Blippy, do you have a link? I thought of that option but couldn't find whether it was possible to add it if you'd already completed year 12.

DMC, I don't think you pay the entire PPL cost up front - pay as you go because the number of hours taken depends on you.

Blippy, looks like a good idea but they say you have to be a Vic resident (I'm from SA and doesn't seem to be an equivalent here).

max1, cheers for the clarification!

and le Pingouin - PPL is looking like a somewhat more viable option (possibly along with a diploma). Never considered it really before, but as you say I could continue to work at the same time. Also would be good to get an understanding of some basic aviation principles I would think.

DMC, before dropping 10 or 15 grand on a PPL I'd suggest making a few phone calls. Start with Airservices - I have no idea if there is any leeway for the educational requirements but you may be able to gain recognition for something that would suffice. Probably helps if ya speaks proppa ;)

Next stop would probably be SACE - surely someone there would be able to advise your options for doing year 12 English in SA: www.sace.sa.edu.au Even the local high school might be worth a try.

Doing a PPL for the sake of gaining knowledge that will be relevant to ATC is a pretty expensive thing to do - the vast majority of relevant knowledge could be acquired by reading, asking questions & going for a few flights with the local aero club. By all means do it if you feel the need but not just for the sake of aviation knowledge.

Thanks guys for the input, appreciate it. I have definitely been in touch with AsA recruitment in the past, in fact I think they must be sick of hearing from me :ouch: There is definitely no leeway and they have been very explicit in their responses - They will accept English courses only if it is judged as being the equivalent of Year 12 English by the respective state's secondary assessment board. In reality, this means having to do English during the school terms at an Adult Learning campus and sit the moderated exam at the end of the year with the other year 12's. (No bridging courses are judged as equivalent).

I tend to see more value in perhaps getting a 12 month Diploma in something I would be much better in (something heavily maths based). As mikethepomme said, it certainly puts a tick in the box.

Makes me wish I could have stuck with my Computer Science degree!! (but that's a different story).

Anyway I'll continue to read this thread with interest, glad to see there are people enjoying what they are doing (even though a few seem disillusioned at the moment!):ok:

Good luck to all those starting ATC 37 and 41 tomorrow :D

PS Hope you've done your pre-course reading

This thread makes some very interesting reading. Sounds like Oz ATC could do with lots of new people and need help retaining the ones they do have.

From an outside point of view there seems to be a very high failure rate which makes me wonder if a) they are using the right recruiting techniques to start with and b) they are trying to rush people through the course due to the shortage and therefore not giving the people on the course a fair go.

To me it does not make sense to only have 2 people out of a class of 12 pass, throw the other 10 away and start on the next batch. Would they not be better off giving those 10 who failed more training to get them up to speed? Or am i reading this wrong and they do do this already?

I think the recruiting is probably correct, the course length pretty much hasn't changed regardless of shortage, some courses have had everone go through to final field training, you do get some second chances if you fail an exam but they have to balance people getting a fair grasp on being an ATC and doing it well with the fact that a majority of the population probably can't do the job, and more or less they probably have the balance right, some might disagree, its not meant to be easy at all.

"Parked":confused:
I bet new ATC's don't get a class on that.

chu.....
Man,what have you been smokin??????

Hello All,
Got told about this forum today and have spent most of the arvo reading it. I applied December last year and hoping to get through the testing in October. Just wanted to say thank you for the insight from previous people to give me an understanding of what is ahead of me, assuming i get in.

I can understand peoples opinoin that the wait is long, all i can say is that your not alone.

Interesting post Blippy. I think it's the first one you said - crap job at the right thing. However, as most in the ATC world know, controllers tend to do the best they have with the resources at hand. When the training system was hacked close to death a few years ago (hey, training takes up too much money - lets scale it back!), it made a dint in things so big that it will take quite a while to recover. Given the lack of controllers in the field, ops are reluctant to release controllers to the college.

I believe there are some new instructors arriving there at the moment, and I know there are lots of people who would love to work in Oz at the college. If they want more instructors, they should seriously consider quality overseas people and train them up in Oz ATC practices. I know some very experienced instructors who would love to work there, but get knocked back for having no Australian experience. Ab-initio trainees have no Oz ATC experience either, and they get trained up, so why not instructors?

Best of luck to those starting their course, those on course, and those about to finish.

Showa-cho.

anyone heard anything?
 

just wondering if anyone heard any updates for sept course?

Don't go blaming the college for the woeful performance of trainees, looking at the childish attitude shown here by the "hopefuls" one can begin to understand why they fail if they take the same appraoch when they plug in.

No not everyone can do the job, yes there are pitfalls in the whole process, but if you have the skills and application you will succeed.

It is not as easy and glamourous as those applying think it is, maybe they should spend more time studying what they need and listening to those that know rather blabing on with junk on here.....

pointi6, so many things I could say to your ridiculous post, but since this forum is full of enough jaded, bitter ATCs it would seem useless.

Its great to see such a slagging match going on "anonymously" on this little gem of a forum.

winners dont need excuses

O.K. guys. Time to squash some rumours. The previous course which you all keep speaking of started with 8. Yes, 2 finished and a third was transferred to the next course after he missed an exam for a funeral in NZ. Bit better odds now. Not all of the courses have the same odds. Just the luck of the draw. Some courses finish with nearly as many as they started with, some don't.
I don't think the academy is to blame. The instructors are all first class and will do anything to help people who help themselves. Everybody seems under the impression that once they get accepted, they are a sure thing. Probably a good way to think. But always keep a backup plan.

Thanks for that info jrbridge

And pointi6 perhaps you could ride your high horse to somewhere snide remarks are considered constuctive and useful.

Make no mistake guys - a pass at the college is absolutely NO guarantee you will even get a rating. You're not even half way there. Depending on where you end up can make a big difference (especially in enroute), but chickens shouldn't be counted until about 12 months AFTER you get your initial rating. Regardless of how extremely desperate the company may be to get you rated (and believe me they are possibly at their most desperate moment ever) OJTIs & Checkies don't give a toss, and if you are not 110% safe, you won't get up.

Good luck & may the force be with you...

IMHO there is no 'possibly' about it. We are in deep doodah and there is no sign of it getting better.

The last 12 months has seen an absolute gazzilion trainees making it to final field training. NOT!

If we`re not currently short staffed heaven help us when we are as the rumours of groups/towers/app units looking for staff grows daily. Most areas are now that short that nobody can be released, even if they have won a position elsewhere. We are talking years to get out of this mess provided we can source sufficient trainess or, if the whispers are correct, more global recruits.

Time for some dusty headsets to be put into action!:D

:hmm: Rumour is that they have made offers to more than 20 experienced ex A.S.A controllers ,who could be fully rated within 4 or 5 months of starting.Know of 3 here in the sandpit going back later this year.