ATC shortage?

[buckdanny]

So we all know that there is a controllers shortage... Now maybe this will make a difference?

http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/08/27/cheney.plane.ap/index.html

Buck

 

[405]

read this

http://www.natca.org/legislationcenter/ProblemStaffingFacilities.msp

It'd be nice if the FAA would raise the age restriction for controllers. You have to be hired by age 31 or you're SOL in the FAA's eyes. Seems kind of young to me.

 

[katbird]

ATC Shortage

I hear ya. I am a pilot/IP and my hubby is ATC. He served 11 yrs in the USAF as ATC but got out after age 31, so no FAA for him I think that rule is ridiculous. I know the FAA rationale: they want 20+ good years out of a controller before mandatory retirement, however wouldn't air traffic be a better place if we had more experience in the towers/tracon?

The FAA isn't even opening hiring to external canidates yet. As a pilot, it doesn't leave a good comfy feeling when I am up in the sky to know they are overworked and short handed.

Maybe Cheney's close call is a wake up call, but I doubt it.

Just had to throw my 2 cents in.

 

[405]

More ATC shortage

I did the military ATC thing too. I had a year to get in the FAA when I got out of the military. I also talked to a few "connections" which didn't help at all because there was the usual hiring freeze with the FAA.

I like my job now but ATC was fifty times more fun than being a flight dispatcher is. Less stressful talking to/directing aircraft in my opinion. I miss being in a tower.

Oh well...

 

[N8Dogg]

Couldn't this be considered age discrimination? It is also frustrating to work with a controller that is handling too many frequencies.

 

[405]

Know what?

I don't fly and I avoid flying in any way I can. The system's overloaded NOW and there's a shortage of controllers. The last time I did an annual live FAM ride on a jet we came very close to a TCAS RA in IMC conditions (descending through clouds) near the home base. It was a "deviation" maybe even an "error" in FAA terms. The controller said it was "no problem." I was in the cockpit in the jumpseat. The pilots didn't seem to like the situation therefore I didn't like it.

That was it for me. No more.

I will not fly. Period.

 

[katbird]

Yes it is government age discrimination to not hire ex military ATC after age 31. However the gov't can do anything they want. Bunch of crap in my view, but what are you going to do.