Possible to be re-hired after washing out?

[Aaejay]

I washed out of my first facility, a level 6 tower, and got terminated within my 1 year probation. Is there any chance the FAA will rehire me in the future or should I give up on ever controlling again?

 

[skykid11]

I washed out of my first facility, a level 6 tower, and got terminated within my 1 year probation. Is there any chance the FAA will rehire me in the future or should I give up on ever controlling again?

I've heard of one person washing out of Academy that got a second chance, but from what I understand, it's extremely rare. But I've never heard of someone washing from a facility and going back.

 

[Horno]

I washed out of my first facility, a level 6 tower, and got terminated within my 1 year probation. Is there any chance the FAA will rehire me in the future or should I give up on ever controlling again?

Not sure if this will work but if you still want to be a controller you can always get a CTO certification and work at a contract tower for a year and then apply to the previous experience bid. Other option to be a controller is go military and then when your contract ends apply on previous experience bid. All depends on your age and circumstances though. But if controller is your end game, then the contract tower route wouldn’t be a bad idea. I think those guys make between 50-60k/yr which would be close to a level 5 pay in the FAA

 

[eltors0]

I wouldn’t keep pursuing the career at that point. For what it’s worth, I was a prior military controller with a CTO and some radar background. I originally got hired for enroute and went to the academy in 2014. I didn’t pass. After that, I did contract jobs and eventually got picked up in a prior experience bid and was sent to a 5 up/down. Certified and was transferred an 8 up/down due to 804 and certified. Moral of the story, it is possible but just basing on your responses, find something else. Good luck.

 

[Move78]

I washed out of my first facility, a level 6 tower, and got terminated within my 1 year probation. Is there any chance the FAA will rehire me in the future or should I give up on ever controlling again?

Don’t listen to these jerks, half the supes in the NAS are washouts. No reason to give up.

 

[HighFrequency]

If you're willing to go to Alaska, Flight Service is actually a good gig. Lots of washouts end up here with the same story. I work minimal overtime at a hub and will make well over $100,000 this year, for a lot less busywork than even a level 5 or 6 VFR tower. Getting back into enroute/terminal isn't an option without a CTO, so if you're ok with that, consider that you'd still be a 2152 and have all of the same benefits doing this. Not the worst option to take if having a stable fed career is important to you. If management is a goal, there are opportunities here to get into regional offices and beyond.

The other answers you got are mostly true, and viable options too. I do know of someone who washed out of the Academy, got a CTO from a school, worked contract, and got back into the FAA under an experienced bid. Just takes a multi-year commitment and some serious moving to make it happen.

Side note: you'll have seniority from being in the tower if you jump into FSS. You could feasibly come in and be higher up than the person training you, that's just how things are right now. That's really underrated when it comes to bidding your schedule and time off. You would start accruing more leave faster as well.

 

[DA]

if I was in the military

Happy almost Veterans Day

 

[Ahung1]

I washed out of my first facility, a level 6 tower, and got terminated within my 1 year probation. Is there any chance the FAA will rehire me in the future or should I give up on ever controlling again?

What caused you to be washed out? I'm curious...

 

[Aaejay]

What caused you to be washed out? I'm curious...

Multiple factors, would rather not go into it publicly. I get that it looks bad on paper.

 

[POINTOUT]

Some questions along this thread's topic:

1) I don't see a lot of Flight Data openings on USAJobs... are Flight Data positions generally available, and if so, is there a way to request one if you might be in danger of washing out? And does FDU still get the same agency benefits in general as ATCs?

2) Follow-up question: If you wash out of your first facility (let's say a level 12), and either end up in a Flight Data position or not - can you reapply to a direct hire bid to a specific facility? Someone in FDU said this was the case, regardless of age, etc.

No because you washed out, you don’t have the experience required to apply previous experience.

