Placement list advice (DCA, TEB, JAX, SAT, GFK, APA, MCI )

[After_Victor]

The list I got today had some facilities I haven’t heard much about. See attached. Any advice appreciated. Im doing my own research but wanna hear from the source why I should go or avoid some of these areas.

My family includes my wife and two labradors. No children yet. Wife is finishing up her RN now. Moving from NY.

 

[FightingIrish2012]

SAT if your considering the ones in your header, it’s one of the most sought after facilities. DCA and TEB are traffic and political hell.

 

[Homsar]

The winters in GFK are absolutely brutal, but they have the best summers I’ve ever experienced up there. Very busy tower, but good pay for the area.

 

[RH316]

The list I got today had some facilities I haven’t heard much about. See attached. Any advice appreciated. Im doing my own research but wanna hear from the source why I should go or avoid some of these areas.

My family includes my wife and two labradors. No children yet. Wife is finishing up her RN now. Moving from NY.

Im at DCA. Originally from NY- been here 3 years now. PM me.

SAT if your considering the ones in your header, it’s one of the most sought after facilities. DCA and TEB are traffic and political hell.

Never fighting the traffic in DC because of shift start times, unless you’re talking about the actual Air Traffic haha. I do agree with the political part.

 

[SporadicVectors]

I would definitely say SAT if you’re picking from your list. Only thing is you’ll have to obviously train on tower and radar. Going to a tower only is nice because training time is usually drastically reduced even at the higher levels with some exceptions of course.

 

[After_Victor]

I would definitely say SAT if you’re picking from your list. Only thing is you’ll have to obviously train on tower and radar. Going to a tower only is nice because training time is usually drastically reduced even at the higher levels with some exceptions of course.

That is a concern, I have a pretty strong tower background and limited approach experience. Add in the delay to RTF (if I'm required to attend) and it drags out the CPC process. SAT is top 3 for us at the moment.

 

[Acquired Taste]

SAT if your considering the ones in your header, it’s one of the most sought after facilities. DCA and TEB are traffic and political hell.

Idk, I heard something recently that was a little hard to believe but it was that SAT hasn't released since the start of ncept. That doesn't sound like country club material to me! However, I do agree SAT would be near the top of my list with CHS and JAX (yes I've heard JAX has problems) to round out my top 3. I'm biased toward the SE though.

 

[After_Victor]

Idk, I heard something recently that was a little hard to believe but it was that SAT hasn't released since the start of ncept. That doesn't sound like country club material to me! However, I do agree SAT would be near the top of my list with CHS and JAX (yes I've heard JAX has problems) to round out my top 3. I'm biased toward the SE though.

I also heard that about SAT, I'm from California but were happy on the east coast. Not too sure about FL

 

[AB19]

I know people at JAX, don’t go to JAX. New Jersey is New Jersey. DCA isn’t bad, but you’re still kind of outside DC but pay like you’re in it. SAT is lovely, best city in Texas imo

 

[fivebyfive]

The list I got today had some facilities I haven’t heard much about. See attached. Any advice appreciated. Im doing my own research but wanna hear from the source why I should go or avoid some of these areas.

My family includes my wife and two labradors. No children yet. Wife is finishing up her RN now. Moving from NY.

I'd pick TEB. Tower only. It's a lvl 7 that gets paid lvl 9 money. (They basically get 2 lvls of credit for EWR IFR overflights). Not too far of a move. I've visited before and though the tower and airport are old and small, I got the sense that the controllers there really enjoyed the facility. My 2 cents

 

[GulfBravoPapa]

On VFR days you'll work your tail off at GFK. Almost entirely student pilots. Lived there for four years and got my PPL there and loved it, but I love winter and college hockey... best rink in the country.

 

[Soul_Controller]

SAT has a shit culture and their radar side is complex. JAX is super dysfunctional and washes people out.

I say DCA. Easy check out, and you can move on if you don't like it pretty easily.

 

[jamisjockey]

SAT has a shit culture and their radar side is complex. JAX is super dysfunctional and washes people out.

I say DCA. Easy check out, and you can move on if you don't like it pretty easily.

Nothing like living in a 1 bedroom apartment for 3k a month though

 

[Soul_Controller]

Nothing like living in a 1 bedroom apartment for 3k a month though

40 hours out of the week you gotta be somewhere else other then that apartment. Might as well not be miserable and unable to leave.

 

[After_Victor]

40 hours out of the week you gotta be somewhere else other then that apartment. Might as well not be miserable and unable to leave.

Why do you think its easy to leave? Genuinely asking, PPL does show them having good staffing

 

[Soul_Controller]

Why do you think its easy to leave? Genuinely asking, PPL does show them having good staffing

Because it's a quick checkout with a high checkout rate. All that rolled into being a level nine. Benefits of a low level tower with the pay and resume of a level 9.

 

[corn4ahead]

I’d go to CHS.

If you want the easiest tower in the country, go to MFD… They do NOTHING. Also release a ton of people on NCEPT. Quick check out. Not a whole lot to do in MFD but CLE and CMH aren’t too far.

 

[rhombus]

Go TEB. Level 9 pay, NY locality and 10% CIP for level 7 traffic. And they have a brand new tower currently being built. You can always hop over to EWR if you want more cash. Plus there’s unlimited RN jobs at Hackensack or anywhere in NYC. But you guys will do fine anywhere you go

 

[JNev]

Im at DCA. Originally from NY- been here 3 years now. PM me.

I heard you guys are why our FACREP said no cell phones in tower will be strictly enforced going forward

 

[ATC0997]

NEW plenty of staffing, should be able to get out eventually after qualifying. Qual time shouldn’t take more than 5-6 months tops. Hour on hour off rotations.

We’re also working 4 ten hour days 3 days off.
Not a bad place to come and get your feet wet in the FAA