Academy Post-COVID

Peoria, I remember that place was featured in one of the NATCA update e-mails a year or so ago and one of the lines was like "the PIA controllers spoke with Trish Gilbert about the importance of having equipment updated and a new tower being built" (places like this are 99% more likely to be consolidated or contracted out before they ever get a new tower built).

If top Obama henchman 'Peoria' Ray LaHood couldn't get them a new tower, no one can. This is a low class place. My PIA girls friends have all not aged well to boot. I just checked the one's business website and instead of a "Contact Us" tab, it says "Holla". Pshhhhh. Unprofessional!

1200px-Ray_LaHood_official_DOT_portrait.jpg
 
What's the time gap between getting your facility list at academy and actually having to pick if you pass the academy?

Would like to know if we have time to ask people their thoughts on centers/airports and such
 
What's the time gap between getting your facility list at academy and actually having to pick if you pass the academy?

Would like to know if we have time to ask people their thoughts on centers/airports and such
You usually get it the week of evals.
 
What's the time gap between getting your facility list at academy and actually having to pick if you pass the academy?

Would like to know if we have time to ask people their thoughts on centers/airports and such

Usually a week
 
What's the time gap between getting your facility list at academy and actually having to pick if you pass the academy?

Would like to know if we have time to ask people their thoughts on centers/airports and such
It’s a little different now but for me it was you get your list in a briefing before you start your PAs and you have to pick the day after you finish. For me it was kinda nice since we finished on a Friday so we had all weekend to hash it out.
 
My wife visited me when she was in the academy in CA for Christmas and it went fine. I agree use extreme caution and try and leave a day extra on the coming back to OKC side, but I wouldn't say its like an impossible cardinal sin.
Can confirm his wife was better at beer pong than him
 
In regards to caring/not caring about academics, I’ll just leave this information here with you.

This is for en route;

Total academic/“easy” stuff is worth 34/100 points. Final three runs for finals are 22 each totaling 66.

My lead instructor told us not to give away free points and “you can’t pass in academics, but you fail because of academics.”

Also, if I didn’t put as much effort into either side it would have been the difference between grabbing top spot and going home or moving somewhere else all together. FWIW, 14/18 passed from my class.
100% this. The 2 people at the top of our class after non-radar finished in the bottom 4. Someone else in our class said he was going to finish #1 overall, and constantly compared his academics with everyone else, but finished in the bottom half also. They could study their asses off for a multiple choice or map test, but struggled under pressure during radar runs, so they tumbled. If they slipped up or didn’t take academics as seriously, they’d be sitting on their asses at home while the rest of us are traini— oh wait...

Also, FWIW, if someone fails, causing your desired facility to drop off the bottom of the list, don’t be the asshole that cries and tells them it’s your fault you can’t go to your dream facility. denver0739 got lucky that his Z was an option, but definitely put in the work to make sure he beat everyone else out for the top spot.

What's the time gap between getting your facility list at academy and actually having to pick if you pass the academy?

Would like to know if we have time to ask people their thoughts on centers/airports and such
On day one of basics, I started asking where people wanted to go, just to size up the “competition.” It was pretty amazing to see the disappointment in people’s faces when nothing on our list was where anyone wanted to go.
 
On day one of basics, I started asking where people wanted to go, just to size up the “competition.” It was pretty amazing to see the disappointment in people’s faces when nothing on our list was where anyone wanted to go.
I have 3 facilities overall that I'd like to go to (and 8 I'm trying to avoid, the other 12 I'm ambivalent on), and I hate to sound like a dick but my heart soared when I saw none of the facilities I wanted to go to on the recent Enroute Eval List. Just means more slots get filled up at places I don't want to go (I know this doesn't guarantee a good facility list for my class in any way)
 
I have 3 facilities overall that I'd like to go to (and 8 I'm trying to avoid, the other 12 I'm ambivalent on), and I hate to sound like a dick but my heart soared when I saw none of the facilities I wanted to go to on the recent Enroute Eval List. Just means more slots get filled up at places I don't want to go (I know this doesn't guarantee a good facility list for my class in any way)
Sure doesn’t. Lots of repeats go into every list, and they show up on every list. Plus, you’ve gotta hope nobody else wants your preference, and that you score well enough to get there. Your preferences may change based on lots of factors while you’re there, too. You might work with an instructor that you really respect and get along with, and they could convince you that the facility they worked their entire career at is the one you’d be best suited for. You just never know. Then again, living in OKC for 4 months in the dead of summer will make you wish you were anywhere but there.
 
