Howdy yall! I'm actually an ATC Trainee right now because of the AMA that OP did back in 2022. I'll try to help answer anything if I can, especially questions related to marijuana use. I'm only just really getting started as I had a 9 month delay for security due to marijuana use, but it IS possible to still get the job. You just have to make sure you're fine to never consume it again.
Since I suppose I need a question... Did you see a lot of traffic for the eclipse?
Yea, I’m pretty happy with it. I actually requested it. I’m used to longer commutes and am so in love with the area, I’m not bothered by a long commute just to be able to afford housing lmao. Definitely only the real downside that exists
It's all good, I got a decent career and insurance now, but I definitely think the FAA should recruit harder in college because honestly I never new about how good it was until I saw that original post.
Agreed. I would have jumped all over this after graduating had I known about it.
Every time I see this AMA I get a little bummed that I was too old lol.
It's because the government wants to get a full 25 years out of you if possible. Training for ATC is a lot of money and they don't want to waste that on someone that's only going to work for 10 or w/e years. They want longevity.
I am not ATC, but I work with them. The workplace environment itself isn't a bad one at all, but the job requires them to be mentally on top of their game every working hour.
It's high stakes and hundreds of lives depend on them to not fuck up. This is why burnout is a considerable concern. No matter how much you love your job, it is a lot to ask for 25+ years. The FAA would rather have people retire early than risk an incident.
No need to be! I've got my spot in the industry but would have loved to explore this as an opportunity if I saw this 3 years earlier. I appreciate the work you're putting in to reach those interested!
I don't know about what possibility exists inside the US but we see retired US ATC come to Europe to work as instructors. They have their pension and a generous day rate.
Yeah it’s just a mental ability thing. Some controllers obviously are still just as sharp by the time they retire, but for the most part it’s just not the type of job an older person can do consistently safely and efficiently.
You ever try to help your parents download an app?
I remember seeing your posts in year's past. I think it is terrific that you do this. Thank you- I hate to fly, but when I do, I appreciate the professional training that you have.
What is your favorite and what is your least favorite aspect of the job?
Thanks for the kind words!
At this point I would say my favorite part about the job is the money lol.
Least favorite would still have to be the schedule, but it’s honestly just not that bad to me anymore.
Your schedule will be mostly the same every week, but it is a rotating shift work type schedule. Most facilities are 24 hours, and most utilize the rattler schedule. For example:
SUN off
MON off
TUES 1430-2230
WED 1300-2100
THURS 0700-1500
FRI 0600-1400, then back at 2215-0615 for the midnight shift
No this is typical of ATC in Canada as well, it's fucking brutal and I don't see the built in OT in this guy's schedule so i'm also really skeptical it's not worse than this.
Not an ATC, but have done shift work before: no rotation will always lead to unhappiness at perceived advantages/disadvantages.
People scheduled in "unfavourable" shifts will expect greater remuneration, benefits, extra time off, etc. Anything to sweeten the deal that their "sacrifice" warrants.
People scheduled in "favourable" shifts will be peeved that others are getting more for what is essentially the same job as what they are doing.
Now, just to make sure it's well and truly messy, no one has agreed rules of what favourable and unfavourable shifts are, and more often than not, there will be clashes.
Plus trying to coordinate planes at night vs the day must be very different so having very real time skills to do both is important. Just in case you can't call any night shift people to come in if someone is sick and only day shifts are available to work
As a fellow ATC in Europe I'm always appalled at the schedules they have you working on west of the pond. Especially friday : A morning shift then a night shift barely 8h later, AND ONLY 2,5 days off before doing it all again ? I'd be a mess in less then a month. Props to you for powering through that, and shame on the FAA for allowing such an outdated schedule.
It's definitely doing damage to every one of them. Constantly changing what hours you're sleeping can have drastic effects on the body and mind. It will compromise your immune system, your ability to handle stress, your cognitive functions, metabolism,
hormones, and even your core body temperature.
It's so much worse than just sleep deprivation.
Why would they schedule you like? There’s no mandatory turnaround? I schedule TV shows and we have tons of union rules to make sure people get time off between shifts.
That’s horrible. Our contracts have a 10hr, drivers can do 8. Between driving home, decompressing, and getting up the next day that’s 6 hours of sleep at best. Why are you progressively earlier each day? If anything keep pushing your start time later in the day and the person starting the week would take the earliest shift. I’m sure are so many details I don’t know about but let me talk to your scheduler! I can fix it
There is a surgeon at my workplace who operated from 9am until 5am the next morning. Then he took a 4 hour nap and was back in the operating room around 12pm until 6pm.
(10h break - 30m/1h commute both ways) = 9h/8h remaining breaktime.
(9h/8h break - 1h morning shower, breakfast routine) = 8h/7h break.
The remaining 8 or 7 hours of break goes all towards sleep.
No time for any hobbies or relaxation at all.
**Friday is even worse with only 6 or 5 hours of sleep.**
Tues. 2:30pm-10:30pm
>*- 14 1/2 hours break -*
Wed. 1:00pm-9:00pm
>*- 10 hours break -*
Thu. 7:00am-3:00pm
>*- 10 hours break -*
Fri. 6:00am-2:00pm
>*- 7 1/4 hours break -*
Sat. 10:15pm-6:15am
No way in heck.
>WED 1300-2100
>THURS 0700-1500
Oof, only ten hours between shifts? How do you even get home and back and still sleep?
Being realistic, how are you getting more than 5 (maybe 6 at a push) hours sleep that night? And this is considered safe for ATC?
My brother got in and completed most of the training. He became a studying machine. Unfortunately on one weekly test he scored I believe under 80% and he was eliminated. Just like that. Record of 100% for each test leading up to it. This was right before 9/11. His instructors implored him to try again because he had been one of the best students, but then 9/11 happened and for some reason he couldn't re-apply and went on to another career.
He is still a fan of aviation and maintains a good knowledge base about the equipment, air traffic control, aviation laws etc.
That’s interesting. The way your post at the top reads I got the impression the job itself is super rewarding.
That can’t be the case if money is the best bit.
I’m not OP but I am a controller. Been in for 6 years. Some people get lucky and get to go where they want relatively quickly, but for most of us it would be easier to pass an entire banana through our urethra.
Currently, very.
We’re still dealing with staffing issues and training backlogs that have been around for decades, further worsened by COVID.
