne compared to about 1 hour for Bacchus Marsh. I think all the other clubs in Victoria are further out from Melbourne so one of these 2 locations would probably be your best bet.

If candidate #1 takes two minutes, candidate #2 takes ten minutes and candidate #3 takes twenty minutes and they all perform the simulation to the same standard, then candidate #1 would be better placed, but the timing is just one indicator.

Teamwork is important, confidence is important, the way you present is important - its a job interview after all...

Melb testing taking place this week.
 

I have heard that they are testing in Melbourne all this week. Will let you know what I thought of the testing. Have heard that they test only 6 per day. Interesting to see how many get through.

When you say you've "heard" they are testing in Melbourne this week and you've "heard" they test 6 per day, does that mean you're booked in for testing on a particular day. If not, then it's unlikely you'll be part of this week's assessments. If you are booked in, have fun, I quite enjoyed the whole experience.

Yes, I've got testing one day this week. Have also been told that there is testing about this time in November and December. Looking at there uptake for next year. Here's hoping it goes well.

Hi folks, I have been notified via email today that I'm to complete the online assessment by next Tuesday.

As I haven't participated in this type of process before I was hoping that one of you fine people may give me some understanding of what to expect and/or prepare for.

Thanks a heap...

Castrol,
The document attached to the email you got describes it pretty well, probably better than I could. As far as preparation, maybe practice a bit of mental arithmetic, just simple stuff. Don't worry if you think you didn't do as well as you thought once you finish. You don't have to get every single one right. Some of the tests give you an opportunity to practice them first. If you've got till next Tuesday, then it's worth doing them over a few days and practicing them more than once. Get yourself into the zone, so to speak.

Keep in mind too, if you get through to the assessment day, you'll be doing some of the tests again. They like to make sure it was actually you that did the test and that you can do them under different circumstances.

Good luck.

Tower placements
 

Hi all,

Was just wondering if there are any controllers who have completed the Tower course in the last couple of years and where they were posted to initially?

I'm happy to be posted anywhere as it will be a great experience but do you get to put preferences down as to where you might like to be posted?

When you do get posted to a tower, how do you go about putting in for transfers to other towers? Is it a selection process where positions are advertised and there are interviews or you just put your name down?

Which towers are the most sought after ones?

If you weren't successful after the assessment day, would you get a phone call or just an email to notify?

sjonly1,
I believe it's just an email if you're unsuccessful.

I see from your previous post that you did your assessment the same week as me in Brisbane. I know one of the guys from the Tuesday has already received and email last week saying he'd missed out. Of the guys that were assessed on Wednesday, four of us haven't heard anything, but two of those four have had their referees contacted. I don't know if mine have been contacted. I got an email on Monday from Airservices to say I should hear something next week.

Thanks stevep64!

Yes I did my assessment in the same week as you in Brisbane.
I emailed Airservices last week and earlier this week to follow up, and finally received a very breif email yesterday saying that someone from Airservices will call me on Monday.. Don't know what to expect as I don't think any of my referees have been contacted. It could be either bad or good. I guess I'll have to wait til Monday to hear the verdict. Hope you hear the good news.

I'm really hoping they only ring you if you're successful. I had a missed call on my mobile from Jenni at Airservices while I was at work this afternoon. By the time I rang back, she'd finished for the day. I'm not sure I'll sleep too well tonight.:\

Good luck, man you are going to be awake half the night, sleep really badly and fell like shiite tomorrow. Hope it turns out well. From what I can remember, phone call is good, email is bad. So this should be all good.

Just got the news, I'm in :):)

It didn't really hit me until I rang my wife to tell her and I couldn't keep the tremor out of my voice. Good luck to the other applicants.

It looks like at least half of us on my assessment day have been successful too.

I know someone who got the good news yesterday, their BN assessment centre day was late sept.

Congrats stevep64. Way to go. Good lick with it all.

Congratulations mate, I know what you mean, was very exciting to tell my wife and family I was finally in :P

Got the phone call yesterday too, after exactly four weeks. Enroute course starting Jan 30. :)

Thrilled to be in and to finally have some certainty!

Good luck to everyone else applying, it requires a lot of patience. Seems to be moving faster than in the past though, about five months it took me.

Does anyone know if many or any of the Sydney applicants were sucessful.

I attended an assessment centre in Sydney, though I'm from Melbourne. I'm not sure how others have fared.

I don't know about other assessments, but those that attended the same day as me got told yay or nay either the same day as each other, or the next.

Hey anybody, I've had a quick look through this forum and I can't find any recent updates. Does anybody have any idea about how long it is taking to contact referees. Had my interview on October 24th, they said I should hear in about 4-5 weeks, but I'm wondering how long after the interview process they contact referees.

One of my referees was contacted about two weeks after my assessment day. They only contacted the one.

I take it you guys being offered the January course will be staying in Melbourne after training. I was offered a place on an earlier en-route course, but the posting would have been to Melbourne.

On the topic of referees, I got in touch with one of my referees the morning I got the offer and he said, "oh yeah, I meant to tell you..." :ugh: Apparently I wasn't the only one from my assessment day with that problem. So keep in touch with both your referees.

Yeah, I've kept in touch with all my referees. They have had any contact yet. Getting nervous, that's all.

En route 62 Melbourne
 

Hi everyone, I have been offered en route 62 in Melbourne. I am from Sydney and looking to go to Brisbane post course, so would be interested if anyone else if going to be doing the same course in a similar position who might be looking for somewhere cheap to live / share close to the airport. Kind regards and congratulations to all successful.