Was reading a thread from someone on reddit who tried applying to the OTS ATO bid and got emailed saying they're currently an FAA controller. A reply to them said (sic) I took some time off moving back home before applying to the prior experience bid after 12 months. So I'm just getting that 'wait a year' from someone else's comment you'd know better than I! Probably don't have to wait any time thats just one persons choice
You need to be separated for a year in order to apply to a prior experience bid, otherwise people wouldn't follow the proper channels to go to another facility, ie. NCEPT or hardship. However, the fine print on the prior experience bids specify 52 weeks at a tower or radar facility. So separating from FSS for a year, in order to get into a tower/center, via a prior experience bid, isn't advisable. That trick has been tried.
Supposedly natca IS working on incorporating FSS into the NCEPT program though, which will allow us to xfer to other facility types. Not sure if that will actually happen though
Any word on hiring for this? If you take your ATSA for the controller job but don't do well, are you allowed to retake it for when the hiring process for this starts?
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