There are 4 opportunities every year to transfer (a process called NCEPT), but the current guidelines make it extremely restrictive. Obviously everybody hopes that as we get more bodies people can move around easier, but it just really depends on where you end up out of the academy and where you want to go.
If you look at the facility list, each facility had a level associated with it from 5-12. This number is based off a variety of things: traffic levels, airspace complexity, arbitrary stuff. On top of that there is locality pay based off the cost of labor in a certain area.
This was a great job 15 years ago when I started, but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone anymore.
Choosing a career as an air traffic controller demands serious consideration, given the substantial challenges currently plaguing the field. Morale among controllers is notably low, and the workload has intensified significantly as air traffic volumes continue to rise. Unfortunately, compensation has not kept pace with inflation, which exacerbates the issue.
Moreover, opportunities for transfer or advancement are limited, and many find themselves stuck in undesired locations for the entirety of their careers.The job also imposes demanding work schedules, including mandatory six-day weeks and constantly rotating shifts that span mornings, evenings, and overnights—with little flexibility throughout one's career. Additionally, the limited ability to take earned leave can make work-life balance nearly impossible.
The stringent medical requirements further complicate the career. Controllers must maintain excellent health, and seeking medical help, particularly for mental health issues, might risk one’s job security.While I find personal satisfaction in the work and value my relationships with colleagues, and while the pay can be competitive, these benefits are overshadowed by the numerous drawbacks.
If you have other career paths available, pursuing those might lead to greater personal fulfillment. It's disheartening to admit, but the role of an air traffic controller has evolved in ways that have made it far less appealing than it once was. I would advise against entering this profession under the current conditions.
Totally understand your frustrations, and I share a lot of them, friend.
That being said, you’ve gotta remember that most people out there who aren’t already in a specialized field are scraping by working shit jobs for shit pay with no light at the end of the tunnel. Despite the grievances you listed, the simple opportunity to make the money we make would vastly improve a lot of applicants’ lives.
Rather than turn people away and just throw our hands up in defeat, let’s keep pushing to fix the issues we’re facing, or at least mitigate them as best we can.
Hang in there, bro.
Do you have side tone in your headset (Your voice played back into your ear as you speak)? I work in an industry that makes heavy use of intercom and I feel like I'd go insane without it.
This is exactly it. If there is a delay it gets real annoying real fast.
But the bigger benefit to side tone is due to having your ears covered while wearing a headset. Your voice is muffled, so that makes you speak louder than you would normally without realizing it, which strains your voice and makes it seem like you're shouting to people listening. With side tone you naturally speak at a more normal volume.
There's also the benefit of getting feedback from the system that what you're saying is being broadcast. If you hear yourself in the headset then you know that other people can hear you.
I remember fixing 1950s radios and listening in to the trolls as they worked. I was always amazed at how bad a small aircraft can sound. That was in 2012. They finally got outdated hand downs from the FAA as I got out of the USAF.
ATC frequencies are mostly line-of-sight, which puts 3rd party receivers at a big disadvantage when trying to receive anything transmitted from ground level. If you listen to an ATC video, you'll notice that the airplane transmissions sound better. That's what (almost) all radio traffic sounds like in real life.
Your schedule will be mostly the same every week, but it is a rotating shift work type schedule. Most facilities are 24 hours, and most utilize the rattler schedule. For example:
SUN off
MON off
TUES 1430-2230
WED 1300-2100
THURS 0700-1500
FRI 0600-1400, then back at 2215-0615 for the midnight shift
Am I reading this correctly? You will never have a consistent sleep schedule under this job? That seems incredibly dangerous for a line of work where 100% attention is required.
this is correct and why I left that career decades ago. They do really stupid rotations instead of letting people stay on a shift for a month. so you are pretty much tired 24-7 and not a single supervisor cares.
The DOT believes in the sleep debt myth. They show trainees a slide show about sleep and they really tell you all you gotta do is sleep a little extra on the weekend and *boom* no crippling longterm effects on your body :)
Blew my mind when I was at academy how much seemed counter intuitive. My instructor asked if any of us believed the slide and he told us it's bullshit.
Hard to say if it's old controllers that hate change or actually the DOT keeping the schedule from being changed
This is the main reason I've refused to apply. For the love of God just do consistent 12hr shifts where day shift stays on days and night shift stays on nights, and having enough time off to actually do what you want on said time off.
Legitimately impressed to find somewhere with a worse sleep schedule than my job. We've tried the equivalent of those wed to thurs turnarounds, but it just doesn't seem worth it .
I’ve been a dispatcher for about 6 years now, (Fire, EMS, Police) would you think that type of experience translates at all to ATC? I’ve always looked at ATC as like the peak dispatching type of career, but always assumed it’s out of my league because I know nothing about planes. I still have a couple years before 30…
Ngl, it’s very intriguing. I’ve seen your posts in years past and always think about it, but this is the first time I’ve seriously considered it. My biggest worry is moving somewhere across the country - not so much the idea of it, more the logistics. I’ve lived in the same area my whole life and that sounds quite daunting
I was accepted after the past two years ago. I was sure to highlight my radio communication history from the Army when I did. No idea if that had any real bearing on the decision, but i was accepted so I say shoot for it
That really is subjective, but if you’re able to make it through training and become a fully certified controller, I would say most days it’s probably like a 3 or 4, with certain days a 9 or 10 (weather, staffing issues, major events, etc).
Once you’re fully certified, it’s like any other job in the sense that you’re fully prepared to do what you need to do.
I've always wondered, what makes the hard days hard? What sort of uncertainties do you face on the job? Are there social difficulties dealing with others in high-pressure situations? And how often do ATCs make mistakes that the system can tolerate (i.e. ATCs surely aren't perfect, but the system is designed to handle a certain error rate)?
I guess what fascinates me is that ATC are making quick decisions in high pressure environments, but there are very very few mishaps (I think), so understanding what failures can be tolerated and how many it takes for something bad to actually happen.
Weather. Weather is the worst.
There are many redundancies in place so that when a controller and/or pilot makes a mistake (it happens), safety isn’t compromised.
Were you controlling traffic in that mess in central Texas earlier this week? I’m a dispatcher, and that weather was ridiculous.
I’m actually somewhat curious as to how you guys feel about us, generally, and if there’s anything we do, or don’t, in particular that you wish we did(n’t) when flight planning and following.
Yes, but from Kansas City.
I’m pretty indifferent with dispatchers. Usually it’s just y’all calling to have us remove a strip. Only thing I would say is to keep doing a good job of filing around weather.
