Does anyone have info on what the training is like? intensity, difficulty etc.

Great info on ATC training to be found here:

http://www.local5454.com/community/boards

Merokok wrote:Does anyone have info on what the training is like? intensity, difficulty etc.

i know where you stole that Avatar from..........

I just finished training, if you want some advice, unless you're very well off, or can fool a bank into giving you some money, and you're incredibly dedicated don't bother.

You'll need a lot of money, unless things changed in the last two or three months, I worked 20-30 hours/week while I was in the school portion of training (Unpaid)

Thanx pygmie

invertedattitude
where are you training? you don't seem to have a very positive attidude for people wanting to go into this.
I know where you stole your avatar from!!!

Merokok wrote:Thanx pygmie

invertedattitude
where are you training? you don't seem to have a very positive attidude for people wanting to go into this.
I know where you stole your avatar from!!!

I'm not training, I'm qualified.

My attitude isn't positive no, if you want someone to blow sunshine up your rear don't come looking to an Air Traffic Controller in regards to training

The job is amazing, the people are amazing, and it is the best choice I have ever made.

The training sucks however, if you want the job you're going to suffer financially for quite a while, not to mention the stress of not knowing if you're going to be there the next day or not for a year and a half, regardless of how well you're doing in training, one screwup and it can be all over, although I'll be honest I didn't find it all that bad, I'm the only person who qualified from my course however, although not a very large one.

Is it worth it? I definately think so, it's a rewarding career especially for a plane nut like me.

If you're 110% dedicated, then go for it, if you want particular details on the training itself and what to expect shoot me a PM.


Regarding intensity and difficulty, it really all depends on where you train, who are your instructors, intensity, it has its moments, usually in the simulation portion, the bookwork and verbatim memorization a lot of people struggle with, including myself, but you put the time in, and I mean 2-3 hours every night as an absolute minimum.

Is it difficult, well that all depends on how quick you learn and how skilled you are to begin with I guess, some people it comes quick and easy to, some people it takes time, and some people don't ever finally get it.

In my opinion, the best way to get into ATC is to go VFR to begin with. Get your VFR licence (checkout rates are higher in VFR than IFR, plus you don't have to pay for living expenses with VFR), then once you have a couple years under your belt if you want to go IFR then you can, but you have a licence already so if you don't make it IFR, you go back to your VFR tower and carry on as if nothing happened.

killer84 wrote:In my opinion, the best way to get into ATC is to go VFR to begin with. Get your VFR licence (checkout rates are higher in VFR than IFR, plus you don't have to pay for living expenses with VFR), then once you have a couple years under your belt if you want to go IFR then you can, but you have a licence already so if you don't make it IFR, you go back to your VFR tower and carry on as if nothing happened.

while I haven't done it, I've heard this would be the best way... I think VFR would be "Funner" for people who enjoy airplanes, since you can actually see outside the window...

invertedattitude wrote:while I haven't done it, I've heard this would be the best way...

Drawback is there are fewer VFR courses, so your chances of getting selected in the first place are probably lower.

I think VFR would be "Funner" for people who enjoy airplanes, since you can actually see outside the window...

Working at an FSS, I love my view, and I'd hate to be in a center or FIC. Nothing against the people who do those jobs, I just can't see myself enjoying doing it.

Bit late in the topic but I am currently in IFR training and it isn't so bad. I too have to work during about 20 hours. It a biotch you get nada during the courses but so far it's totally worth it and hopefully I can get my licence some day. Anywhoo if you have any specific questions go ahead I might have an answer hehe.

Braun wrote:Bit late in the topic but I am currently in IFR training and it isn't so bad. I too have to work during about 20 hours. It a biotch you get nada during the courses but so far it's totally worth it and hopefully I can get my licence some day. Anywhoo if you have any specific questions go ahead I might have an answer hehe.

Good luck to you!

Thanks! I am truly having a great despite the fact that I work 17 hours a week during training!

Good luck to you too!

Braun wrote:Thanks! I am truly having a great despite the fact that I work 17 hours a week during training!

Good luck to you too!

Well i did 20 hours a week during training at the airport here locally, I am qualified now, and trust me it is worth it. Fantastic job once you're qualified.

