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Navy AC looking to switch to the civilian side of ATC. Potomac TRACON is the closest level-12 to my family so I'm hoping I get to go there. And I like the nearby D.C. area.
 
They really don't do it in Raleigh? I live in Cary and am planning on applying at that next bid. That's a bummer.


Nope, I called the tower and the guy who used to proctor the test retired and they never trained a new guy, had to drive the 3.5 hours to CLT.
 
What made you decide ATC over flying? Considering both now. Curious of pros and cons from someone who has done both.

Where are you at in your flying career? Do you have all your ratings? I bounced back and forth for a while on it but my deciding decision was this. To make it through all the atc process and get a chance at going to OKC is pretty hard in itself when you look at the numbers. I could stop flying for 4 months, give atc a shot, if I didn’t pass the academy then I’d pick up where I left off flying. If I make it through the academy and want to keep doing atc I can. Moral of the story, your certs never expire for flying, just currency does. So why not give atc a shot, that opportunity does expire and doesn’t come around often.
 
Where are you at in your flying career? Do you have all your ratings? I bounced back and forth for a while on it but my deciding decision was this. To make it through all the atc process and get a chance at going to OKC is pretty hard in itself when you look at the numbers. I could stop flying for 4 months, give atc a shot, if I didn’t pass the academy then I’d pick up where I left off flying. If I make it through the academy and want to keep doing atc I can. Moral of the story, your certs never expire for flying, just currency does. So why not give atc a shot, that opportunity does expire and doesn’t come around often.
I haven't started looking at college route after military, but also received ots tol was at a dilemma but your point does make great sense.
 
I haven't started looking at college route after military, but also received ots tol was at a dilemma but your point does make great sense.

I would give atc a shot, and if you don’t like it, you got your original plan to fall back on. It’s definitely worth a shot, then you won’t be wondering what atc was like and if you should’ve tried it down the road. I still shake my head sometimes and wonder why I left my flying job, I took a leap of faith and it’s worked out. I really do enjoy the career, especially once you’re fully certified. I do not regret the decision.
 
Before school I was a Production Tech(carbon fiber lay-up) at an aerospace company, Did TSA in college, then RPO(enroute) at academy and RPO /Lab Manager at ZLC. Watch...they'll put me in tower.
 
I have my MBA and work in public accounting as an auditor for a small firm. People keep saying ATC is stressful, but so is the busy season in public accounting so I feel like I can probably handle it. Pays better and the pay accelerates faster than what I'm doing now.
 
I have my MBA and work in public accounting as an auditor for a small firm. People keep saying ATC is stressful, but so is the busy season in public accounting so I feel like I can probably handle it. Pays better and the pay accelerates faster than what I'm doing now.

Most jobs have their own type of stress and I'm not going to to say that accounting doesn't have a stressful time, but it's a completely different type of stress. When you're short staffed and too many sectors are combined because your supervisor won't call in more OT and you have real aircraft full of real people all over your scope because of weather deviations and you're treading water keeping them apart, watching more aircraft flashing towards your airspace and other controllers are calling you on the landline, I can promise you it's a lot different than having deadlines to meet.
 
Most jobs have their own type of stress and I'm not going to to say that accounting doesn't have a stressful time, but it's a completely different type of stress. When you're short staffed and too many sectors are combined because your supervisor won't call in more OT and you have real aircraft full of real people all over your scope because of weather deviations and you're treading water keeping them apart, watching more aircraft flashing towards your airspace and other controllers are calling you on the landline, I can promise you it's a lot different than having deadlines to meet.

This is what I want to say to all of my coworkers. I am a USPS letter carrier. Some of them know about me going through the FAA hiring process, and claim that if I can handle stress at the PO, I should be able to handle the stress of being a controller. Mind you, some of these people who think delivering mail is stressful also happen to be combat veterans. Add to the list of things I’ll never understand.
 
This is what I want to say to all of my coworkers. I am a USPS letter carrier. Some of them know about me going through the FAA hiring process, and claim that if I can handle stress at the PO, I should be able to handle the stress of being a controller. Mind you, some of these people who think delivering mail is stressful also happen to be combat veterans. Add to the list of things I’ll never understand.

Stress isn't a linear spectrum.
 
Nope, I called the tower and the guy who used to proctor the test retired and they never trained a new guy, had to drive the 3.5 hours to CLT.
In the process of scheduling my MMPI-2 appointment and I remembered about this post. Still no proctor in Raleigh. Guess I'm driving to Charlotte
 
Buffet bar runner
Cashier
Burger king
Telemarketer
Timeshare sales
Telemarketer
subway sandwich artist
Built boat docks
Buffet bar runner again
Cashier
Bouncer
Deli manager at Walmart
CSR
NAVY AC
Promoter
Event MC
strip club DJx2
Bartender
Contract tower
DOD
Contract tower x2
DoD
And finally FAA
 
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