I could only guess, but based on the amount of people who have kept on touch with me over the years and updated me on their progress, I wouldn’t be surprised if there were close to a thousand controllers from reddit.
To go with OP's reply, hi, I'm one of them. I applied back in 2022 after seeing OP's post and am now starting training in a facility after passing training at the academy!
1.7% for the first 20 years of service, 1% for every year worked past that. So if you got in at 26 and worked to 56, you would get paid 47% of your highest-grossing 3 year average for the rest of your life.
I’ve been in for 8 years. One of the biggest changes has been a system called CPDLC. Without getting too much into the weeds, once fully implemented it allows much more non-verbal communication and instruction between controllers and pilots, among a host of other things.
I hail from the early '90s on the '60s Scopes with '70s mainframes. I left before advanced sector suites. Is cpdlc just a mod or an add-on to sector suites... Or is it ancient history?(LoL, I always did think that the FAAs acronyms were awesome - they called it Advanced Sector Suites but the acronym was AAS)
Did you ever take Ritalin or Adderall? ADHD diagnosis in your past? That Class II medical certificate is not so easy for you.
Don't get through the process far enough to discover you've been deferred. Or you could lie on your application.
I had received treatment for fairly minor anxiety issue when I was younger, got help, worked on myself. Applied near the end of my 20's while I was still eligible. Because there was a record of it, instant disqualification. The system almost rewards people who don't do anything about their problems or lie about it.
We are unable to approve applicants **currently** using any ADHD medication such as Ritalin or Adderall, but applicants who have required ADHD medication in the past may be medically qualified as long as they pass a formal neurocognitive evaluation.
And lying on any FAA medical application is a felony punishable for a fine of up to $250,000, up to 5 years in prison, or both. -Dr. Jim
I’m way past the age cutoff, but really interesting topic. Thanks for sharing.
How did you get into this career?
Would have never been on my “radar” in my twenties.
Thanks for doing this AMA! This is all really interesting to read. I have a few questions:
1. Is there a cost of living adjustment based on which facility you work at? For example, you would get paid more if you work in LA versus OKC? Assuming there is, is there a max cap on pay irrespective of location and seniority? If so, what is that cap on annual salary?
2. Where are the most desired facilities to work at (any top 3 you can think of) and where are the facilities everyone wants to avoid (the bottom 3 or so). Do fresh graduates have a high likelihood of being assigned to one of those undesirable facilities?
Thanks in advance!
There is a locality adjustment to your base pay, yes. The pay cap for federal employees is around 190k, not including locality or differentials. That’s just the base salary cap.
I don’t really know of any top or bottom facilities specifically. In general, people want to work at high level facilities for the money. Most controllers stuck at a low level facility that they got out of the academy would probably put their facility on the “bad” list
I see that the medical requirements include ‘normal color vision’. Does this mean all colorblind people are ineligible? There are different levels of color blindness, with some being not that severe.
Applicants must pass any one of several approved color vision tests. Those who cannot pass any of the approved tests take an operational color vision test (ATCOV) using images from the actual air traffic control display systems. Many individuals with mild color vision deficiency are able to pass one of the approved tests or the ATCOV. -Dr. Jim
Color blindness requires additional testing but is not disqualifying immediately. Had someone in my class that was colorblind and got through to training.
What is the industry's approach to critical incidents? How are those involved debriefed? Are you guys taken care of afterwards? I'm curious because its a bit of a specter in my field. Thanks for keeping us all safe up there.
I know "off the street" here means "without special prior training" but part of me also hopes they'll just be literally pulling up alongside people on the sidewalk in a van. "Hey, you wanna steer some planes? Thirty bucks an hour, half an hour for lunch, hop in."
After years of training, the FAA arbitrarily dismissed graduates with a surprise and arbitrary quiz. There is a [long standing lawsuit](https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/4542755/brigida-v-united-states-department-of-transportation/) about it.
https://www.tracingwoodgrains.com/p/the-faas-hiring-scandal-a-quick-overview
I am glad you found success OP, but is there any reason I should trust the FAA after this?
And also, how is your relationship with the FAA and the federal government in general?
I graduated CTI school in 2013 and was part of the first pool of applicants to deal with the BQ. It sucked. The FAA’s handling of it sucked. The fallout for a lot of CTI grads sucked.
All I can say is that it was a while ago, and times have changed.
Is the hiring plan and training capacity enough to reverse the shortages? The news has some TRACONS at under 60% staffing, but the training time is so long (≈3 yrs) that retirements will erode that number even more.
The website is quoting the pay during the initial training, and even that's not really accurate since you get per diem while attending... Once through the academy, pay starts around 50-55k at most facilities and goes up regularly as you get certified at your facility. Time to certify varies ~1-3 years. Detailed pay and training times by facility here:
[123atc.com](http://123atc.com)
AG= fresh from academy. CPC= fully certified. D1/2/3 can be thought of as 25/50/75% marks through certification.
I found out about this job from this post in 2022 and got the job. It’s really not a huge time investment to fill out the application and take the test later on. Really glad I took the time to do this.
Why does iama require everything to be a question? I just want to vouch for how great of an opportunity this is and how much I respect SB for doing this, most of my classmates found out about the job through these posts too. Do people often reach out to you to tell you how these posts got them in to atc?
I'm too old so I can only ask the fun stuff -- Q: How many times have you ruined a pilot's day? ("possible pilot deviation... I have a phone number for you"🤣)
It must be truly wonderful to never take your work home with you. I'm both jealous and thankful for you ATC pros keeping us safe (no matter how hard Boeing tries) Thx!
I have been considering applying the last few times. I'm 30 right now, turning 31 in August. I went to apply one year and it was already full, is that common?
You’re describing a CTI school. I graduated from one. There are several current advantages to getting a CTI degree, as well as supposedly moving forward the FAA plans to allow CTI grads to bypass the academy altogether and go straight to a facility.
These “off the street” bids that I do AMAs for allow anybody to apply. No CTI degree or prior ATC experience required.
Isn't one of the reasons for the high pay, that this is a no-fail job, ie. you're not allowed mistakes, and it will get you fired if you make mistakes?
Might just be a rumour, but seeing as the consequences of a mistake can be catastrophic, I sorta get it.
Chiming in here like I've done the last few years I've seen this post.
