for those on order of merit
 

1208Punk you pretty much said it, they want you to stick around, considering salaries are better overseas, for example my friend who is a tower controller at Brisbane got offered US dollars 250K to work in Dubai, oh and did i mention tax free, didn't take the offer because his missus didn't want to live in Dubai :ugh:

70K once rated, reducing over the 5 year period.

64 Days !
 

Pretty sure the 12 months starts once on the Merit list. Hence why ASA were using middle of next year as the yardstick in their correspondence. The last 3 courses in 2009 are exactly 8 weeks apart. Given that the first for next year is around 13th January they should squeeze in at least 2 more before our crop of rookies fall off the merit list.

Hey Toboto,

It is 12mths from the day you are put onto the Order of Merit list. I was June 26 this year, therefore I have until June 26 2010 !!

Plenty of more waiting yet ;-)

Thanks guys for the reassurance, thats good to know like all the applicants i just wanna get started, longest application process i've ever gone through. :)

Ha ha, na.. most Government jobs now take up to 12mths. Well most of the Police Forces do anwyays. I'd like to get on a course around March next year... that'd be perfect :-)

Class 3 Medical Examination
 

Can't remember who was asking but......

Had most of my Medical Exam today. The list of tests included:

Urine sample for traces of protein, sugar and/or blood
ECG
Weight
Height
Colourblindness test
Reading test (weird one - had to read 8 words)
Reflexes test (arms)
Muscular tests - pushing against a resistance - feet and arms
Mobility test - hips and knees (probably due to my knee reconstruction from years ago)
Listened to heart/lungs
Checked for hernia in abdomen
Simple eye test and looked at retina
Checked ears
Numerous questions (including questionnaire) regarding dizziness, headaches etc.
Thorough hearing test (have that one on Monday)
Blood test (fasting required - doing it tomorrow)
Thorough Eye test (also doing Monday)

Think that covers it. :ok:

oh, and blood pressure

Hey jrbridge,

Its been 11 weeks since you started, has the course proved to be what you expected or hoped for?

What sorts of subjects/topics have you covered so far?
Radio principles?
Subsets of TAAATS - ADSB, RADAR, flightplans etc?
Electronics?
Sims?
Weather?
Aircraft characteristics?
Orginisational structures?
OHS issues?
Existential angst in 21st-century society?

Does the course follow a structured time-table (eg Sims on Tues arvos, Kung-Fu on Thurs morns etc) or is it more like an apprenticeship (making coffee, sweeping etc)?

How much homework/study have you been receiving each week?

Are there enough questions in this post?

:8

G'Day enemyMIG,

Yep just finished the 11th week. We have covered a huge amount of material so far. Subjects like:

-Air Law
-Air Traffic Services (basically covers the whole Manual of ATS)
-Communications (radio principles and who says what, who talks to who and when)
-Meteorology (basically all comes from the Aviation Reference Manual)
-ATS Practices and Procedures (mainly covers the work that approach and tower controllers do)
-Aerodromes & Other Landing Surfaces
-Instruments & other navigation aids
-Principles of flight
-Search & Rescue
-Navigation

All of the first probably 7 weeks is theory with a couple of days induction into ASA. After that we started in the simulator to learn how to use the sim and all of the controls. In about week 9 we started in the sim properly and now spend 4 hours a day in the sim every day. The theory has tapered off a little with subjects mainly concerning the sim, like separation standards. We have a timetable that covers the next 3 weeks. You hear a lot of bad stories relating to the college, I have not experienced any of them.

It sounds just like college with the Police/Military...... you think you know it all when you graduated, but knowing what's in a text book doesn't really mean a thing........ the real work starts when in the hot seat!

It wasn't that bad when I went through it TAAATS!

The college gives you the basics is all. You might come out feeling like you know it all (or at least most of it) but when you get the field you learn the specifics of your location. The college is aimed at being reasonably generic yet still giving you the basics.

It was a good grounding, but the field will really sort you out.

I was off a tower course, so the enroute stuff might be a bit different but I suspect not.

Thanks for the update jrbridge

I was hoping to hear "Animal House" meets "Old School", but there you go.......

:E

Has anyone who completed the psychometric assessments in August received notification yet if they have passed or not? I know they said late August/early September but I'm just curious if anyone has heard anything...

Nope not yet. They told me 2-3 weeks. Its 3 weeks Wednesday for me so should be soon I would think (hope).

Hi jrbridge

What's the average age of the people in your course?
At 32, are you one of the eldest?

Just wondering

I'm one of the younger ones on our course. Ages range from 27ish to early 40s. Some courses are younger some are older. It really doesn't matter at all.

Has anyone here been offered a tower position? I think ASA is going to need a few tower bods over the next year

AsA have only been recruiting for Enroute for the past year or so....... I do believe some Laterals (ATCOs from RAAF/overseas etc) have been offered Tower as they are already trained up & only need to do a conversion course.

