Is the stress really that bad?

[Dan The Man]

I have taken the AT-SAT already, scored a 94.1 OTS, and have received an email with the forms to fax in for the referral list. I am on the fence right now with my decision to continue though. Everyone keeps telling me how stressful the job is, people having strokes, heart attacks, suicide, etc...You get the picture...My question is this, is it really that bad? I have always been curious about ATC, and I feel like I should pursue it, but not if it is going to kill me! I like the idea of working "behind the scenes", with something that is actually challenging for once, and yes, I even like the idea of working for the government. I have always had a fascination with airports, the planes coming and going, etc. I have worked in stressful situations in the past in bank management, so I know what it's like to be under pressure to meet goals consistently. I just want to know if it is really as stressful as people make it out to be???

[PilotChip]

I don't really feel as though I am "working for the government." I really feel as though I'm working for the people; pilots, passengers, lifeflights, fire, law enforcement etc...

It can get stressful if there's alot going on, but that's what breaks are for! And at the end of the day there's a great feeling of accomplishment.

[canadian_atc]

Stressfull?

I tell people 90% of the time I'm overpaid, 10% of the time I'm underpaid and I'll leave it at that.

[Fox Xray]

I don't find the job stressful from the point of anxiety while working, I work with some people that are like that but that is the minority. I will say that after working a busy swap night I'll come home and look in the mirror and realize I look pretty bad ... LOL.

The job has a lot of aggravation that goes along with it, at least where I work. If I just came to work for 8 hours, worked my sectors, and went home it would be great but there is a lot of other behind the scenes stuff that goes on, more so the last year or so.

[SQuirell88]

Hey Fox, what is the typical amount of time controllers spend on the radar? I talked with someone that is a military ATC that only spends 2-3hrs on radar (but I think he is a lead guy who does other stuff too). Is the amount of time the same regardless for an En Route Center or TRACON tower? Also, is the amount of time different for a developmental controller?

[Fox Xray]

Originally Posted by SQuirell88

Hey Fox, what is the typical amount of time controllers spend on the radar? I talked with someone that is a military ATC that only spends 2-3hrs on radar (but I think he is a lead guy who does other stuff too). Is the amount of time the same regardless for an En Route Center or TRACON tower? Also, is the amount of time different for a developmental controller?

It depends on a lot of factors, the last two years the area I work TOP (Time On Position) has gone up quite a bit, mostly due to staffing but we are also working more traffic. I would say the average day now is always over 4 hours of TOP. We spend other time with briefings, paperwork, etc. Keep in mind that I'm on SCHEDULED six day work weeks, I also get called for additional 2 hour OT on the front of a shift or held for it on the back of a shift.

Days where weather has the sectors I work shut down TOP could be two hours and days where everyone is flying through my sectors TOP can approach six hours.

There are other factors also... due to staffing we often work sectors combined longer then we would in the past... we sometimes do it to keep enough people in the break rotation.

[SQuirell88]

Thanks for the info. That was helpful. The days that you are scheduled (6) are you scheduled for 8hrs per day with (should I say occasional or regular) OT during the week?

Was it always like this, 6 days on? I guess with all the OT, your salary is close to what it was before they cut salaries?

[Fox Xray]

Originally Posted by SQuirell88

Thanks for the info. That was helpful. The days that you are scheduled (6) are you scheduled for 8hrs per day with (should I say occasional or regular) OT during the week?

Was it always like this, 6 days on? I guess with all the OT, your salary is close to what it was before they cut salaries?

I have been on scheduled six day weeks consistently for about the last 4-5 years. Every three or four weeks I'll have a week with no OT scheduled but even then it usually gets assigned a few days before.

I'm grandfathered into the old pay scale, my pay is now capped as I am above the FAA's new imposed pay scales. The only direct reduction I received was a cut in the CIP. Because I'm well above the new pay scales all my raises are paid in a lump sum, my base does not increase. The FAA multiplies whatever raise I will get by my base and gives me the sum. The only base increase I receive is when the locality pay for my area goes up. This year, my January 29th pay check will have my lump sum raise and a slight raise to my base due to the bump in locality pay. I'm not happy about that because over time it could cost me a good amount of money because my base does not increase. All my OT, night diff, holiday, etc. is not calculated against an increased base salary.

Due to this only being the second year of the IWR's my pay is about the same. Looking at my W2's from 07' and 06' they are on par; I made a few more $$$'s this year directly due to working more OT this past year. While gas, bread, clothes, etc. are all going up my pay is not...

No one other then controllers in the FAA has received this treatment... and that is the grand flaw in the FAA's IWR's. The cracks are already showing in the FAA and like everything else they have done over time they will loose this battle as well.

[ATLTRACON]

Originally Posted by SQuirell88

Hey Fox, what is the typical amount of time controllers spend on the radar? I talked with someone that is a military ATC that only spends 2-3hrs on radar (but I think he is a lead guy who does other stuff too). Is the amount of time the same regardless for an En Route Center or TRACON tower? Also, is the amount of time different for a developmental controller?

ATL Tracon average Time on Position is OVER 6.5 hours a day - every day.

CJ - A80

[Fox Xray]

Originally Posted by ATLTRACON

ATL Tracon average Time on Position is OVER 6.5 hours a day - every day.

CJ - A80

Yea... from what I hear both the TRACON and Center in ATL are not only working extremely short but they are as busy as can be. Atlanta Center is #1 for traffic count in the nation and I think it is the worst staffed center.

6.5 every day ... that's brutal. I would burnout with just a few years of that. I get hit with a 6+ hour TOP day about once a week due to an unbalanced schedule and it blows.