Originally Posted by surreal1221  Don't start to think that everyone really cares where you came from. Bingo. I don't care if you're from Mars, Shut up, don't be a know-it-all and listen.Your other controller next to you just wants to make sure you hand that target off before his boundary, at altitude, at airspeed, and spaced properly.
They don't give a #### if your OTS, or CTI. CTI students have their faults, some wash out at OKC, some wash out at their facilities, but far more OTS are washing out.
That's just the numbers side of it.
So sure, the post-strike hires after 81 were OTS'rs, but some of them *gasp!* had ATC experience in other arenas. Military, etc.
Also, airspace congestion, and sector spaces were substantially smaller during that time period. The two decades that followed allowed all of them to develop their skills at a pace that ran right next to the development of our airspace system and infrastructure, and the increased demand placed on it.
The OTS hires today are being thrown right into the beast, large sectors, increased capacity, due to a lack of staffing ability by the FAA. Welcome to Atlanta TRACON...now plug in and welcome to the Rock.
My scraping the bottom statement is a pretty easy example of supply and demand. Supply of qualified individuals for the job = low, Demand = High. So, much like the airlines, requirements are being decreased to put warm bodies into classes, seats, and behind radar scopes. If the FAA wanted the best and brightest to come work traffic, they'd offer a better compensation package (pay, work rules, benefits) than the DoD (both contracted DoD controllers, and military controllers).
That's not happening though, so the FAA is having to look elsewhere to band-aid their staffing shortcomings. That location is off-the-street.
Which, get in anyway you can. Knock your socks off, but I think what most of us here are saying is at least listen to what is being said by those who are actually behind the scopes right now. These guys know what their talking about, and have no patience of kids coming in and treating them like ####.
Sit down, shut up, and listen. It's real simple. See how the machine works, read what is happening to those who not being able to put food on the table, not being able to pay bills due to the lack of compensation. Especially with $100bbl of oil, EVERYTHING costs more. Food, gas, lawn care, house fixes, etc.
You guys should be demanding better compensation, as should EVERY employee in this country.
It's amazing that a one time, well paid profession where the income figures were way above the inflation adjustments year after year, is now down to more than 25% below inflation adjustments from year after year.
It's just mind boggling when you actually take the time and run the numbers, just amazing that anyone would be willing to work for such. But hey, like you said. . .89k would make your day.
Not me, and I suppose I'm following my boyhood "dream" of flying for a living. The ATC was a more rational decision during my teenage years and early adulthood. Things happen for a reason though, and I couldn't be any more happy to fly for a living. I just hope the future controllers of the world don't let me down and I end up coming in contact with another plane.
Anyway - another long-winded post. I'm off to bed. Good luck. |