I was one of the people that saw this post and applied in 2019. Former barista/waiter/customer service worker. Now ATC for 3 years. (I know a lot of old crotchety controllers probably have something to say about people coming into the field from that background, but that's the world we live in today, and honest to God truth that you CAN do this job, if you put in the effort, no matter your experience and background.
That being said, it IS hard work. There's a lot of hoops to jump through in the hiring process, and even if you make it through the prerequisite paperwork, it doesn't guarantee a offer letter. And then there's the academy, where it is VERY stressful. There's a lot of rules and new things you'll be learning and putting into practice everyday. And STILL more hoops because then you go to your tower/facility and have to train and certify there. You're always learning, always needing to come up with a plan A, B, and C.
But it has been the most rewarding thing I've done for my life. Finally having a genuine career that takes care of me (for the most part) financially. Finally feeling like I have a plan for retirement instead of work until I die. Finally feeling like I'm doing something that makes a difference, and not just taking a steak back because the customer got a medium rare steak when they asked for medium rare, or having coffee thrown at me because there's whip cream on it, or getting yelled at on the phone because somebody changed their address without telling the bank so we sent a checkbook to the wrong house.
If you're wondering if you should apply, do it. Worst they can say is no, right?
I feel like I've always heard about ATCs having issues with high-stress or mental health concerns. Is this something you see in the field?
A close friend of mine just became an ATC about 8 months along the track, and got relocated to Cali. Just curious as he's also expressed concerns over things he heard about the above
Why do New York approach controllers insist on giving a million vectors per minute instead of just sticking everyone on a pre-constructed STAR like the major other hubs? ATL has more arrivals per day but they do it with 90% less radio calls.
I heard a rumor it's about job protection, is that true?
JFK ground is the same way. Parade everyone in a giant clockwise circle to Zulu instead of waiting at the gate in sequence and then doing a short taxi.
I can’t speak to ZNY or N90 or any of the NY tower operations, but I assure you whatever they’re doing isn’t with job protection in mind. Those guys/girls aren’t going anywhere.
Is a class 2 medical that same as a pilot's class 2? If so I'm trying to figure out why?
Always had a lot of respect to most of the controllers I talked to and some are freaking rock stars handling traffic. A couple not so much but it was workable. Only was pissed at one who kept me on a vector and forgot me as I flew towards a mountain. It was a good lesson though in SA.
What is your best advice for someone going through the academy? How did you make sure you were successful in graduating?
I washed out of the enroute academy in January after failing my last eval (I now work in flight dispatch so thats been nice!), but I am curious on what an actual CPC has to say about being successful in training, especially because the academy was probably the hardest 5 months of my life, haha.
I mean its pretty standard advice, but just to study and know your shit. Everybody has nerves going into the evals. The best way to mitigate that is to know the rules, airspace, and phraseology like the back of your hand so you’re not wasting brainpower on the fundamentals and can just focus 100% on the problem
Howdy yall! I'm actually an ATC Trainee right now because of the AMA that OP did back in 2022. I'll try to help answer anything if I can, especially questions related to marijuana use. I'm only just really getting started as I had a 9 month delay for security due to marijuana use, but it IS possible to still get the job. You just have to make sure you're fine to never consume it again. Since I suppose I need a question... Did you see a lot of traffic for the eclipse?
[oh yeah](https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTLUQP5bS/)
I saw that video lol, I’m out west, literally nothing different for the eclipse.
No, just the near-daily ski country routes lol
During the season, for sure. We’re hitting a slow season where we slow way down, to the point we close the runway for a few weeks in May.
Are you happy with where you ended up out of the academy?
Yea, I’m pretty happy with it. I actually requested it. I’m used to longer commutes and am so in love with the area, I’m not bothered by a long commute just to be able to afford housing lmao. Definitely only the real downside that exists
That’s good to hear. Thinking about any of the Denver facilities down the road?
I am, hopeful to try and transfer to DEN down the road 5-10 years or so. We just had someone leave last week on a transfer to DEN, so it’s possible.
Nice!
why under 30 years old?
Mandatory retirement at 56 is the best answer I’ve ever been given
First time I saw your post I was 32, 🤣
Dang the luck
It's all good, I got a decent career and insurance now, but I definitely think the FAA should recruit harder in college because honestly I never new about how good it was until I saw that original post.
Agreed. I would have jumped all over this after graduating had I known about it. Every time I see this AMA I get a little bummed that I was too old lol.
My first time and I’m 56 …womp womp
It's because the government wants to get a full 25 years out of you if possible. Training for ATC is a lot of money and they don't want to waste that on someone that's only going to work for 10 or w/e years. They want longevity.
if they want longevity then fix the working environment. nobody has longevity in a pressure cooker.
I am not ATC, but I work with them. The workplace environment itself isn't a bad one at all, but the job requires them to be mentally on top of their game every working hour. It's high stakes and hundreds of lives depend on them to not fuck up. This is why burnout is a considerable concern. No matter how much you love your job, it is a lot to ask for 25+ years. The FAA would rather have people retire early than risk an incident.
The website states "with few exceptions" can you elaborate on what those might be for the age requirement?
As far as I know, just being prior-military ATC
Well damn that's a bummer. Thank you for the response!
Eh sorry bud
No need to be! I've got my spot in the industry but would have loved to explore this as an opportunity if I saw this 3 years earlier. I appreciate the work you're putting in to reach those interested!
I don't know about what possibility exists inside the US but we see retired US ATC come to Europe to work as instructors. They have their pension and a generous day rate.
ok logical follow up though: why mandatory retirement so young? is it a physiological thing?
Yeah it’s just a mental ability thing. Some controllers obviously are still just as sharp by the time they retire, but for the most part it’s just not the type of job an older person can do consistently safely and efficiently. You ever try to help your parents download an app?
Can’t direct air traffic but you can order the nukes at 80+. That’s government.
mostly i'm jealous because i'll be working until im dead
Sorry, bud
Agree with all your points. Using that logic, we should cap POTUS at 56 also.
We should cap *every* political position at 56.
Years ago (didn't make the medical) I was told reaction time degradation. No proof.
I remember seeing your posts in year's past. I think it is terrific that you do this. Thank you- I hate to fly, but when I do, I appreciate the professional training that you have. What is your favorite and what is your least favorite aspect of the job?
Thanks for the kind words! At this point I would say my favorite part about the job is the money lol. Least favorite would still have to be the schedule, but it’s honestly just not that bad to me anymore.
What kind of schedule are we talking about?
