From what the controllers i know have told me they wait for a bid to open and apply then they usually will take the most qualified. However it does show some of the Towers having academy grads so check the terminal placement list and see if any high traffic towers are available.
Disregard the above response. Bids are no longer the primary driver for movement in the agency. High level towers are not offered to terminal grads, only 7 or below with an occasional understaffed 8.
You will go through training again at each facility you transfer to. Keeping the same specialization lessens the training time at your new facility (terminal to terminal, enroute to enroute), but you do have the ability to change if you can get selected to a new facility via the NCEPT (transfer) process. You need to certify at each new facility. Also, you're eligible to retire at 50 and mandatory retirement when you turn 56, depending on your age you might never hit 30 years.
In the FAA, pay scales range from 4-12. Being a 12 in a highly desirable area like Denver will always draw a massive amount of people. Combine that with a relatively easy operation and high check out rate means that the majority of people who are lucky enough to get there have little desire to ever leave. You can view the Priority Placement Tool under the Resource tab to see the total numbers of controllers employed at a high level tower vs a center to understand that scarcity is also an issue with the high level desirable towers.
Thank you Lord... Pet peeve of mine is people who call DEN, DIA.
No, nobody knows. 2-3 weeks, maybe longer.
We’re old lol jk.. it kind of bugs me too now that I’m used to DEN but the original guy called it DIA so I just went with it haha!
No. If you just got a TOL don't try to memorize anything at all. You are wasting your time. If you already care enough to try and memorize pointless shit a year from being at the academy I'm sure you will do fine once there.
