Enroute vs Terminal Megathread

I was selected for enroute, but the facility closest to me (like right around the corner from my apartment) is a tower. I’m not even sure if there are even any centers in my state at all, actually. Would it be stupid to tour the tower in my city?
 
I was selected for enroute, but the facility closest to me (like right around the corner from my apartment) is a tower. I’m not even sure if there are even any centers in my state at all, actually. Would it be stupid to tour the tower in my city?

I've toured a center and it's different than a tower for sure but you could still get a general feel of a facility if you've never been in one before.
 
This helps for sure. I would have to make a trip out of it as they aren't close enough for me to want to drive there and back in one day with the tour also going. How long does a tour usually last?
If you're staying overnight and want to make a trip out of it, definitely go Miami, go to South Beach, take the wife/girlfriend. Tours are largely open ended. It depends on how much you want to sit down and watch the operation and how many areas you want to come check out. A lot of places are just eager to show you all the cool things they have going on or that makes their facility unique.

I was selected for enroute, but the facility closest to me (like right around the corner from my apartment) is a tower. I’m not even sure if there are even any centers in my state at all, actually. Would it be stupid to tour the tower in my city?
Do it, go check out the tower, see the other side, who knows, you may come away with a newfound love/appreciation. Plenty of people transition from enroute to terminal throughout there careers.
 
I'm looking to do a tour at a center since I got an en route TOL. I live in Tampa so it's equal distance to either ZMA or ZJX. With that said, which would be a better center to try and tour at?
I'm in the same boat, located in daytona beach area and got an en route TOL as well. Going to try to tour ZJX and the tower here in my area. I feel as if I'm more interested in terminal so hopefully touring a center will help clear things up. Is it just the pay that makes en route so attractive?
 
I'm in the same boat, located in daytona beach area and got an en route TOL as well. Going to try to tour ZJX and the tower here in my area. I feel as if I'm more interested in terminal so hopefully touring a center will help clear things up. Is it just the pay that makes en route so attractive?
Originally I was more wanting terminal since there are so many more options as far as places to go. With that said that leaves more places to be stuck that I wouldn't necessarily want to go to either. After talking to people on here as well as seeing the locations of centers I realized I didn't really care which I got, terminal or center. Ultimately I got an en route TOL so it didn't matter in the end.

To answer your question though, centers pay more up front from what others have said. They both seem to have their pros and cons as with any job, but it's all about what you want from the career.
 
Originally I was more wanting terminal since there are so many more options as far as places to go. With that said that leaves more places to be stuck that I wouldn't necessarily want to go to either. After talking to people on here as well as seeing the locations of centers I realized I didn't really care which I got, terminal or center. Ultimately I got an en route TOL so it didn't matter in the end.

To answer your question though, centers pay more up front from what others have said. They both seem to have their pros and cons as with any job, but it's all about what you want from the career.
Thanks for the advice you bring up some good points. I guess we could always try to switch later on down the road if its determined en route wasn't the best option after your already at a facility? Does the pass rates bother you at all? I'm hearing terminal has a way higher pass rate (around 75%) and that en route is even tougher since they made non-radar pass/fail (50-55%).
 
Thanks for the advice you bring up some good points. I guess we could always try to switch later on down the road if its determined en route wasn't the best option after your already at a facility? Does the pass rates bother you at all? I'm hearing terminal has a way higher pass rate (around 75%) and that en route is even tougher since they made non-radar pass/fail (50-55%).

NonRadar is pass fail at the academy now? EnRoute has always historically been around 50%, it’s nothing new
 
Thanks for the advice you bring up some good points. I guess we could always try to switch later on down the road if its determined en route wasn't the best option after your already at a facility? Does the pass rates bother you at all? I'm hearing terminal has a way higher pass rate (around 75%) and that en route is even tougher since they made non-radar pass/fail (50-55%).
Last I heard, non-radar isn't pass/fail. It's counted into your final grade whether you get a 100 or a 0. The more points you can pick up along the way will make life easier.
Terminal hasn't been at a 75% pass rate since 2016. Terminal was around 50% in 2017 and I think enroute may have had a higher pass rate.
 
Thanks for the advice you bring up some good points. I guess we could always try to switch later on down the road if its determined en route wasn't the best option after your already at a facility? Does the pass rates bother you at all? I'm hearing terminal has a way higher pass rate (around 75%) and that en route is even tougher since they made non-radar pass/fail (50-55%).
I'm not too worried. You get out what you put in I'm sure. As far as I can tell you can try to switch later on after you certify though.
 
I wonder how many people are retained after the academy that wash from centers versus those that wash from terminals.

That might be an interesting statistic. If you make it through the academy but fail at your facility, which gives you better odds of still being employed by the FAA.....
 
I wonder how many people are retained after the academy that wash from centers versus those that wash from terminals.

That might be an interesting statistic. If you make it through the academy but fail at your facility, which gives you better odds of still being employed by the FAA.....
I can pull the complete stats later, but off the top of my head I can tell you it's Enroute and it's not close. In the past 4 years there's been one D1 removal, and zero D2/D3 removals. As long as you can make it past AG status at your enroute facility, the odds of removal are microscopic.
 
I can pull the complete stats later, but off the top of my head I can tell you it's Enroute and it's not close. In the past 4 years there's been one D1 removal, and zero D2/D3 removals. As long as you can make it past AG status at your enroute facility, the odds of removal are microscopic.

That’s what I kind of figured. So in reality, with almost equal pass rates, going enroute is the better choice. You will either end up with higher pay if successful out the gate, since most centers are level 10’s or higher, or if you fail, and you have at least made it partway through the center training program, you will get a shot at terminal...

Now where you have to live and when if ever you could ERR back out of said center, that’s a different ballgame....
 
Final numbers for calendar year 2017 were 53% terminal and 50% enroute.
Do you have the last 4-6 months success rate for enroute? I thought I heard their numbers were trending up to almost 70% pass. May have been only a couple classes though because I didn't hear anything about sample size.

Nevermind, just saw your post from November in the enroute thread. Looks like normal numbers.
 
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