Tentative Offer

[flyguy63]

Just got my offer letter today for ZAB. It says that i will start making 36,850.00 including locality pay. Does that number actually include the locality pay or will i be making that plus locality?

[icephalt24]

I'm pretty sure that figure has already included locality since base is in the 32,000 area give or take.

[flyguy63]

so i'll only be making like 18,000 for my first year?

[icephalt24]

I'm not sure I follow with the 18,000 number.

As I understand it, the pay bands effective January 7 2007 for new hires once you get to your facility starts you at $32,300 and the locality pay is 12.64% at ZAB. My math comes out to $36,382.72 a year, so I'm guessing there is a minor variation in one of my numbers, but still the number they quoted you is consistent with base pay at ZAB with locality pay included.

[ABP52380]

Yes, that number already includes your locality pay. Your next raise will depend on your progression at the facility. For instance, the developmentals at my facility are all stuck at roughly 38k until they get done with a certain amount of their d-sides. Then, they'll receive their first raise. As compared to the old contract in which you jumped to about 56k after competing your a-side. My a-side training was a whopping 2 days - they've since done away with it (at my old facility) as it's become somewhat of an obsolete position.

The problem is that every facility is different in terms of their timelines. For instance, my peers (at the facility I was at) are all done with the Dysim (simulator problems) and out on the floor working on their first d-side. However, our fellow classmates who went to Salt Lake don't even know when they're going to begin Sim training. It is VERY subjective - Palmdale (LA CENTER) has something like a 120 trainee's - that's fricken crazy. I know other guys that have been waiting since January to begin Dysim problems and are not slated to begin them until MAY! Yeah, the good ol' FAA. I'll tell ya, I'm a supporter of ATC remaining "inherantly governmental" but the fact of the matter is that the level of inefficiency is simply disgusting.

Okay, off my soap-box.

[flyguy63]

I'm hoping the 18,000.00 is the annual amount for training (9 bucks an hour) and that they just listed the annual amount instead of the hourly amount. But it also says that the 18,000.00 is for a time frame not to exceed 13 months which made me think that's what i would be getting paid for my first year while at my facility.

[icephalt24]

Yeah, at OKC the training pay is something like 9 bucks an hour. I'm not sure at all, but I think the 13 month thing might have something to do with temporary appointments now being 13 months max rather than 6 months since that is the only 13 month cycle I can think of off the top of my head. That little bit is all I know about temporary appointments, so I have no idea if they still get paid at OKC training rate or what exactly a temporary appointment is, heck in the policy change letter it makes it sound as temoprary appointments are like full time students at OKC which doesn't sound right.

To sum it up, you'll make the 18K a year while at OKC then the 30K number at ZAB.

Good luck in OKC. I might suggest if you aren't already familiar, getting a ZAE sector D66 map and start memorizing it. Would be a good head start.

[flyguy63]

Thanks. How would i go about acquiring one of the maps?

[icephalt24]

http://www.atccti.com/document/nonradar.jpg

There ya go. You'll need to be able to draw it from memory except the seperation rules box at the top left and the holding pattern diagrams along the bottom and around to the Monroe arrivals holding diagram at the top right...oh and you don't have to draw the preplanning procedures info box or the speed time conversion chart. Everything else including the minimum altitudes, radials for the airways and the R931 restriction box you'll have to reproduce for the map test. I'm still in CTI so take anything I say with several grains of salt. I can't see them doing away with the map test though.

I don't know if you are CTI, ex military OTS or whatever. If you've never memorized airspace before (sorry to patronise if you have, just ignore this), take a slow deep breath. The map you'll be given to draw the airspace on will have all the VOR(TAC)s, the ZAE / ZHU ZFW ZAE and ZFW ZHU boundaries which appear as bold lines, you sector boundary which is a dashed line that looks like the state of Idaho flipped on its other side as well as the dotted lines making up the MOA and restricted area. Draw them out on another 18 by 11 sheet, have it laminated and practice drawing with dry erase pens.

Take it in small chunks maybe 3 airways at a time until you have them all then add to it the other airports, frequencies etc. Also, look for patterns to help you out in the start. Look closely enough and you'll cut what you have to memorize by 25%.

[flyguy63]

Yeah I'm an OTS hire so i've never memorized any of the maps before. Thanks for the help.