Reinstatement

[N90-EWR]

You start at a center in a big city? Go live in the middle of the US for 7yrs making 80k and tell me quitting isn’t your best option. I went to bars on weekends that had 10 people in them consistently. It’s not living lol

There’s always been continuous open bids for places like N90/C90, so you’re never really “stuck” in a low level facility in the middle of nowhere. Most people just don’t want those “choices”.

As for me, I got sent to N90 straight out of the OKC academy with no experience and stuck it out for my entire three decade career. There was a time early on where I did want to transfer elsewhere (Tampa), but at the time I didn’t have enough seniority to get released, and by the time I had enough seniority my kids were grown, and the place kinda grew on me.

I wonder if you’d have the same commitment being stuck at a level 6 and below your entire career in a shit location

Had I been sent to a level 6 to start, I would had taken the N90 open bid to end up there anyway. The commitment would had been the same.

 

[ajmezz]

Just don't live in that area of NoVa in general is a good rule 🤷‍♂️

Yeah I wish. Happy wife, happy life… or something like that.

 

[Robert_Boucher]

Applied for reinstatement and was denied. Over 12 years tower/tracon and center. Email contact would not or could not give any information on why. Talked to my previous facility( out of agency 2 years now) and they say that don’t know why. Finally got info back from freedom of information act. Only info stated was Two weeks notice was given. Anyone have any insight or how to proceed from here?

Reach out to your congressman, I had an issue with HR a while ago just not responding to my emails or phone calls for 3 months when I lost my medical. They told my ATM they were too busy to deal with my stuff so I reached out to my congressman and boom had info within 2 weeks.

 

[SquawkHijack]

Knowing what we know about the FAA's hiring process, and how darn difficult it is to get hired to this job, it's mind boggling to me that there's people that think quitting in order to get rehired somewhere else is a viable option and worth the risk.

In many cases, it worked for those who were stuck waiting years for NCEPT at a low level facility who’s location is undesirable to them.

Sorta. It's an option if you're trying to go to a specific place. Otherwise, the big TRACONs are always hiring.

Granted the shitty facility you’re stuck at can release. That’s the kicker about facs in undesirable locations. Lvl 12’s or any facility can be hiring all they want, your facility still has to have staffing to release you or you’re stuck, which applies to like all but 90 facilities in the NAS. Welcome to the bullshit that is NCEPT.

 

[Mk2186]

Point of Order: did you apply for reinstatement at the facility you were at when you resigned, or a new one?

If the latter...did you try your last facility, and then pursue the NCEPT/USAJobs process through there? Or even try NEST'ing out of there?

Reinstatement In general after a year. Tried NCEPT for 4 years and even the open C90 bid for 2 years( which the level 8 requirement wasn’t written but I guess still applied) also had paperwork into 5 facilities in the Chicago area. Spent 4 years trying to leave for family health, staffing couldn’t allow.

 

[SquawkHijack]

I think that next up is going to be people who willingly withdraw from training because they don't want to be at that location. It has worked for many people and it seems to be on the rise

Yep, they’ll likely “revise” the hardship process as well.

 

[GulfCharlie]

Just don't live in that area of NoVa in general is a good rule 🤷‍♂️

I grew up in Burke so 🤷‍♂️

 

[BDUB]

Point of Order: did you apply for reinstatement at the facility you were at when you resigned, or a new one?

If the latter...did you try your last facility, and then pursue the NCEPT/USAJobs process through there? Or even try NEST'ing out of there?

I applied for 40 supe bids and got interviewed for 2. Applied to every NCEPT to get back home or the surrounding states. There’s always someone that certifies and goes some

There’s always been continuous open bids for places like N90/C90, so you’re never really “stuck” in a low level facility in the middle of nowhere. Most people just don’t want those “choices”.

As for me, I got sent to N90 straight out of the OKC academy with no experience and stuck it out for my entire three decade career. There was a time early on where I did want to transfer elsewhere (Tampa), but at the time I didn’t have enough seniority to get released, and by the time I had enough seniority my kids were grown, and the place kinda grew on me.

So basically take New York or Chicago or stay in your shithole in the middle of nowhere are the only options? Not to mention you still have to get picked up at C90 and N90. That’s why people quit and take their chances is all I’m saying.

 

[N90-EWR]

I applied for 40 supe bids and got interviewed for 2. Applied to every NCEPT to get back home or the surrounding states. There’s always someone that certifies and goes some

So basically take New York or Chicago or stay in your shithole in the middle of nowhere are the only options? Not to mention you still have to get picked up at C90 and N90. That’s why people quit and take their chances is all I’m saying.

If you rather quit than take on a busy/complex level 12 then it sounds more like a lack of ability/confidence than anything else. I’m a gen X guy, and I may be wired differently, but for me failure was never an option. Like I mentioned before, for me the career was more important than the location. I’ll admit I don’t understand too much today’s generations with a sense of entitlement that need everything handed in a platter.

 

[AB19]

If you rather quit than take on a busy/complex level 12 then it sounds more like a lack of ability/confidence than anything else. I’m a gen X guy, and I may be wired differently, but for me failure was never an option. Like I mentioned before, for me the career was more important than the location. I’ll admit I don’t understand too much today’s generations with a sense of entitlement that need everything handed in a platter.

Leaving a job that can't get what you want is entitlement?

 

[Somenewguy]

If you rather quit than take on a busy/complex level 12 then it sounds more like a lack of ability/confidence than anything else. I’m a gen X guy, and I may be wired differently, but for me failure was never an option. Like I mentioned before, for me the career was more important than the location. I’ll admit I don’t understand too much today’s generations with a sense of entitlement that need everything handed in a platter.

