Do Certs expire?

[BobSweeney]

Dumb question I know but my situation is a bit nontraditional. I went through ATC school through the Navy back in 2013 and rated at a radar facility and tower (Diego Garcia) while I was in. I separated in 2018 and then used my GI bill to go to school. Five years later and im looking to get back into the industry but haven't controlled since I separated. I have photos of my pink card and tower card from Diego Garcia but don't have the physical copies anymore. Are my quals still good for employment or do they get marked as "abandoned" after a certain amount of time? I can't find anything online to help. Thanks.

 

[Gauff]

Dumb question I know but my situation is a bit nontraditional. I went through ATC school through the Navy back in 2013 and rated at a radar facility and tower (Diego Garcia) while I was in. I separated in 2018 and then used my GI bill to go to school. Five years later and im looking to get back into the industry but haven't controlled since I separated. I have photos of my pink card and tower card from Diego Garcia but don't have the physical copies anymore. Are my quals still good for employment or do they get marked as "abandoned" after a certain amount of time? I can't find anything online to help. Thanks.

I mean you definitely aren't current at the facility you have ratings from, and if you're trying to apply to a prior experience bid for the FAA I'm pretty sure the bid says you have to have 52 weeks experience within the last 5 years. I'd still apply anyway if that's what you're trying to do 🤷‍♂️

 

[NotKC]

Check the job announcement you are applying to..... here's the wording of the public notice for ATCS bid below.

Bear in mind if you don't qualify, you can apply to the next off the street bid and having expired experience will almost assuredly pick you up as long as you don't age out.



ALL APPLICANTS MUST POSSESS A MINIMUM OF AT LEAST 52 CONSECUTIVE WEEKS OF AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL EXPERIENCE INVOLVING THE FULL-TIME ACTIVE SEPARATION OF AIR TRAFFIC, AFTER RECEIPT OF AN ATC CERTIFICATION OR FACILITY RATING WITHIN 5 YEARS OF APPLICATION WHILE SERVING AT:

• a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) air traffic control facility; OR
• a civilian or military air traffic control facility of the Department of Defense and any National Guard Facility; OR
• a tower operating under contract with the FAA under section 47124

 

[BobSweeney]

Check the job announcement you are applying to..... here's the wording of the public notice for ATCS bid below.

Bear in mind if you don't qualify, you can apply to the next off the street bid and having expired experience will almost assuredly pick you up as long as you don't age out.



ALL APPLICANTS MUST POSSESS A MINIMUM OF AT LEAST 52 CONSECUTIVE WEEKS OF AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL EXPERIENCE INVOLVING THE FULL-TIME ACTIVE SEPARATION OF AIR TRAFFIC, AFTER RECEIPT OF AN ATC CERTIFICATION OR FACILITY RATING WITHIN 5 YEARS OF APPLICATION WHILE SERVING AT:

• a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) air traffic control facility; OR
• a civilian or military air traffic control facility of the Department of Defense and any National Guard Facility; OR
• a tower operating under contract with the FAA under section 47124

Thank you this was very helpful. Im currently 29 and I know that the cut off for civilian is 30, but prior ATC like myself is 35 correct? I just applied to the FSS ATCS trainee bid but that job announcement doesn't close until like next year so I'm not planning on hearing back for a while. I want to make sure i still have some time to apply for off the street bids.

 

[Gauff]

Thank you this was very helpful. Im currently 29 and I know that the cut off for civilian is 30, but prior ATC like myself is 35 correct? I just applied to the FSS ATCS trainee bid but that job announcement doesn't close until like next year so I'm not planning on hearing back for a while. I want to make sure i still have some time to apply for off the street bids.

Pretty sure you can apply to off the street at bids right up until you turn 31 but all that stuff is listed in the actual bid announcement. Also I think there is an experience bid open until October that if suggest applying for even if you're outside of the 5 year window and let HR make the determination whether you qualify or not.

Also just cause the bid doesn't close for a year doesn't mean you won't hear back. They'll probably just pull applications as they come in

 

[BobSweeney]

Pretty sure you can apply to off the street at bids right up until you turn 31 but all that stuff is listed in the actual bid announcement. Also I think there is an experience bid open until October that if suggest applying for even if you're outside of the 5 year window and let HR make the determination whether you qualify or not.

Also just cause the bid doesn't close for a year doesn't mean you won't hear back. They'll probably just pull applications as they come in

Thanks for that heads up, I just sent in my application for that one too. Worst case they say no but at least. I appreciate the help!

 

[ajmezz]

You could most likely go work for a contract tower for a year and qualify for the prior experience bids, which will up your age cutoff to 35.

 

[flypilot]

If you want to work actual traffic I’d be cautious of accepting any FSS TOLs you might get. Basically impossible to transfer from FSS to ATC

 

[FightingIrish2012]

Thank you this was very helpful. Im currently 29 and I know that the cut off for civilian is 30, but prior ATC like myself is 35 correct? I just applied to the FSS ATCS trainee bid but that job announcement doesn't close until like next year so I'm not planning on hearing back for a while. I want to make sure i still have some time to apply for off the street bids.

Don’t do FSS you will throw your life away. Clint Lancaster will sting you along that you can transfer to ATC one day but it won’t happen until he is replaced.

 

[32andBelow]

Don’t do FSS you will throw your life away. Clint Lancaster will sting you along that you can transfer to ATC one day but it won’t happen until he is replaced.

Do fss and just immediately run for RVP

 

[KP-ATC]

Why not apply to one of the DoD jobs?

 

[Move78]

Don’t do FSS you will throw your life away. Clint Lancaster will sting you along that you can transfer to ATC one day but it won’t happen until he is replaced.

Well the NAK RVP has nothing to do with it but yeah it ain’t happening

 

[Eve]

Like others have said you can come in on the off the street bid but not prior experience. You'll still have veteran preference which will help. I had a 3 year gap from service to getting in the FAA and went through the academy on an off the street bid and was happy to get to go through since so much had changed between the time I got out and when I started with the agency. Good luck!

 

[SquawkHijack]

Do fss and just immediately run for RVP

Works for Region X everytime lol.