I think they gave him the choice, he decided to separate. I definitely had other people in my class wash and pick another jobs like the other guy said mainly base ops, c2bmo and finance.
Air National Guard Tech School vs. FAA Academy Difficulty
- Thread starter GoWithTheTrafficFlow
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Im not trying to pick on you or anything but I’m genuinely curious what your drive to be an ATC is based on? You’ll give the government 5 years of your life to get a chance to apply to the faa again as a direct hire? I’m prior military so I didn’t go to mmac but based on what I’ve heard and seen if you can’t cut it there you might want to reassess career goals. We had a guy show up that “passed” mmac but would have failed a paint by number.
FightingIrish2012
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Go DOD brother, HST has an opening. Text me.
TushingPin
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I ain't lying. I love the DOD. Doesn't mean I wouldn't take a remote tech job making 120 a year so I can sit in my sweats at home 9-5 m-f
32andBelow
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Grass is always greener.
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Not to be a downer either, but the guard doesn’t guarantee a way into the FAA. I got shafted and placed in the radar at my guard base. FAA doesn’t count that as prior experience anymore, took me 7 years of wasted military life to get in on an OTS bid.
If you luck out to the tower at a guard base, CTO then straight to the FAA
If you luck out to the tower at a guard base, CTO then straight to the FAA
On the slightly bright side, you got to buy those 7 years back towards retirement right?
ajmezz
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Sure.. I guess.
TushingPin
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You still looking for a way in? Come to CYS. Our current program has the intention of getting every controller (whos willing to work full-time a little) dual certified. And your 2152.
Shhh. You wouldn't know ??
skykid11
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Or he could just go to Advanced ATC, they are opening a second location in Alabama.
TushingPin
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Last time I checked this also doesn't guarantee a Prior Exp bid. Had a girl I worked with who had to get a contract job before the FAA would recognize her CTO.
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As long as they have 52 weeks post certification that is all that matters.
TushingPin
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But some of those advanced ATC towers don't actually give you a CTO that's recognized by the faa.
GoWithTheTrafficFlow
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Well I could enjoy some full time work. I’m not sure how you guys would still hire me or even if that is possible.?
This may answer a few other people on here: I am not looking to go into the FAA under prior experience. My intentions are to go contract or DOD. Preferably the latter whether it is Title 32 or Title 5 if that’s what it is to answer your curiosity. Even if I did join, I would still look for other career opportunities within the military even if I were to get washed back or out. Even if I did make it and know what I can and cannot handle, I would be happy going DOD or ending up at a small slow tower somewhere.
I have been lurking on here for years and have a good handle on what’s going on with ATC both on the FAA and DOD sides of things. The reason why I made a post on this topic is because it was something that was never discussed. You can look everywhere on google and there are multiple discussions on ATC and training, but there is nothing that talks about comparing what initial training at tech school is like to the MMAC. May also help someone who wants to go into this career field weigh their options. I’ll be honest and say I am CTI and unless you go to Beaver, Schenectady, or pay 50 grand to go to Valdosta, chances going FAA are slim and if you do, you still have to go to OKC.
The thought of me joining is still up to debate, but I still wanted to build a resource in this community to maybe help someone in this community who might have the same question and get some answers for what they’re looking for, especially if the experience came from multiple people. If it might not help someone like you or me, it might be able to help someone else.
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This is not an attack but elaborate on this? Once you get a CTO or ATCS Credential you are in the system, then as long as you have 52 weeks post you should be fine. This is the first time I am hearing something like and I maintain semi-regular contact with a few people.
Raz
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The FAA doesn’t consider radar as prior experience? That doesn’t sound quite right. Are you just doing PARs or something?
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Guard time so throughout all the combined orders I can buy back around 2.5-3 years
90% of guard units are arrival and finals only. They rely on deployments to get the RAPCON certs to allow for prior bids.
Took me 3 years to get my first deployment to become eligible for prior bids. A few TDYs to different bases/centers and tower ratings later, Deployed again and lucked out on a OTS bid. Never picked up prior before then. Sucks but I made it.
Downside was training with controllers who had been doing the job a fraction as long as I had lol.
TushingPin
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Im not entirely sure. I just know one of the girls I worked with told me her Advanced ATC tower was not a "FAA recognized one" and couldn't be used for 52 weeks since it didn't technically grant a CTO. Then while I was a ATM I found another who was working at some like City owned tower that didn't classify as a CTO and we couldn't hire her because of that....... Not 1000% sure of the sematics of it, just know that it WAS a thing. May not be anymore.
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