Future Staffing Problems

[Golf delta]

So recently I've been thinking about how the FAA is barely keeping up with staffing at it's current rate. The crazy part to me is that we're really not having many retirements happening at the moment. Maybe being terminal my numbers are skewed, but the last 2 facilities I've been at have a large portion of it's workforce in the 07-09 hiring wave. Over half of the controllers in my large tracon are in that wave, and from asking around most of them they are looking to retire once eligible. What's going to happen in about 10 years when they start flushing out? Will the FAA preplan and get staffing under control before that time? Just curious how bad things are going to get.

 

[32andBelow]

So recently I've been thinking about how the FAA is barely keeping up with staffing at its current rate. The crazy part to me is that we're really not having many retirements happening at the moment. Maybe being terminal my numbers are skewed, but the last 2 facilities I've been at have a large portion of its workforce in the 07-09 hiring wave. Over half of the controllers in my large tracon are in that wave, and from asking around most of them they are looking to retire once eligible. What's going to happen in about 10 years when they start flushing out? Will the FAA preplan and get staffing under control before that time? Just curious how bad things are going to get.

It’s a cycle that repeats itself since Reagan fired all the controllers. It’s already happened once. But over time it starts to spread out and the fact is controllers can work more planes than they used to. Especially in en route/oceanic environments.

The academy used to have way more classes, they used to have organized on boarding events where you got your physical and everything else because they were hiring so many people.

 

[Golf delta]

It’s a cycle that repeats itself since Reagan fired all the controllers. It’s already happened once. But over time it starts to spread out and the fact is controllers can work more planes than they used to. Especially in en route/oceanic environments.

The academy used to have way more classes, they used to have organized on boarding events where you got your physical and everything else because they were hiring so many people.

Yeah I’m just curious if they’ll ramp up the class rate in the next 5 years to prepare. Most of the problems people have with the agency right now is due to staffing (NCEPT, leave, 6 day work weeks, etc.). If they just hired more damn people the job would be so much better.

 

[32andBelow]

Yeah I’m just curious if they’ll ramp up the class rate in the next 5 years to prepare. Most of the problems people have with the agency right now is due to staffing (NCEPT, leave, 6 day work weeks, etc.). If they just hired more damn people the job would be so much better.

Everything is messed up. I think they’d ramp classes up if they had to. Ive heard rumors of them ramping up next year that’s why there’s been so many bids to go work at the academy.

There’s also facilities that are currently approx 80% staffed and if they ever got to 100% then controllers would work like 90 minutes a day. So the whole system needs to be looked at.

 

[ATC Zero]

So recently I've been thinking about how the FAA is barely keeping up with staffing at it's current rate. The crazy part to me is that we're really not having many retirements happening at the moment. Maybe being terminal my numbers are skewed, but the last 2 facilities I've been at have a large portion of it's workforce in the 07-09 hiring wave. Over half of the controllers in my large tracon are in that wave, and from asking around most of them they are looking to retire once eligible. What's going to happen in about 10 years when they start flushing out? Will the FAA preplan and get staffing under control before that time? Just curious how bad things are going to get.

They used to overstaff back in 08 when I got in people were tripping over each other. All to account for the eligible people that were holding out to 56 to reach that MRA. Now that the new wave can’t make it to the MRA in their current roles coming into work after eligibility does not make a whole lot of sense. If you compare take home pays working vs retirement most can get close to that before touching a little TSP money. So why would anyone continue to give 40+ hours a week for a couple hundred dollars when they can collect the pension, bridge and 2-3% TSP and then on top of it go work a little part time job that give you flexibility???

 

[CaptainObvious]

Yeah I’m just curious if they’ll ramp up the class rate in the next 5 years to prepare. Most of the problems people have with the agency right now is due to staffing (NCEPT, leave, 6 day work weeks, etc.). If they just hired more damn people the job would be so much better.

Well as one of our OMs bragged, it’s cheaper to pay 6 CPCs to work 6 days a week than to hire one more person for the area

 

[FightingIrish2012]

Well, you all got your no more mean tweets, so fuck you.

 

[32andBelow]

Well as one of our OMs bragged, it’s cheaper to pay 6 CPCs to work 6 days a week than to hire one more person for the area

It’s not even like that tho. They have funding to hire. They just are incompetent at it lmao

Well, you all got your no more mean tweets, so fuck you.

Lol what?!

 

[Cmsgthokage]

“Future”?????????