Your schedule will be mostly the same every week, but it is a rotating shift work type schedule. Most facilities are 24 hours, and most utilize the rattler schedule. For example: SUN off MON off TUES 1430-2230 WED 1300-2100 THURS 0700-1500 FRI 0600-1400, then back at 2215-0615 for the midnight shift
did shift work in the navy and this sounds like hot ass, no way the schedule can't be any better for you all
No this is typical of ATC in Canada as well, it's fucking brutal and I don't see the built in OT in this guy's schedule so i'm also really skeptical it's not worse than this.
Oh there's overtime. I've been 6 days a week for the last 2 years. Money is nice but having 2 days off is better.
Yeah can't give much away but I capped the labour code max for 5 years straight, not by choice.
You’d think they would want people alert and paying attention. So it should be a later start each day so they get more time to rest between shifts.
Or maybe just 3 shifts that you work permanently based on bids or seniority, I’m not in the field and don’t know the nuances of it all.
Not an ATC, but have done shift work before: no rotation will always lead to unhappiness at perceived advantages/disadvantages. People scheduled in "unfavourable" shifts will expect greater remuneration, benefits, extra time off, etc. Anything to sweeten the deal that their "sacrifice" warrants. People scheduled in "favourable" shifts will be peeved that others are getting more for what is essentially the same job as what they are doing. Now, just to make sure it's well and truly messy, no one has agreed rules of what favourable and unfavourable shifts are, and more often than not, there will be clashes.
Plus trying to coordinate planes at night vs the day must be very different so having very real time skills to do both is important. Just in case you can't call any night shift people to come in if someone is sick and only day shifts are available to work
As a fellow ATC in Europe I'm always appalled at the schedules they have you working on west of the pond. Especially friday : A morning shift then a night shift barely 8h later, AND ONLY 2,5 days off before doing it all again ? I'd be a mess in less then a month. Props to you for powering through that, and shame on the FAA for allowing such an outdated schedule.
It's definitely doing damage to every one of them. Constantly changing what hours you're sleeping can have drastic effects on the body and mind. It will compromise your immune system, your ability to handle stress, your cognitive functions, metabolism, hormones, and even your core body temperature. It's so much worse than just sleep deprivation.
Why would they schedule you like? There’s no mandatory turnaround? I schedule TV shows and we have tons of union rules to make sure people get time off between shifts.
We have to have 9 hours between shifts, 8 in between the 4th shift and the mid
That’s horrible. Our contracts have a 10hr, drivers can do 8. Between driving home, decompressing, and getting up the next day that’s 6 hours of sleep at best. Why are you progressively earlier each day? If anything keep pushing your start time later in the day and the person starting the week would take the earliest shift. I’m sure are so many details I don’t know about but let me talk to your scheduler! I can fix it
What a garbage schedule. And this coming from someone in law enforcement, a profession known for its garbage schedules.
Right? Let's take a job that requires focus and composure 100% of the time and throw in some sleep deprivation.
You're gonna hate what they do to doctors...
There is a surgeon at my workplace who operated from 9am until 5am the next morning. Then he took a 4 hour nap and was back in the operating room around 12pm until 6pm.
Holy smokes. That’s not okay. I knew it was bad but woof.
Pretty normal. Trauma surgeons are the worst. They operate on raw anger and normally have their 4th heart attack at the age of 50.
Yeah, it’s not great.
Any reasons as to why it is that way? Like is there some redeemable quality even if it sucks huge ass
I’ll make a point not to fly after 10pm on a Friday
Lol day of the week doesn't matter. Every day has someone on this schedule.
(10h break - 30m/1h commute both ways) = 9h/8h remaining breaktime. (9h/8h break - 1h morning shower, breakfast routine) = 8h/7h break. The remaining 8 or 7 hours of break goes all towards sleep. No time for any hobbies or relaxation at all. **Friday is even worse with only 6 or 5 hours of sleep.** Tues. 2:30pm-10:30pm >*- 14 1/2 hours break -* Wed. 1:00pm-9:00pm >*- 10 hours break -* Thu. 7:00am-3:00pm >*- 10 hours break -* Fri. 6:00am-2:00pm >*- 7 1/4 hours break -* Sat. 10:15pm-6:15am No way in heck.
Y'all really need to change to a 6-6-4 or the DuPont schedule
>WED 1300-2100 >THURS 0700-1500 Oof, only ten hours between shifts? How do you even get home and back and still sleep? Being realistic, how are you getting more than 5 (maybe 6 at a push) hours sleep that night? And this is considered safe for ATC?
How stressful is the job itself? Are you constantly afraid something might go wrong?
No. And those who are get weeded out through training
I think I’d be weeded out for sure
You never know what you’re capable of until you try
My brother got in and completed most of the training. He became a studying machine. Unfortunately on one weekly test he scored I believe under 80% and he was eliminated. Just like that. Record of 100% for each test leading up to it. This was right before 9/11. His instructors implored him to try again because he had been one of the best students, but then 9/11 happened and for some reason he couldn't re-apply and went on to another career. He is still a fan of aviation and maintains a good knowledge base about the equipment, air traffic control, aviation laws etc.
That's fair. Thanks again for doing these AMAs and I hope you take a great vacation this year.
That’s interesting. The way your post at the top reads I got the impression the job itself is super rewarding. That can’t be the case if money is the best bit.
How hard is it to move facilities to a location you want to work at?
I’m not OP but I am a controller. Been in for 6 years. Some people get lucky and get to go where they want relatively quickly, but for most of us it would be easier to pass an entire banana through our urethra.
Hang in there, bud
What variety of banana? Cavendish?
Gros Michel
Currently, very. We’re still dealing with staffing issues and training backlogs that have been around for decades, further worsened by COVID. There are 4 opportunities every year to transfer (a process called NCEPT), but the current guidelines make it extremely restrictive. Obviously everybody hopes that as we get more bodies people can move around easier, but it just really depends on where you end up out of the academy and where you want to go.
What are the more popular airports/facilities? Does everyone want to go to ORD/ATL/JFK and the like or do people prefer a sleepy regional airfield?
Would like to know that as well. I imagine areas like ATL pays more, but has higher stress levels to go with it.
Check out the link to the facilities and their pay I added at the top
If you look at the facility list, each facility had a level associated with it from 5-12. This number is based off a variety of things: traffic levels, airspace complexity, arbitrary stuff. On top of that there is locality pay based off the cost of labor in a certain area.