Has anyone who sat the testing day in August this year heard back about how they went? They said late August early September, It feels like foever since I sat the test, and I'm starting to get anxious.

I just got my email. I'm too scared to open it haha.

I got my e-mail today too and I'm through to the phone interviews! Yay! :cool:

More H.R crap
 

I just logged on to hvae a peep at what's happening in the ATC world and of course came up with this post regarding recruiting. Yet another company hijacked by the crap put forward by the self interested empire builders of H.R (Human Resourses dept). AFter 10 years as a RAAF ATC I thought I would apply and of course was met with all this Psycho rubbish. It was determined that I was not likely to pass the course. Hmmm well you can make your own mind up on that one but as far as I'm concerned this psycho testing has gone way too far and carries way too much weight. Virgin blue employed pilots with a simple interview and a handshake when they first started up in Australia. Those pilots served the company well during the start up phase and are mostly still flying with Virgin today. Since then H.R has initiated psycho testing taking 2 days to determine which candidates would best suit the company. One wonders how the pilots initially employed would fare if they had to go back and requalify. Friends I have in ASA say that if they had to go back and do the testing now they would not have a hope in hell of passing. So, the question is, for a company struggling to achieve appropriate manning levels, and with huge retirement issues not too far off, where does the bull**** stop and management get on with employing.

Just my 10 cents worth
By the way I now fly for an Australian Airline

bigbrother
 

could not have put it better myself

I don't have the bond paperwork handy so not sure.

But I do know that the cost of moving my family here and everything involved with it, like paying for residency (immigration attorney etc) is a good amount of money. The money (percentage) I would have to pay back after 1-5 years changes each year as I stay. I don't plan on leaving Australia so the bond really does not mean much to me as I will not break it and have to pay any money back.

Good luck to everyone, I start my training in a little over a week.

My family is here on the central coast all settled and we move into our house tomorrow.

Are you coming to the college in Melb?

YankATC

Welcome and have a great time.

TT

Yes I'll be down there until 30 October for training, then back up to the Central Coast on the weekends to be with my family. I'll be in class with one other person who happens to be up here in living too.

Has anyone out there in OzATC-Land ever had a day at work like this ?

YouTube - JFK ground

Does enroute ever get this busy ?

Hey everyone,
I didn't get through the tests unfortunately. I heard that some people know about where to find some of the tests they do online, does anyone have a link they can show me?
Thanks.

Hi Yank ATC,
Are you on the TMA course?, if so you will be in class with a chick as well. Are you staying next to the racecourse? Fancy getting a car pool sorted? I will be commuting at the weekends to the West coast.
Ta, looking forward to meeting you.

I'm not sure the course, what its called but that sounds right. I'm not sure what is next to where I am staying as I've never been to Melbourne, but its at a furnished apartment pretty close to the college.

Are you talking about carpooling from the Central Coast to Sydney? If so if our schedules work that would be great, I'm in Forresters Beach, Just send me a message with your contact information.

Or if you're talking a carpool to the college that could work too, ASA gave me a car for the 7 weeks. just let me know.

College Accomodation
 

Hi guys

I'm assuming we have to arrange our own accomodation during course? Its not live in is it? I've passed online and day aptitude and just waiting for phone interview

Cheers

Hey Brissyboy,

Well done on passing testing so far...... you're half way!!

Phone interview is pretty basic....... about 5mins max.

As for accom in Melbs, yep, you have to get your own accom sorted. If you get to know a few others on this forum (once offered a post), you could perhaps organise a share house with car pooling to save costs, seeing as though the paying isn't huge whilst training. (approx $1200 f/n after tax).

I do believe however if you are an interstate applicant, AsA will pay for your one way ticket to fly to Melbs and put you up for a night or 2 only.

Goodluck for the remainder of your testing.....

Cheers
 

Thanks a lot Gemmy I'm pretty confident, from the guys I know controlling at the moment they reckon you are through unless you majorly drop the ball in the interview or know nothing about asa showing no motivation then you are through. I'm just waiting on word back regarding military pilot as I've been told pretty much military atc is in the bag, I hope I dont hear back from asa before adf!

BrissyBoy,

I wouldn't listen to the guys controlling at the moment in regards to easily getting in as the interview has changed since they went through. It's now a behavioural interview.

I know a girl who just had her 2nd attempt at it and she is a pilot & still didn't make it through.

I am ex military and I honestly thought I had blown the interview, but luckily enough I must've given strong enough answers which suited the criteria.

There were no questions like why do want to do ATC & what do you know about ATC. They did however ask If I had visited a Facility.

The RAAF was great & I'd highly recommend it to someone who was say under the age of 25.

You just have to decide what it is you really want.

Purpleairspace, got your PM and send you an email back. I'd be happy to carpool with you as I have a car the entire time I am there, the other guy that is in our course will be going with me as well. See you in a few days.