How the hell did you guys work during training? Did you pass exams?

capt_yaw wrote:How the hell did you guys work during training? Did you pass exams?

Training isn't as impossible as it's made out to be. Yes, there were many in our course who studied 3 hours a night, and more on the weekends, but there were also students who studied 1-2 hours a week and scored in the high 90s. It just depends where your strengths are.

If someone can memorize the 200 or so manop references that get fired at you roughly every two weeks in the Generic training with only 1 or 2 hours of studying a week I am very impressed.
No one in my class could have pulled that off. But agreed, some put in less, some put in more. I found learning the procedural stuff just filthy. Definately no jobs though - that is crazy.

Capt Yaw wrote : "Definately no jobs though - that is crazy"


What does that mean? Lots of IFR opportunities last time I checked????

These guys are saying they worked part time jobs on the side while training!

I studied 2-3 hours every night during the ITU course where the bulk of MANOPS studying is required, plus weekends. I worked 20 hours per week on top of this.

It's not that difficult, it was airport work , and short 3 hour shifts mostly.... my worst days would include:

0400-0730 - Working at the airport, morning departure flights
0815-1600 - ATC training (Study at lunch etc)
1800-2100 - Somedays Standby De-icing (Study in the de-icing truck waiting)
2130-2300 - Studying

Was it easy? Christ no, it was hard as hell, no sleep, stressed and irritable as all hell, but it's literally a once and a lifetime oppertunity, for me it was work on the side, or don't train at all, so I HAD to do it.

You'd be suprised what you can do when you really want something. Aside from that the airport work kept me half sane sometimes, take me away for a few hours from that environment.

That and I could try and remember pilots voices who treated me like crap on the ramp "I'll remember you...." kidding of course.

cpl_atc wrote:

Pygmie wrote:

capt_yaw wrote:How the hell did you guys work during training? Did you pass exams?

Training isn't as impossible as it's made out to be. Yes, there were many in our course who studied 3 hours a night, and more on the weekends, but there were also students who studied 1-2 hours a week and scored in the high 90s. It just depends where your strengths are.

1-2 a week? Impossible. Maybe for the tower course, but not for 600 IFR references + procedures + airspace, etc....

I'm partly kidding. But the reality is the tower course does not come anywhere near IFR in terms of memorization.

I agree, there's no way anyone could study the IFR MANOPS required on 1-2 hours a week, even with a photographic memory.

Ok maybe if you could speed read with a photographic memory

cpl_atc wrote: I'm partly kidding. But the reality is the tower course does not come anywhere near IFR in terms of memorization.

From watching both in training, agreed... IFR, VFR and FSS would all be out at the Jet Set every night, but only the IFR guys dragged their MANOPs cards around, 24/7.

grimey wrote:

cpl_atc wrote: I'm partly kidding. But the reality is the tower course does not come anywhere near IFR in terms of memorization.

From watching both in training, agreed... IFR, VFR and FSS would all be out at the Jet Set every night, but only the IFR guys dragged their MANOPs cards around, 24/7.

Maybe you had an unusually strong group, but the only ones on my IFR course who spent more than one or two nights a week at the Jet Set were gone by the 2/3 mark of the course, and that was true of the other IFR courses around us too.

on my VFR course, we weren't in the Jet Set every night either. That's because we found it much more economical to buy a case of beer at the beer store every night.

killer84 wrote:on my VFR course, we weren't in the Jet Set every night either. That's because we found it much more economical to buy a case of beer at the beer store every night.

Ok, replace "in the Set" with "on the patio outside the set with a garbage can full of ice and beer, as the manager fro sodexo yelled at us because we were violating the license..."

The VFR types were fond of playing volleyball while i was slogging off to class to study for some weather test or another. They used to loooove rubbing that bad boy in. This was of course 5 years ago when we did the full FSS course not just the AAS one that they do now. I had to put up with that for 7 months and 2 VFR courses !

I study 1-2 hours a night the week, work friday nights, saturday 9-5 and sunday 10-5 study sunday night. My trick is to keep most of the studying on the weekdays and the weekend is mine. Obviously when exams come along it can take some weekend studying but it's possible. The lowest grade on 5 IFR tests so far I got was 94.5% and that's because I lost 5% on a questions that is bilingual and that I only answered in english. You just need to be motivated to get it I guess.