STEVEJ

The Federal Aviation Administration is planning to hire 15,000 air-traffic controllers over the next decade to address an increase in air traffic and a rush of retirements.
Dennis Roberts, the FAA Northwest regional administrator, announced the plan Wednesday at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport control tower. The agency held similar news conferences around the country.
Nearly three-quarters of the FAA's 14,600 controllers will reach retirement age in the next 10 years, and congressional leaders have questioned whether the agency has a plan to replace the workers.
Roberts said the FAA has streamlined its training and increased recruitment among military controllers and college students. The agency plans to boost its number of controllers to 16,000 by 2016.
"We have enough controllers in the pipeline," Roberts said. "Our goal is to have the right people in the right places at the right time."


My son-inlaw was just hired for NY Center. He arrived OKC last Monday for 17 weeks of training. The FAA hired and scheduled 17 people for this class, only seven showed up. He said the per diem while training and the low salary for the first five years was the main reason why people are opting out at the last minute. According to people I know who just retired, the FAA is in big trouble. Consider this, how many of the seven will make it through OKC and then how many will make it through OJT? What will will the net result be after four or five rears of training?

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No McCain

JB

The way they are processing students these days are pretty quick, not to mention they are simplifying the process in that instead of an extended interview process they are now doing "mass" interview days in which all that is needed to be done (interview, background, medical etc) are processed at one time. The numbers for the graduation rate are pretty high through OKC compared to what they used to be. The pay is not bad, they re-instated per diem last year it is 80.00 a day + your base pay + locality so that's pretty darn decent for your training. While you might be hurting if you're working at podunk tower, I seriously doubt your son will be hurting financially working at NY Center. Not to mention if you're doing this job for the $$$$ you're in the wrong industry, go work on Wall St. instead.

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N. Eberhard

They did slash pay once the last contract expired over a year ago I think. There are guys doing the same job as the guy next to them for 1/3 to 1/2 less pay with the exact same credentials, just with different entry dates.

Knowing what I know now about the ATC part of the FAA (16 yrs there) I would stear very clear of the whole outfit. If the bureaucracy doesnt bug the hell out of you then the 'long timer' controllers (1980's era) thinking they are God's gift to the world will definitely get under your skin. There a some great people associated with ATC, but the job stresses and power does affect a lot of the controllers in a negative way and it showed in every facility I worked at, two of which were ARTCC.

NY Center is definitely one of the worst places to get controllers to go to, so I am not surprised at all that the FAA would funnel new recruits there. I am sure that Atlanta, Chicago and Oakland will get their fare share of fresh meat as well.

STEVEJ

Well he certainly didn't do it for the money, he took a 25K cut to go over to the FAA and the benefits aren't anywhere near what he had. His salary will be approx 40K at NYARTCC for the first five years. He likes ATC and thats what he wants to do. I was fired in 81 and I didn't discourage or encourage him either way, I still know a few guys working the center or recently retired that I have hooked him up with, so he has a pretty good idea of whats ahead.

When I worked there I was amazed at how many controllers just didn't give a sh*t about aviation, they couldn't tell the difference between an ashtray and a DC-9. They were there for the money, not exactly on the A team, they were the ones who remained after the 81 strike and trained the new hires.

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No McCain

JB

To say his salary is going be 40k for the next five years is crap. Even at a facility like NY Center it isn't going to take 5 years to make someone a CPC with a half brain. Bottom of D1 is 42k, bottom of D2 is 53k, bottom of D3 is 64k all before he becomes a CPC which is all under that 3 year spectrum. Not to mention what is locality in NYC something along the lines of 20%? So that bumps it up to what over 90k in 3 years when he is a CPC.

To say the benefits working for the Federal Government isn't great is a laugh. It's better then the vast majority of private employers out there and where else can you put in your 20-25 years now and go out and still have a second career once you're done.

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I'm a little tired, a little wired and I think I deserve a little appreciation!

STEVEJ

Flat out wrong, we have had people leave here just about three years ago to the center and they are maybe a lttle more than 1/2 way through radar training, I know, a good friend of mine was training them, he said they have at least 2 more years.. NY Center stopped all training last summer do to a lack of manpower, most likely will be the same this summer.

I would love to see him making 90K after 3 yrs, I hope your right. His previous benefits were 100% company paid pension, 100% paid medical, I dodn't beleive the FAA is has the same benefits. Yes you have to retire at age 55 so long as you can pass the physical until that age.

I have no love for the the FAA, they offered me my job back several years ago and I said no. To me, the job was a pleasure, it was the personalities and the bad management that made going to work every day a chore, I doubt it has changed very much since 81.

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JB

You're still wrong in saying he'll be stuck at 40k for 5 years because I doubt it will take 5 years to be a D1, D2 or D3. Heck you could be a D1 and **** around and still be making over 50k at NY Center.

I know at LA Center it was you were CPC in about 2-2.5 years, SEA Center was around 2 years on average shorter if you're motivated to get through it.

You're actually wrong on retirement, you're elidgible to retire after 25 years of service, so if you're in the door when you're 22 you will be able to retire at 47 if a person so chose to.

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I'm a little tired, a little wired and I think I deserve a little appreciation!

STEVEJ

25 yrs or age 56, whichever comes first? right? I don't believe motivation can help you in NY, the training is always backed up and the trainees have to wait for training.

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JB

Yup, though they want to extend the age 56... I'll give you that much about NY Center, I wouldn't want to go there if they paid 200k. Best of luck to your son.

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I'm a little tired, a little wired and I think I deserve a little appreciation!