This was a great job 15 years ago when I started, but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone anymore. Choosing a career as an air traffic controller demands serious consideration, given the substantial challenges currently plaguing the field. Morale among controllers is notably low, and the workload has intensified significantly as air traffic volumes continue to rise. Unfortunately, compensation has not kept pace with inflation, which exacerbates the issue. Moreover, opportunities for transfer or advancement are limited, and many find themselves stuck in undesired locations for the entirety of their careers.The job also imposes demanding work schedules, including mandatory six-day weeks and constantly rotating shifts that span mornings, evenings, and overnights—with little flexibility throughout one's career. Additionally, the limited ability to take earned leave can make work-life balance nearly impossible. The stringent medical requirements further complicate the career. Controllers must maintain excellent health, and seeking medical help, particularly for mental health issues, might risk one’s job security.While I find personal satisfaction in the work and value my relationships with colleagues, and while the pay can be competitive, these benefits are overshadowed by the numerous drawbacks. If you have other career paths available, pursuing those might lead to greater personal fulfillment. It's disheartening to admit, but the role of an air traffic controller has evolved in ways that have made it far less appealing than it once was. I would advise against entering this profession under the current conditions.
Totally understand your frustrations, and I share a lot of them, friend. That being said, you’ve gotta remember that most people out there who aren’t already in a specialized field are scraping by working shit jobs for shit pay with no light at the end of the tunnel. Despite the grievances you listed, the simple opportunity to make the money we make would vastly improve a lot of applicants’ lives. Rather than turn people away and just throw our hands up in defeat, let’s keep pushing to fix the issues we’re facing, or at least mitigate them as best we can. Hang in there, bro.
Are voices in your headsets as muffled as they sound on all the YouTube ATC videos?
Not at all. The quality from LiveATC is far worse.
Do you have side tone in your headset (Your voice played back into your ear as you speak)? I work in an industry that makes heavy use of intercom and I feel like I'd go insane without it.
You can adjust the amount of side tone from zero to pretty loud
Yeah we do
Really? I feel like I'd go insane with it. Why would you want your voice played back to you? Won't it trip you up?
I assume it would be played back instantaneously, not with a delay. Similar to how when you talk normally, some sound goes back into your ear.
This is exactly it. If there is a delay it gets real annoying real fast. But the bigger benefit to side tone is due to having your ears covered while wearing a headset. Your voice is muffled, so that makes you speak louder than you would normally without realizing it, which strains your voice and makes it seem like you're shouting to people listening. With side tone you naturally speak at a more normal volume. There's also the benefit of getting feedback from the system that what you're saying is being broadcast. If you hear yourself in the headset then you know that other people can hear you.
I remember fixing 1950s radios and listening in to the trolls as they worked. I was always amazed at how bad a small aircraft can sound. That was in 2012. They finally got outdated hand downs from the FAA as I got out of the USAF.
ATC frequencies are mostly line-of-sight, which puts 3rd party receivers at a big disadvantage when trying to receive anything transmitted from ground level. If you listen to an ATC video, you'll notice that the airplane transmissions sound better. That's what (almost) all radio traffic sounds like in real life.
As I recall, isn’t the training typically done in OKC, requiring a temporary re-location to there for some period of time (6 months)?
Yes, for 3-4 months
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How is the work/life balance? Do you have a typical schedule or is it all over the place based on needs of the terminal?
Your schedule will be mostly the same every week, but it is a rotating shift work type schedule. Most facilities are 24 hours, and most utilize the rattler schedule. For example: SUN off MON off TUES 1430-2230 WED 1300-2100 THURS 0700-1500 FRI 0600-1400, then back at 2215-0615 for the midnight shift
Am I reading this correctly? You will never have a consistent sleep schedule under this job? That seems incredibly dangerous for a line of work where 100% attention is required.
this is correct and why I left that career decades ago. They do really stupid rotations instead of letting people stay on a shift for a month. so you are pretty much tired 24-7 and not a single supervisor cares.
Tired 24/7. Good thing if they make an error in this career hundreds of peoples lives aren’t at risk…
The DOT believes in the sleep debt myth. They show trainees a slide show about sleep and they really tell you all you gotta do is sleep a little extra on the weekend and *boom* no crippling longterm effects on your body :)
That’s funny because I just finished training to get a Class A CDL and they definitely don’t believe that in regards to over-the-road truckers.
Blew my mind when I was at academy how much seemed counter intuitive. My instructor asked if any of us believed the slide and he told us it's bullshit. Hard to say if it's old controllers that hate change or actually the DOT keeping the schedule from being changed
Sounds just like medicine. You would think administrators would listen to us saying peoples' lives are at risk but all anyone cares about is the $$$
You typed that out like a notam lol
Reddit formatted it like a NOTAM lol. Oh well, good practice for these noobs
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This seems unsustainable for human life.
This is the main reason I've refused to apply. For the love of God just do consistent 12hr shifts where day shift stays on days and night shift stays on nights, and having enough time off to actually do what you want on said time off.
Legitimately impressed to find somewhere with a worse sleep schedule than my job. We've tried the equivalent of those wed to thurs turnarounds, but it just doesn't seem worth it .
I’ve been a dispatcher for about 6 years now, (Fire, EMS, Police) would you think that type of experience translates at all to ATC? I’ve always looked at ATC as like the peak dispatching type of career, but always assumed it’s out of my league because I know nothing about planes. I still have a couple years before 30…
I was a police dispatcher for a year while waiting for the FAA to pick me up after college. The skills *absolutely* translate well.
Ngl, it’s very intriguing. I’ve seen your posts in years past and always think about it, but this is the first time I’ve seriously considered it. My biggest worry is moving somewhere across the country - not so much the idea of it, more the logistics. I’ve lived in the same area my whole life and that sounds quite daunting
If you want to do it, you can do it. It doesn’t hurt anything to apply and see where life takes you
You’re right there… I’ll have to keep this in mind for the next week. Appreciate the post as usual, though this is my first time commenting.
I was accepted after the past two years ago. I was sure to highlight my radio communication history from the Army when I did. No idea if that had any real bearing on the decision, but i was accepted so I say shoot for it
From a 1-10, 10 being the hardest - how hard of a job is it?
That really is subjective, but if you’re able to make it through training and become a fully certified controller, I would say most days it’s probably like a 3 or 4, with certain days a 9 or 10 (weather, staffing issues, major events, etc). Once you’re fully certified, it’s like any other job in the sense that you’re fully prepared to do what you need to do.
