Aviation Discussion

#2
#2
I've checked three out of four of the boxes. Just need an A&P or to track MTP to complete the list.

I loved my time working the line. Started there to pay bills in college and really caught the aviation bug. Met so many interesting people and saw some pretty neat things come through. It's the perfect job for a teenager willing to work hard. You can meet and impress all the right people.
 
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#5
#5
Tri-Cities. I already told you where I work. Stay patient with the hiring process it takes awhile unfourtantenly. Are you waiting to hear back test results?
 
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#6
#6
ATC_VOL said:
Tri-Cities. I already told you where I work. Stay patient with the hiring process it takes awhile unfourtantenly. Are you waiting to hear back test results?
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Yes, sir. I probably took the test a month and a half ago and my status on usajobs still hasn't updated one way or the other. Not sure how well I did. That was a very unique test.
 
#7
#7
Tri-CitiesVol said:
Yes, sir. I probably took the test a month and a half ago and my status on usajobs still hasn't updated one way or the other. Not sure how well I did. That was a very unique test.
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It’s a little different from when I took it I think, but yes it’s an odd test. Is there still a pysh exam at the end of it?
 
#8
#8
ATC_VOL said:
It’s a little different from when I took it I think, but yes it’s an odd test. Is there still a pysh exam at the end of it?
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The last section is a 120 question personality test.

The weirdest thing were the "radar" bubbles. They were numbered and would zoom across the screen. You had to type in the number to eliminate the ones need to avoid collisions. That wasn't too bad, until they added in solving equations while eliminating bubbles. Literally both hand working nonstop on the keyboard.

I tried focusing on the bubbles since I'd imagine collisions are more important than math problems, but I didn't exactly kill it haha.
 
#9
#9
That scenario sounds similar to what I took. A big part of the job is typing and talking at the same time. While also carrying on a conversation with the guy next to you about local sports or something.

A group I went to school with were convinced that the pysh questions at the end were the only things to get graded. Make you take a stressful 8 hour test, and then see what kind of personality you have afterwards.

After you get your results and pass this test they’ll also make you take the MMPI when you’re doing other pre-employment stuff like physical and drug test. It’s important to tell truth and be honest on MMPI. Most people that get flagged on it do so because they are “too perfect”. For example, saying that you never lie is obviously a lie.

If you do get flagged on that then the just make you go talk to a shrink to make sure you’re normal. It’s not an issue for 99% of people.
 
#10
#10
In 1980, I was a lineman at the FBO, Southwest Aviation, Las Cruces (NM) Airfield. Does this count?
 
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#12
#12
I was hoping to qualify under the prior experience group, but I wasn't finished with the school and didn't have my DD 214 at the time the announcement was up. That would have let me bypass the first round of testing.

I know a few people at the TRI tower so I'd love to get to come back home or maybe Knoxville if I make it through everything.

I loved working tower in training, but the allure of ARTCC money is tough to resist. Was starting at a center too much of a challenge in restrospect or would you do it again?
 
#14
#14
You might be able to reapply under a future prior experience bid if one comes out before you get hired. I knew people who had prior experience, off the street, and cti bids all in.

En-route training is very structured compared to the terminal world, and is set up for people with no experience. I’ll give you a snapshot of how my training went later when I have some time to type it out. To give you an idea, I had been at my facility for about 2 years before I actually made a transmission to a real pilot.

En-route money is good, especially at a level 12. I considered putting in for a supervisor bid at TYS a year or two ago but it would have been a 20-30K paycut, despite being a “promotion”.
 
#15
#15
ATC_VOL said:
You might be able to reapply under a future prior experience bid if one comes out before you get hired. I knew people who had prior experience, off the street, and cti bids all in.

En-route training is very structured compared to the terminal world, and is set up for people with no experience. I’ll give you a snapshot of how my training went later when I have some time to type it out. To give you an idea, I had been at my facility for about 2 years before I actually made a transmission to a real pilot.

En-route money is good, especially at a level 12. I considered putting in for a supervisor bid at TYS a year or two ago but it would have been a 20-30K paycut, despite being a “promotion”.
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That's incredible.

Is a center's airspace broken up into sectors and divided up among the controllers working? How many aircraft per sector usually?
 
#16
#16
Tri-CitiesVol said:
That's incredible.

Is a center's airspace broken up into sectors and divided up among the controllers working? How many aircraft per sector usually?
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Each center is broken into areas, and then each area is broken into sectors. So at Memphis we have 6 areas, and each area has 5-7 sectors. Each controller gets certified in all the sectors in just one area.

Number of aircraft varies widely on the time of day. Our busiest sector routinely has around 20 aircraft in it. Each sector is shaped differently though and different sizes. I’ve been relatively slow before talking to 15 planes and crazy busy talking to 5 based on things like weather and emergencies. That’s one fun thing, every day is a little bit different and there’s multiple ways to solve every problem.
 
#18
#18
Well, I confess, the sirens sang to me. Leaving Las Cruces, I took work in other vocations. Just before starting flight school, I jumped out of an airplane to experience the new ram air canopies (I trained on a T-10, an old round canopy). One jump, and I was hooked. I've been a member of the United States Parachute Association (USPA) for the past 19 years. The only thing I've piloted has been my own main parachute.
 
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#23
#23
I think the cobra is one of the most beautiful helicopters out there. Love the Zulu the marines have. It’s just something about the sleek profile.

I’ve read probably 5 or 6 different books from the Vietnam era. I can’t imagine flying back then.

CW2
Chickenhawk
Dust off
Firebirds
Low Level Hell

I tried to get at least one from each mission. Favorite was probably low level hell. Scouts were insane.
 
#24
#24
Tri-CitiesVol said:
I think the cobra is one of the most beautiful helicopters out there. Love the Zulu the marines have. It’s just something about the sleek profile.

I’ve read probably 5 or 6 different books from the Vietnam era. I can’t imagine flying back then.

CW2
Chickenhawk
Dust off
Firebirds
Low Level Hell

I tried to get at least one from each mission. Favorite was probably low level hell. Scouts were insane.
Click to expand...

We had primitive equipment, so did they. Scouts and Slicks went into many places that were insane.
 
#25
#25
Tri-Cities, this might be a long post but wanted to give you an idea of what en-route training is like. I figure you already know more than me about the terminal world.

You’ll go to OKC for 3-4 months and have to pass the academy there. It’s set up to teach people with no experience but can be difficult. Washout rate ranges from 20-40% normally. Towards the end of your time there they’ll give your class a list of possible destinations for everyone in your class. Whoever graduates with the highest average gets first pick for facility.

After you graduate from the academy you’ll spend a month or two drawing maps/learning airspace and going over letters of agreement.

Eventually you’ll start D-school, which will be similar to the academy but specific to your area that you’ll be working in. All of your “schools” and academy will consist of classroom learning and time in the lab working with simulated airplanes. Pretty much a D-side is there to assist the controller talking to the pilots, and does stuff like coordinate with other controllers. After this you’ll go to the floor and train with live traffic on every d-side in your area. There’s a minimum and maximum number of hours you can train on each sector. Once your trainers recommend you then you’ll do a check ride with your supervisor plugged in.

Once you get all of your d-sides you may spend some time working those sectors by yourself before r school. Here you pretty much redo everything you just did previously except this time you’re the r-side, or controller actually talking to the aircraft. After r-school you go back to the floor to train and finally get to talk to some real planes.

Depending on how long you have to wait for classes to start, average time to check out at a Center is probably 2-3 years. You do get incremental raises for passing certain stages of training as well.
 
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