 

[Smitty]

I am not sacked yet. I have been assigned to the facility for over 2 years, and training on my first D-Side for nearly 1.5 years (Covid, staffing, etc). I am awaiting the results of my 2nd TRB, and despite the word that it sounds like I'll get one last hail-mary shot at the sector, I'm doing my best to research and prepare any backup plans. Big thing is, I really wanted to just stay in the agency in SOME capacity, to maintain the benefits for myself and my family.

I was asking around to see if they offer you anything if they decide to terminate training, and it sounds like generally no... and again, this seems so nuts because even when people fail out of the Academy on evals, they give them offers to go into TechOps or something on the spot. That's why it seems wild that if you draw a short straw at a rough Level 12, and maybe it's not quite your speed, it's just "tough sh*t, son. See ya never."

damn this attitude is pervasive and why most trainees who completely SUCK act so entitled and non-chalant about it. They truly feel entitled to succeed , even when they fail over and over. why would you be guarunteed to stay in the FAA when they hired you to do a specific job that you were unable to do? Im not saying that as an insult or implying you are a "failure" writ large, but there is no shame in being unsuccessful in ATC. It is not a sustainable system if every ATC washout the FAA hires is guaranteed a lifetime job. That is depressing as hell that you would want to cling to any menial FAA scam job no matter what. shit man, you can do way better than that everyone is hiring everywhere.

I must be cruel only to be kind. Thus bad begins, and worse remains behind.

 

[abc1234]

You washed out of a 6? Damn. I'd probably just move on. Chances are the job isn't for you if you can't make it at a 6

 

[Peter Gibbons]

Don’t listen to these jerks, half the supes in the NAS are washouts. No reason to give up.

This may be the most backhanded attaboy I've ever seen. 10/10

 

[Smitty]

You washed out of a 6? Damn. I'd probably just move on. Chances are the job isn't for you if you can't make it at a 6

ABLEISM!!!

Is there any chance the FAA will rehire me in the future or should I give up on ever controlling again?

Yes. when it comes to the Government, there is always a chance. I bet if your level 6 discriminated against you and was probably a toxic work environment. Let us out this bastard facility. Where was it and what did they do to you? Sunshine is the best disinfectant! ?

 

[abc1234]

I agree, the level six was probably a shithole, South Bend or that place up in Washington state with the 30% success rate. Sometimes the 5’s and 6’s are some of the worst places to try to certify at as they are so slow and board they write up any slight phraseology error in addition to everything else. Luckily lots of them are being 804’ed or finally had the old fucks retire and are better now run by a bunch of 28 year old OJTIs who know what a joke the place is and understand it don’t take years to “earn your stripes” and “pay your dues”.

I was at a shithole like that once, someone told me I had to “earn my stripes”. I came back with “fuck you, I went to college, if I was in the military I would be earning bars and stars as an officer not some enlisted airman”.

which one are you talking about? There's only one level 6 in WA and they have a 100% success rate.

On top of that, there's only like 5 level 6's with a sub 80% checkout rate.

Edit - I was looking at tower only, not up downs. MWH is a 6 up down with a 41% success rate. Wow.

So this person was either really bad or was discriminated against. Idk, I feel like if you can pass the academy you should be able to work level 6 traffic with no problem, but you never know. Hard to spectate without all the context.

 

[skykid11]

Slightly off topic but can a wash out still apply for a 2154 Flight Data Position?

 

[Horno]

Slightly off topic but can a wash out still apply for a 2154 Flight Data Position?

Yes

 

[32andBelow]

Slightly off topic but can a wash out still apply for a 2154 Flight Data Position?

You can usually get this after you wash our while your in the NEST without ever losing a paycheck

 

[TangoFox]

Not the worst option to take if having a stable fed career is important to you.

What happened to all the Flight Service jobs across the country? Half curious because I actually don't know, and half using it as an argument to the stability of a FSS job.

 

[TushingPin]

What happened to all the Flight Service jobs across the country? Half curious because I actually don't know, and half using it as an argument to the stability of a FSS job.

All got contracted out. All the FAA FSS gigs are now in Alaska.