Is going to the Academy necessary?

[pilotnate23]

Hopefully someone from the FAA can answer this: is it necessary to go to the FAA academy if you have military experience?

Thanks!

- Nate

[coa]

i doubt the faa reads these forums....

to answer your question, yes you still have to go through okc whether you are vra or cti.

okc is a screening process, much like it was in the old days, pass or fail

it weeds out many that won't have the potential to make it at their respective facilities

[TeddyG]

Not totally correct not everyone goes to OKC. I was a VRA applicant and i was hired and reported directly to my facility. This was a year ago and as I understand it's still the same. If you are going to a terminal facility with prior exp then no OKC. My friend started at C90(Chicago Tracon) April 1st, he went direct to C90 but is going to the okc 3 weeks later for a couple of weeks of training. He is prior radar and no tower, where I was qualified in both. hope thata helps.

[surreal1221]

Personally, I think you should. . .albeit, not through the whole program like an off the street hire (minus ATC basic 101), but they should go through the same evaluations and PC's at OKC.

[Doug Taylor]

Originally Posted by coa

i doubt the faa reads these forums....

We do have FAA controllers that frequent the forum. Hence the "Ask An Air Traffic Controller!"

[pilotnate23]

Thanks for the info guys!

- Nate

[coa]

it may be different for those hired into terminal facilities.

however, i'm pretty sure that for enroute centers, you're sent to okc first.

depends on what you're hired into.

if you're friend got hired into the tracon and reported there directly, is his base pay the same as those in okc or is it d1 pay at the facility? big difference in pay and benefits as well.

i think that if you're going to a terminal, directly going to the facility and bypassing okc is good. but enroute....i don't think so.....vra, cti, or off the street hire. okc should be there to weed out those that don't belong in centers.

[surreal1221]

OKC should be used to weed out EVERYBODY. Just because you were pushed along in the military . . . doesn't mean you can succeed in the civilian, higher capacity, environment.

[pilotnate23]

Originally Posted by surreal1221

OKC should be used to weed out EVERYBODY. Just because you were pushed along in the military . . . doesn't mean you can succeed in the civilian, higher capacity, environment.

I was simply asking the question. I'm not familiar with the FAA and how they do things. By the way, the military doesn't "push" along their controllers...where have you heard that? I've got four airmen right now awaiting retraining after they were washed out.

[TeddyG]

LMAO at getting pushed along in the military. Where I came from if you don't cut it your out of the career field, it's called washed out. Now my current employer are ones to push people along. How is someone kept in training for 2-3 years in a low level terminal facility. That's a joke. There are so many things that differ from military and civilian that it's not funny. I work with people that don't know what an overhead pattern is and they have been in the agency 5 years. You might ask yourself what does this guy base his observations on. Well I have played ball on all fronts except DOD. Thats to include active Air Force for 6 years(terminal and enroute) FAA contract tower and now FAA. Don't mean to sound like I'm attacking anyone but the aforementioned comment rubs the skin the wrong way. Furthermore in no way am I attacking the agency just my humble opinion.

[TeddyG]

Originally Posted by coa

it may be different for those hired into terminal facilities.

however, i'm pretty sure that for enroute centers, you're sent to okc first.

depends on what you're hired into.

if you're friend got hired into the tracon and reported there directly, is his base pay the same as those in okc or is it d1 pay at the facility? big difference in pay and benefits as well.

i think that if you're going to a terminal, directly going to the facility and bypassing okc is good. but enroute....i don't think so.....vra, cti, or off the street hire. okc should be there to weed out those that don't belong in centers.

New peeps to OKC make 18k a year unless dod they come along with their current salaries. My friend gets the new pay scale 32k plus locality so yeah D1

[Fox Xray]

Hi pilotnate23... It's been a while since I went to OKC but I'll pass along what I know from the new people I speak to.

The answer is ... it depends.

There were many years where no VRA's went through OKC... then there were many years where they all did. It seems now that terminal they are not being sent but enroute (ARTCC's) they are. I have no idea why this changes, it's just the way the FAA operates.

IMHO if you are sent it's not a bad thing. If nothing else it will get you into the frame of mind on how the FAA operates and it will aid in getting you into that study mode again. Going to any FAA facility you will be given a mountain of stuff to learn, the time in OKC starts you off for what lies ahead in their facility. Does not going to OKC put you at a disadvantage ??? ... absolutely not.

The big downside to OKC is the poverty level pay and no per diem...

Are you waiting to be picked up ?

[pilotnate23]

Thanks FX (initials?). Thanks for the info. I'll be VRA but I'm finishing out my service right now. I have a RAPC and I'm finishing up my CTO in the next few months...will that help me get to a TRACON/Tower?

[Fox Xray]

Originally Posted by pilotnate23

...will that help me get to a TRACON/Tower?

One would think that it would but in the world of the FAA who knows. To be honest it all depends on where they are hiring into when they call you.

[rickyrhodesii]

Originally Posted by TeddyG

LMAO at getting pushed along in the military. Where I came from if you don't cut it your out of the career field, it's called washed out.

Funny you mentioned that! Through my 6+ years in the Air Force, I've seen a handful of Air Force controllers who, washout, then get picked up by the FAA. To make matters worse...they actually succeed and people like to use them as internal references!

[pilotnate23]

Originally Posted by rickyrhodesii

Funny you mentioned that! Through my 6+ years in the Air Force, I've seen a handful of Air Force controllers who, washout, then get picked up by the FAA. To make matters worse...they actually succeed and people like to use them as internal references!

I fear for the NAS if my washouts get picked up by the FAA!

[BillH]

I think Blakey herself said the current pass rate at OKC was in the 90's. Most people wash out at their location, quite a few CTI'ers are getting lvl 10's and above, they are being sent to the slaughter!.
FAA needs people so incredibly bad right now. Too bad it bores me to death.

[TonyWilliams]

The agency is actually hiring off the street, no experience, no CTI / MARC / etc, for some locations.

Just like I was hired after the strike. Flipping burgers one day, talking to planes the next.