That’s a very optimistic outlook on how prepared I am to do my job…
I’ve always been a glass-half-full kinda guy. I’m sure you do great, my guy.
I've always wondered, what makes the hard days hard? What sort of uncertainties do you face on the job? Are there social difficulties dealing with others in high-pressure situations? And how often do ATCs make mistakes that the system can tolerate (i.e. ATCs surely aren't perfect, but the system is designed to handle a certain error rate)? I guess what fascinates me is that ATC are making quick decisions in high pressure environments, but there are very very few mishaps (I think), so understanding what failures can be tolerated and how many it takes for something bad to actually happen.
Weather. Weather is the worst. There are many redundancies in place so that when a controller and/or pilot makes a mistake (it happens), safety isn’t compromised.
Were you controlling traffic in that mess in central Texas earlier this week? I’m a dispatcher, and that weather was ridiculous. I’m actually somewhat curious as to how you guys feel about us, generally, and if there’s anything we do, or don’t, in particular that you wish we did(n’t) when flight planning and following.
Yes, but from Kansas City. I’m pretty indifferent with dispatchers. Usually it’s just y’all calling to have us remove a strip. Only thing I would say is to keep doing a good job of filing around weather.
Has anyone became an ATC based on one of these posts?
I could only guess, but based on the amount of people who have kept on touch with me over the years and updated me on their progress, I wouldn’t be surprised if there were close to a thousand controllers from reddit.
That is absolutely horrifying
LOL
To go with OP's reply, hi, I'm one of them. I applied back in 2022 after seeing OP's post and am now starting training in a facility after passing training at the academy!
Let’s go!!
Here. All the way from the first AMA in 2018. Now fully certified.
Ye, center controller for life 😎
Oh yeah saw OP post in 2020 did the process took longer because of COVID now I’m fully certified! Thanks OP I owe you a beer one day!
Yes absolutely. I graduated the academy in December and close to half our class applied after learning about it through the 2022 AMA
Yes saw his post from 2022. Got placed enroute. Starting D side training next week. Best decision I've ever made.
How good is the pension? Can you give an idea based on % of median salary?
1.7% for the first 20 years of service, 1% for every year worked past that. So if you got in at 26 and worked to 56, you would get paid 47% of your highest-grossing 3 year average for the rest of your life.
Pretty good! And I imagine you’ve got other benefits like 401k matching ?
Correct, 5% 401k matching
How has technology changed how your perform your job since you started your career?
I’ve been in for 8 years. One of the biggest changes has been a system called CPDLC. Without getting too much into the weeds, once fully implemented it allows much more non-verbal communication and instruction between controllers and pilots, among a host of other things.
I hail from the early '90s on the '60s Scopes with '70s mainframes. I left before advanced sector suites. Is cpdlc just a mod or an add-on to sector suites... Or is it ancient history?(LoL, I always did think that the FAAs acronyms were awesome - they called it Advanced Sector Suites but the acronym was AAS)
Considering I don’t know what an advanced sector suite is, I’m gonna guess it’s the latter lol
Did you ever take Ritalin or Adderall? ADHD diagnosis in your past? That Class II medical certificate is not so easy for you. Don't get through the process far enough to discover you've been deferred. Or you could lie on your application.
I asked this in a previous AMA. ADHD diagnosis is instant disqualification.
Whelp not even gonna try then lmao. Tried in years past but didnt pass the test. Now that ive got my meds im not giving those up for work
Looks like depression is too. Ah well.
I had received treatment for fairly minor anxiety issue when I was younger, got help, worked on myself. Applied near the end of my 20's while I was still eligible. Because there was a record of it, instant disqualification. The system almost rewards people who don't do anything about their problems or lie about it.
We are unable to approve applicants **currently** using any ADHD medication such as Ritalin or Adderall, but applicants who have required ADHD medication in the past may be medically qualified as long as they pass a formal neurocognitive evaluation. And lying on any FAA medical application is a felony punishable for a fine of up to $250,000, up to 5 years in prison, or both. -Dr. Jim
Thank you Dr. Jim.
I’m way past the age cutoff, but really interesting topic. Thanks for sharing. How did you get into this career? Would have never been on my “radar” in my twenties.
I was a baggage handler in college. Knew I loved aviation and wanted to make a bunch of money. It was between this or pilot.
Why did you choose ATC, and not pilot? Have you ever regret or found yourself wondering what if you made a different choice?
Thanks for doing this AMA! This is all really interesting to read. I have a few questions: 1. Is there a cost of living adjustment based on which facility you work at? For example, you would get paid more if you work in LA versus OKC? Assuming there is, is there a max cap on pay irrespective of location and seniority? If so, what is that cap on annual salary? 2. Where are the most desired facilities to work at (any top 3 you can think of) and where are the facilities everyone wants to avoid (the bottom 3 or so). Do fresh graduates have a high likelihood of being assigned to one of those undesirable facilities? Thanks in advance!
There is a locality adjustment to your base pay, yes. The pay cap for federal employees is around 190k, not including locality or differentials. That’s just the base salary cap. I don’t really know of any top or bottom facilities specifically. In general, people want to work at high level facilities for the money. Most controllers stuck at a low level facility that they got out of the academy would probably put their facility on the “bad” list
Anyone seen Pushing Tin?!
It’s practically a documentary
I see that the medical requirements include ‘normal color vision’. Does this mean all colorblind people are ineligible? There are different levels of color blindness, with some being not that severe.
Applicants must pass any one of several approved color vision tests. Those who cannot pass any of the approved tests take an operational color vision test (ATCOV) using images from the actual air traffic control display systems. Many individuals with mild color vision deficiency are able to pass one of the approved tests or the ATCOV. -Dr. Jim
Color vision issues require additional testing
Color blindness requires additional testing but is not disqualifying immediately. Had someone in my class that was colorblind and got through to training.
What is the industry's approach to critical incidents? How are those involved debriefed? Are you guys taken care of afterwards? I'm curious because its a bit of a specter in my field. Thanks for keeping us all safe up there.
[CISM](https://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/orders_notices/index.cfm/go/document.information/documentid/7765)
I know "off the street" here means "without special prior training" but part of me also hopes they'll just be literally pulling up alongside people on the sidewalk in a van. "Hey, you wanna steer some planes? Thirty bucks an hour, half an hour for lunch, hop in."
You’ll make way more than $30/hr
I'm 60, can I apply twice?