 

[Phillytroll69]

Everything is messed up. I think they’d ramp classes up if they had to. Ive heard rumors of them ramping up next year that’s why there’s been so many bids to go work at the academy.

There’s also facilities that are currently approx 80% staffed and if they ever got to 100% then controllers would work like 90 minutes a day. So the whole system needs to be looked at.

Well the truth is those days we work 1.5 equal out the days we work 6.5 in swap. The other side of the coin is also the days we don't have staffing to split sectors and it's kinda dangerous.

The problem is they seek uniformity-but it just can't.

In terms of hiring holy moly now is the time.

We have staffing due to some recent certs and we have like no trainees in the pipeline to continue going.

Whatever though as long as I get my hour at the end

 

[Papacharlie327]

Well as one of our OMs bragged, it’s cheaper to pay 6 CPCs to work 6 days a week than to hire one more person for the area

You should punch that person in the face. At least pop their tires. If you can’t muster up the courage just think of how expensive your divorce will be bc of this dipshits logic. That’s should give you incentive.

 

[FlightOfTheShortGuy]

So recently I've been thinking about how the FAA is barely keeping up with staffing at it's current rate. The crazy part to me is that we're really not having many retirements happening at the moment. Maybe being terminal my numbers are skewed, but the last 2 facilities I've been at have a large portion of it's workforce in the 07-09 hiring wave. Over half of the controllers in my large tracon are in that wave, and from asking around most of them they are looking to retire once eligible. What's going to happen in about 10 years when they start flushing out? Will the FAA preplan and get staffing under control before that time? Just curious how bad things are going to get.

The staffing will get worse I predict. They aren’t hiring and getting people through the academy fast enough. And the next gen (im part of them) of controllers aren’t workaholics like the previous gen so in general they will want to work less overtime than the older gen. Hopefully more people wake up to the FAA’s antics of it being cheaper to pay OT rather than to have more staffing. Staffing and forced OT will be huge problems in the near future.

 

[3rdgen]

You should punch that person in the face. At least pop their tires. If you can’t muster up the courage just think of how expensive your divorce will be bc of this dipshits logic. That’s should give you incentive.

I mean, the person is just saying a fact

 

[Papacharlie327]

I mean, the person is just saying a fact

That’s fine , but What that om is doing is creating a sweat shop for controllers. We need to fight against mandatory 6 day work weeks. The faa shouldn’t be relying on us to leave our families bc they think it’s cheaper to work us to death than run a legitimate agency. Overtime should be AS NEEDED. Not bc the faa wants to purposefully understafff facilities. Controllers across the nation are exhausted. And this is how they think. Fight against this bullshit. Always.

 

[32andBelow]

That’s fine , but What that om is doing is creating a sweat shop for controllers. We need to fight against mandatory 6 day work weeks. The faa shouldn’t be relying on us to leave our families bc they think it’s cheaper to work us to death than run a legitimate agency. Overtime should be AS NEEDED. Not bc the faa wants to purposefully understafff facilities. Controllers across the nation are exhausted. And this is how they think. Fight against this bullshit. Always.

The OM has zero control over staffing

 

[shoak]

Everything is messed up. I think they’d ramp classes up if they had to. Ive heard rumors of them ramping up next year that’s why there’s been so many bids to go work at the academy.

There’s also facilities that are currently approx 80% staffed and if they ever got to 100% then controllers would work like 90 minutes a day. So the whole system needs to be looked at.

They barely have enough instructors at OKC. I hear that some of them are still pulling doubles.

 

[doodii]

This is spicy.

 

[ATC_av8er]

Will the FAA preplan.....

Imma stop you right there.

 

[I.DO.VEHCTAHS]

Maybe hire people who already know why runways have numbers on them and can read a METAR…just sayin’

 

[N737ER]

Maybe hire people who already know why runways have numbers on them and can read a METAR…just sayin’

We have two CPC-ITs.
First guy has over 15yrs in agency. Airspace is merely a suggestion, SOPs and LOAs are a foreign language. He has no plan, and when two airplanes are pointed at each other he freezes. Everything this guy does is correct, and his trainers are wrong.

Second guy has a dozen years or so, and freezes on a D-side when told explicitly what to coordinate. Radar seems like a foreign world to him (though he has no tower experience).

Not saying most people don’t know how to work, but based on who we’ve received, I’d settle for some current employees who know how to work traffic.

We’re terminally short and the agency just doesnt [appear to] care. At least my place isn’t mandatory 6 day weeks…yet, but OT every week from April to January sure feels like it. Not sure where the help will eventually come from, if it even comes at all.