A80/LAX special panel

How in the hell did we not take any of the 4 JAX controllers, not all 3 of the MIA controllers, the other D21 controller, and the other T75 controller?!?
Interesting, with a 6 month wait in between each release, maybe they're banking on selected them next round?
 
I volunteer to backfill that DEN slot! Sounds like one of the few rounds where NCEPT actually did shake things up with selection.

I’m the DEN controller. Lol. Yes, everyone and their brother is going to think I’m crazy for leaving the garden spot FAA facility for A80, but I’m excited.
 
We had 3 from dab thinking atleast 1 will get picked up. Will A80 be selecting every 2 months or 3 like the rest?
 
We had 3 from dab thinking atleast 1 will get picked up. Will A80 be selecting every 2 months or 3 like the rest?
Now that's shocking. I would've expected at least 1 of those to be selected. I believe the plan is to follow all of the NCEPT panels from here on out. They are attempting to get the NCEPT panels moved to every 2 months starting next year.
 
I’m the DEN controller. Lol. Yes, everyone and their brother is going to think I’m crazy for leaving the garden spot FAA facility for A80, but I’m excited.

You should swap with me first, and then bid it! Trust me, what could go wrong? And you do what works for you lol, more power to ya!
 
Interesting, with a 6 month wait in between each release, maybe they're banking on selected them next round?
Then why select: RSW, ABE, DLH, LIT, LIT, MOB, CMH, and CMH and not use those spots for my previously mentioned persons?!? We didn't have a problem taking multiple ZHUs, CMHs, and LITs. I'd rather wait on: five 9s, two 12s, and one 11 over bringing in the above eight. Wasted spaces when we had more qualified candidates who are statistically more likely to certify here.
 
Then why select: RSW, ABE, DLH, LIT, LIT, MOB, CMH, and CMH and not use those spots for my previously mentioned persons?!? We didn't have a problem taking multiple ZHUs, CMHs, and LITs. I'd rather wait on: five 9s, two 12s, and one 11 over bringing in the above eight. Wasted spaces when we had more qualified candidates who are statistically more likely to certify here.

What's wrong with CMH? They were a 9 up until this spring.
 
Why select CMH controllers when you have multiple MIAs and D21s to select?
No idea. But one of the CMH people was at Detroit, either tower or tracon not sure, for many years before being at CMH.
There's probably reasonable assurance someone from a level 9 can certify without too many issues, so if phone calls were made and the mid level selections got higher reviews than the remaining MIA or D21 people, I'd go with the mid level too.
ABE and DLH are the weird ones for me.
 
Does experience trump ability in your opinion?
Every individual is different, but there is no way to look at someone and know they are going to certify or not. If we did, only people who could and would certify would be brought in. So, the agency and union, use historical, statistical data to determine someone's probability of being successful. The higher level facility you come from, the more likely you are to be successful given you have radar experience when trying to certify at a high level tracon. I'd rather wait six months for a level 11/12 tracon controller, 65+% likely to certify here (9s and higher) than take someone from a level 8 or lower now and hope they are one of the 24% who make it here from 8s and lower.

Two classes of 4 per each category (8 total):
lvl 8 and lower- 1.92 people will certify
lvl 9 and higher- 5.2 people will certify

If you've been working years of six day work weeks, who would you rather be brought in?!?
 
Last edited:
No idea. But one of the CMH people was at Detroit, either tower or tracon not sure, for many years before being at CMH.
There's probably reasonable assurance someone from a level 9 can certify without too many issues, so if phone calls were made and the mid level selections got higher reviews than the remaining MIA or D21 people, I'd go with the mid level too.
ABE and DLH are the weird ones for me.
Must've been certified at Detroit TRACON or I'd hope they would research their past. The DEN controller was certified at D01 for a number of years so maybe they factored in the past, but who knows.

I also didn't realize CMH was a level 9 until recently. As level 9 experienced controllers (hopefully they worked there then, 65+% success rate) and not like the two CVG controllers we got and washed (level 11 down to 9), they can actually work busier traffic. Otherwise, they are part of that 24% success rate category as level 8 and lower transfers.
 
Does experience trump ability in your opinion?

This just doesn’t make sense. Their experience proves their ability to work the busier traffic. And as mentioned are more likely to successfully complete the training program.

You could be gods gift to your level seven facility and still not have the ability to work A80. Apples and oranges. Now if they didn’t have a staffing crisis I would say, sure take the gamble on a few of the low level rockstars, but as it stands they need bodies certified.

We have one trainee right now that can’t cut it but keeps getting more hours etc. It is very frustrating. I can only imagine that feeling when 75% of the people (8 and below) you spend a lot of time mentoring won’t make it.
 
This just doesn’t make sense. Their experience proves their ability to work the busier traffic. And as mentioned are more likely to successfully complete the training program.

You could be gods gift to your level seven facility and still not have the ability to work A80. Apples and oranges. Now if they didn’t have a staffing crisis I would say, sure take the gamble on a few of the low level rockstars, but as it stands they need bodies certified.

We have one trainee right now that can’t cut it but keeps getting more hours etc. It is very frustrating. I can only imagine that feeling when 75% of the people (8 and below) you spend a lot of time mentoring won’t make it.

I just hate this mentality. It just adds fuel to the fire that all we are are numbers/statistics. 95% of us had no choice where we started. And now we get penalized for it because we are statistically less likely to succeed.
 
I agree with both sides here. I started from CTI right into Denver Tracon and I made it. I could’ve instead been stuck at a level 6 and been trying for A80, and I think I would’ve made it at A80 had that happened (since I made it at D01 back in the day). So I can see @corn4ahead’s point.

However, I also see @Robertb’s point. All those A80 guys are frustrated at training and then losing so many people. So why wouldn’t they want people from higher levels that are more likely to certify?
 
Just looking at it from the facility level is really stupid too. If it were me I'd keep track of success rates from individual facilities. If facility x has sent A80 7 controllers over the last 5 years and they all certified, I'll take all I can get from there. I don't care if they're a level 5 or a level 12. If a level 10 center has had 18/20 wash, guess what? Don't give me anyone from that center ever again.

I wish people would get rid of this idea that facility level is the end-all and be-all of what determines difficulty and therefore ability.
 
Back
Top Bottom