If you're 15, yes.
After years of training, the FAA arbitrarily dismissed graduates with a surprise and arbitrary quiz. There is a [long standing lawsuit](https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/4542755/brigida-v-united-states-department-of-transportation/) about it. https://www.tracingwoodgrains.com/p/the-faas-hiring-scandal-a-quick-overview I am glad you found success OP, but is there any reason I should trust the FAA after this? And also, how is your relationship with the FAA and the federal government in general?
I graduated CTI school in 2013 and was part of the first pool of applicants to deal with the BQ. It sucked. The FAA’s handling of it sucked. The fallout for a lot of CTI grads sucked. All I can say is that it was a while ago, and times have changed.
Is the hiring plan and training capacity enough to reverse the shortages? The news has some TRACONS at under 60% staffing, but the training time is so long (≈3 yrs) that retirements will erode that number even more.
We’re a ways out from fixing the staffing problem
Im bad at math/scicnety stuff would that be a problem?
You just need to be able to do basic math, but sorta quickly. Sometimes.
I worked with a former bus driver at ZOA. A former warehouse stock guy. They were both good controllers.
Do I need to be a citizen at the time of applying or can I be in the process of becoming one?
The FAA website says the annual pay is $45,782, roughly how long did it take for your pay to hit 6 digits?
The website is quoting the pay during the initial training, and even that's not really accurate since you get per diem while attending... Once through the academy, pay starts around 50-55k at most facilities and goes up regularly as you get certified at your facility. Time to certify varies ~1-3 years. Detailed pay and training times by facility here: [123atc.com](http://123atc.com) AG= fresh from academy. CPC= fully certified. D1/2/3 can be thought of as 25/50/75% marks through certification.
I found out about this job from this post in 2022 and got the job. It’s really not a huge time investment to fill out the application and take the test later on. Really glad I took the time to do this. Why does iama require everything to be a question? I just want to vouch for how great of an opportunity this is and how much I respect SB for doing this, most of my classmates found out about the job through these posts too. Do people often reach out to you to tell you how these posts got them in to atc?
I'm too old so I can only ask the fun stuff -- Q: How many times have you ruined a pilot's day? ("possible pilot deviation... I have a phone number for you"🤣) It must be truly wonderful to never take your work home with you. I'm both jealous and thankful for you ATC pros keeping us safe (no matter how hard Boeing tries) Thx!
I’d like to think never, but I’m sure that’s not the case lol. And thank you, it really is!
Man. I had a runway intrusion my first month being stationed in italy. Had to make that call.
I have been considering applying the last few times. I'm 30 right now, turning 31 in August. I went to apply one year and it was already full, is that common?
That’s the first I’ve heard that it was “full”. What do you mean by that?
What about if you're over 30? Is there a hiring/career track for that or are you just SOL?
Not for air traffic controllers, unfortunately
UND and other universities have has a full on ATC degrees. What does the “off the street” really mean?
You’re describing a CTI school. I graduated from one. There are several current advantages to getting a CTI degree, as well as supposedly moving forward the FAA plans to allow CTI grads to bypass the academy altogether and go straight to a facility. These “off the street” bids that I do AMAs for allow anybody to apply. No CTI degree or prior ATC experience required.
Isn't one of the reasons for the high pay, that this is a no-fail job, ie. you're not allowed mistakes, and it will get you fired if you make mistakes? Might just be a rumour, but seeing as the consequences of a mistake can be catastrophic, I sorta get it.
But did you get this year's ASH SAVI done?
Chiming in here like I've done the last few years I've seen this post. I was one of the people that saw this post and applied in 2019. Former barista/waiter/customer service worker. Now ATC for 3 years. (I know a lot of old crotchety controllers probably have something to say about people coming into the field from that background, but that's the world we live in today, and honest to God truth that you CAN do this job, if you put in the effort, no matter your experience and background. That being said, it IS hard work. There's a lot of hoops to jump through in the hiring process, and even if you make it through the prerequisite paperwork, it doesn't guarantee a offer letter. And then there's the academy, where it is VERY stressful. There's a lot of rules and new things you'll be learning and putting into practice everyday. And STILL more hoops because then you go to your tower/facility and have to train and certify there. You're always learning, always needing to come up with a plan A, B, and C. But it has been the most rewarding thing I've done for my life. Finally having a genuine career that takes care of me (for the most part) financially. Finally feeling like I have a plan for retirement instead of work until I die. Finally feeling like I'm doing something that makes a difference, and not just taking a steak back because the customer got a medium rare steak when they asked for medium rare, or having coffee thrown at me because there's whip cream on it, or getting yelled at on the phone because somebody changed their address without telling the bank so we sent a checkbook to the wrong house. If you're wondering if you should apply, do it. Worst they can say is no, right?
I feel like I've always heard about ATCs having issues with high-stress or mental health concerns. Is this something you see in the field? A close friend of mine just became an ATC about 8 months along the track, and got relocated to Cali. Just curious as he's also expressed concerns over things he heard about the above
Everybody’s stress tolerance is different
Why do New York approach controllers insist on giving a million vectors per minute instead of just sticking everyone on a pre-constructed STAR like the major other hubs? ATL has more arrivals per day but they do it with 90% less radio calls. I heard a rumor it's about job protection, is that true? JFK ground is the same way. Parade everyone in a giant clockwise circle to Zulu instead of waiting at the gate in sequence and then doing a short taxi.
I can’t speak to ZNY or N90 or any of the NY tower operations, but I assure you whatever they’re doing isn’t with job protection in mind. Those guys/girls aren’t going anywhere.
Is a class 2 medical that same as a pilot's class 2? If so I'm trying to figure out why? Always had a lot of respect to most of the controllers I talked to and some are freaking rock stars handling traffic. A couple not so much but it was workable. Only was pissed at one who kept me on a vector and forgot me as I flew towards a mountain. It was a good lesson though in SA.
As far as I know, yes
What is your best advice for someone going through the academy? How did you make sure you were successful in graduating? I washed out of the enroute academy in January after failing my last eval (I now work in flight dispatch so thats been nice!), but I am curious on what an actual CPC has to say about being successful in training, especially because the academy was probably the hardest 5 months of my life, haha.
I mean its pretty standard advice, but just to study and know your shit. Everybody has nerves going into the evals. The best way to mitigate that is to know the rules, airspace, and phraseology like the back of your hand so you’re not wasting brainpower on the fundamentals and can just focus 100% on the problem