ATC Medical Question- When you sign up for Air traffic Control Does the FAA own your body and control what you do and take even home on your off time?

[HiFlier]

Can someone help me understand?

I heard that Air traffic have to sign paperwork and give their body to the government. That they can control what drugs you’re allowed to take even when you anre off and on vacation.
That they own your body and control what you put in it is it 24/7 7 days a week or…?

Also when you agree to do the position of an air traffic controller do you also sacrifice your off time to recovery from the high stress nervous system work requirement with those short staff facilities?

For example on your first day off after intaking all those high stress ATC hits to your bodies nervous system working all those double positions do you then sacrifice days off doing breathing recovery therapy and other calming tools or do you just shake it off on your way out of the building and your hands stop shaking when you clock out?

Do you have 2 days off or is it just the one in between?

 

[Gauff]

Alcohol is great for recovery and stress management

 

[Lurker]

Leave it at the door on your way out

 

[ZappBand69]

The only time this topic bothers me is during the regular AME exam, specifically the “digital” exam portion. I still don’t know why that is necessary. But yes I feel “owned” for that brief moment

 

[Phillytroll69]

To answer your question no.

Let's say you take this career and later in life something happens. (Depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, brain worms, brain tumors, alien mind control) you really have to pick-

1-I can tell the FAA and definitely lose a large portion of my pay while I battle through this, potentially to never work again. The best you can hope for is up to one year of other duties before you get offered some support position at a shithole.

2-I can hide it and if it ever comes to light i will potentially lose my medical for the condition-and risk termination for hiding it.

Also, don't beat around the bush-marijuana is less harmful than alcohol but they don't have the lobbying power for legalization-especially once you mix in the private prisons that need need non violent workers.

Throw your real issue out there-why hasn't the union fought to have marijuana testing removing?

 

[accskp]

The FAA does not own your body. You can do anything that you want. You may lose your job because of your actions but you can do whatever you want.

 

[GulfBravoPapa]

Can someone help me understand?

I heard that Air traffic have to sign paperwork and give their body to the government. That they can control what drugs you’re allowed to take even when you anre off and on vacation.
That they own your body and control what you put in it is it 24/7 7 days a week or…?

Also when you agree to do the position of an air traffic controller do you also sacrifice your off time to recovery from the high stress nervous system work requirement with those short staff facilities?

For example on your first day off after intaking all those high stress ATC hits to your bodies nervous system working all those double positions do you then sacrifice days off doing breathing recovery therapy and other calming tools or do you just shake it off on your way out of the building and your hands stop shaking when you clock out?

Do you have 2 days off or is it just the one in between?

Drugs are bad, k? No you can't do them on your day off.

 

[bomber996]

Can someone help me understand?

I heard that Air traffic have to sign paperwork and give their body to the government. That they can control what drugs you’re allowed to take even when you anre off and on vacation.
That they own your body and control what you put in it is it 24/7 7 days a week or…?

Also when you agree to do the position of an air traffic controller do you also sacrifice your off time to recovery from the high stress nervous system work requirement with those short staff facilities?

For example on your first day off after intaking all those high stress ATC hits to your bodies nervous system working all those double positions do you then sacrifice days off doing breathing recovery therapy and other calming tools or do you just shake it off on your way out of the building and your hands stop shaking when you clock out?

Do you have 2 days off or is it just the one in between?

So, first things first. No job "owns your body". You have the free will to do what you want, when you want, within the scope of the law.

Next... Just because you can do what you want, when you want, doesn't mean there won't be consequences for those actions. Air Traffic Control is a safety critical job. If you want this job, then there are certain things you will not be able to do. Smoking marijuana or doing hard drugs are some of those restricted things. Sure, you could go on a bender on your vacation, but don't expect to be able to keep your job when you pop hot on a random drug screening.

As always, "Do what you think your career can handle."

 

[Motodog]

Can someone help me understand?

I heard that Air traffic have to sign paperwork and give their body to the government. That they can control what drugs you’re allowed to take even when you anre off and on vacation.
That they own your body and control what you put in it is it 24/7 7 days a week or…?

Also when you agree to do the position of an air traffic controller do you also sacrifice your off time to recovery from the high stress nervous system work requirement with those short staff facilities?

For example on your first day off after intaking all those high stress ATC hits to your bodies nervous system working all those double positions do you then sacrifice days off doing breathing recovery therapy and other calming tools or do you just shake it off on your way out of the building and your hands stop shaking when you clock out?

Do you have 2 days off or is it just the one in between?

Here’s an additional thought. Most guys use different doctors, one for the FAA medical, and another for everything else. Don’t list every conceivable condition that comes up on that medical form

 

[KiloZulu]

For example on your first day off after intaking all those high stress ATC hits to your bodies nervous system working all those double positions do you then sacrifice days off doing breathing recovery therapy and other calming tools or do you just shake it off on your way out of the building and your hands stop shaking when you clock out?

You are way overthinking this. If you're so nervous that your hands shake after every session, you'll get weeded out during training or the academy. Some people aren't built for this, that's ok. For me and most people I work with, it's just a job. It's 95% routine and when you unplug, you immediately dump everything that just happened.

 

[Shikaka]

So, first things first. No job "owns your body". You have the free will to do what you want, when you want, within the scope of the law.

 

[Raise when?]

Yes, the FAA owns your body. On your RDO’s you have to make OnlyFans videos so that they can pay for new equipment and modernization.

 

[Sassyquatch]

You are way overthinking this. If you're so nervous that your hands shake after every session, you'll get weeded out during training or the academy. Some people aren't built for this, that's ok. For me and most people I work with, it's just a job. It's 95% routine and when you unplug, you immediately dump everything that just happened.

Yup, agree with this.

The only times I've been nervous/stressed were some days during training and working a busy session being newly certified. Now being a couple years in, I've had several close calls that could've been bad but unplug from those sessions feeling fine. Sometimes I think that maybe I should be more stressed from those situations, but as long as your confident that you did your best and nothing went wrong then there's nothing more you can do.

Its obvious who the anxious controllers are and without fail always leave 8+ miles on final. I'm almost impressed with how much space they tend to get every single time.

When I was working 6 days a week, I would try to spend my 1 day off doing something I enjoyed but noticed that I wound up dreading the upcoming 6 days. It truly never felt like I have a real day off.