Sure doesn’t. Lots of repeats go into every list, and they show up on every list. Plus, you’ve gotta hope nobody else wants your preference, and that you score well enough to get there. Your preferences may change based on lots of factors while you’re there, too. You might work with an instructor that you really respect and get along with, and they could convince you that the facility they worked their entire career at is the one you’d be best suited for. You just never know. Then again, living in OKC for 4 months in the dead of summer will make you wish you were anywhere but there.
Yep. Just have to work as hard as I can, score as high as I can and pray the facility list is halfway decent.\

Still not going OCONUS though.
 
100% this. The 2 people at the top of our class after non-radar finished in the bottom 4. Someone else in our class said he was going to finish #1 overall, and constantly compared his academics with everyone else, but finished in the bottom half also. They could study their asses off for a multiple choice or map test, but struggled under pressure during radar runs, so they tumbled. If they slipped up or didn’t take academics as seriously, they’d be sitting on their asses at home while the rest of us are traini— oh wait...

Also, FWIW, if someone fails, causing your desired facility to drop off the bottom of the list, don’t be the asshole that cries and tells them it’s your fault you can’t go to your dream facility. denver0739 got lucky that his Z was an option, but definitely put in the work to make sure he beat everyone else out for the top spot.
I finished top of my class so I chose what I “wanted”. But the whole time we were across the street, you could consider I was tutoring the others in my class because there were two places I would have preferred to be that were at the bottom of the list. If one more would have passed, I’d be in a different part of the country. If we had two more pass, I’d be at a facility that I would prolly retire in. Help those that are struggling in your class just for your own personal benefits. As long as you know your stuff.
 
I finished top of my class so I chose what I “wanted”. But the whole time we were across the street, you could consider I was tutoring the others in my class because there were two places I would have preferred to be that were at the bottom of the list. If one more would have passed, I’d be in a different part of the country. If we had two more pass, I’d be at a facility that I would prolly retire in. Help those that are struggling in your class just for your own personal benefits. As long as you know your stuff.

It’s like ATC survivor! Gotta have a strategy!

Assisting Others to give you a better choice is a selfish yet on the outside a noble move. But to win, would you also be willing to sabotage someone to knock them down ensuring you got the top spot? If so, I definitely would have routed for you.

Like psyching them out before an eval, or feeding them bad info, or telling the instructor right before they ran how ‘so and so’ said you were a weak controller, that’s why you are here. Those are the moves of a champion!
 
Last edited:
It’s like ATC survivor! Gotta have a strategy!

Assisting Others to give you a better choice is a selfish yet on the outside noble move. But to win, would you also be willing to sabotage someone to knock them down ensuring you got the top spot? If so, I definitely would have routed for you.

Like psyching then our before an eval, or feeding them bad info, or telling the instructor right before they ran how ‘so and so’ said you were a weak controller, that’s why you are here. Those are the moves of a champion!
Haha. Nah. My competitive nature would rather just beat people fair and square and that is totally within grasp of anyone who wants it. If you know your stuff solid, then the nerves won’t be as bad cuz you won’t second guess yourself. You might have stupid, elementary questions, but ask the instructors on every break just to clarify stuff. Academy is easy.....
 
It seems once evals hit, everyone forgets about ranking and just cares about passing... figure out the rest later.

I can relate to this. I went into evals in the top three of my class expecting to kill it. Nope. Got a 44 on my first run and had to stew on it all weekend. After that garbage I was only concerned about passing.
 
Back
Top Bottom