Some of us have lives outside of air traffic... good to hear you definitely don't though.

 

[N90-EWR]

Some of us have lives outside of air traffic... good to hear you definitely don't though.

Oh I do. I just made my life work around the job. Like I said....this career is a lifestyle. If you can't adapt to it, then it's not for you. Plenty of other choices for buttercups out there.

 

[Somenewguy]

I met a guy who was single at 35 and lived with his parents. He told me nobody wanted to date him because he was too macho.

"this career is a lifestyle" is giving the same vibes. This career really doesn't have to be a lifestyle or how you identify yourself. Plenty of people can do this job without pouring their heart and soul into it. If that hurts your ego, whatever

 

[N90-EWR]

Leaving a job that can't get what you want is entitlement?

The answer is right there in your reply. You call ATC "a job" while I call it a lifestyle. It's obvious to me that someone who is willing to quit because he can't get his preferred location looks at it as a "job". In that case the answer is no. It's not entitlement, so yeah best move on to something else.

 

[Termine]

If you rather quit than take on a busy/complex level 12 then it sounds more like a lack of ability/confidence than anything else.

How on earth did you get that out of what the other poster said? They were trying to get home or anywhere close to. If N90/C90 wasn't home then why the hell would they apply?

 

[N90-EWR]

I met a guy who was single at 35 and lived with his parents. He told me nobody wanted to date him because he was too macho.

"this career is a lifestyle" is giving the same vibes. This career really doesn't have to be a lifestyle or how you identify yourself. Plenty of people can do this job without pouring their heart and soul into it. If that hurts your ego, whatever

I'm married with kids. I have hobbies and always had a busy life outside of work. I never lost sight of what was important to me, and my ATC career was indeed a very high priority, so I made the outside life work alongside. It wasn't always easy, and sacrifices were made, but I made it work. Too many people nowadays are unwilling to compromise and just want everything to be perfect right away.

 

[ajmezz]

You call ATC "a job" while I call it a lifestyle.

So you're the reason why I get all those hokey ass "I'm a badass/god bc I'm atc and you're not" t-shirt emails?

 

[N90-EWR]

How on earth did you get that out of what the other poster said? They were trying to get home or anywhere close to. If N90/C90 wasn't home then why the hell would they apply?

My "original home" was 2000 miles away from N90. I'm not a New Yorker, but I became one because the career mattered to me more. I'll admit living on Long Island kinda sucks, but I made it work while I was there. I retired and immediately moved out of NY. Again, it's a matter of priorities...to me the career was a higher priority than whatever location. I do understand it's not for everyone, so they can quit. Just don't be crying when they can't get back in.

So you're the reason why I get all those hokey ass "I'm a badass/god bc I'm atc and you're not" t-shirt emails?

Hahaha, no....a real ATC would never wear those corny ass t-shirts. 🤣

 

[SolicitSVFR]

I'm married with kids. I have hobbies and always had a busy life outside of work. I never lost sight of what was important to me, and my ATC career was indeed a very high priority, so I made the outside life work alongside. It wasn't always easy, and sacrifices were made, but I made it work. Too many people nowadays are unwilling to compromise and just want everything to be perfect right away.

Well in all seriousness I’m glad everything worked out for you. Sounds like you’ve had a great career. I would just say that most of us younger generation folk (I’m in my mid 30s) are in fact not entitled though. Most of us were under the impression of career progression when we took the job, like the days before NCEPT. The system as it stands is not ideal. We’ve spent years at our facilities and figured we would pay it back, do our time and move on to the next stage of our career. Instead the new guys we trained have left before us without paying anything back because of a broken lottery system to transfer out called NCEPT, the numbers are so restrictive that for us we couldn’t release people panels at a time, yes you read that right multiple panels ineligible to release, and when we could finally release someone it was just one person that went to some high level tracon in very HCOL area and shitty politics just to be that single CPC for the year to at escape and if they wash out they can always NEST. I’m sorry but people NOT going to these Tracons isn’t because they’re scared, it’s because it’s also in a shit location (no offense to you in N90, just the reality of what most people think) and once you get there you will never leave. There’s a reason they stay in the top 5 NCEPT facilities every panel.

 

[N90-EWR]

Well in all seriousness I’m glad everything worked out for you. Sounds like you’ve had a great career. I would just say that most of us younger generation folk (I’m in my mid 30s) are in fact not entitled though. Most of us were under the impression of career progression when we took the job, like the days before NCEPT. The system as it stands is not ideal. We’ve spent years at our facilities and figured we would pay it back, do our time and move on to the next stage of our career. Instead the new guys we trained have left before us without paying anything back because of a broken lottery system to transfer out called NCEPT, the numbers are so restrictive that for us we couldn’t release people for more than one panel at a time, and when we could finally release someone it was just one person that went to some high level tracon in very HCOL area and shitty politics just to be that single CPC for the year to escape. I’m sorry but people NOT going to these Tracons isn’t because they’re scared, it’s because it’s also in a shit location (no offense to you in N90, just the reality of what most people think) and once you get there you will never leave. There’s a reason they stay in the top 5 NCEPT facilities every panel.

I don't disagree with you there. The system as is does suck, and I totally understand the feeling of helplessness that comes with being stuck somewhere you don't wanna be. I'm not a New Yorker, and I also felt stuck for many years. Eventually I realized I wasn't gonna be released until the tail end of my career, so I just made the best I could out of that shitty situation. Quitting my career was never an option though!

The pot of gold at the end of the rainbow for me was retiring at a relatively young age (52) with a 6 digit pension to live where I want. I never lost sight of that end game.