Career in the FAA or ATC?

[Snakum]

(breathing ....) (breathing ....) "Serenity noooooooowwww!" "Serenity nooooww!"

Hey ... that really works. Thanks.

I still will never, EVER, even if I live to be one hundred, understand exactly what the h@ll the FAA thinks it's going to accomplish when it's own petty bureucrats don't even have a thorough understanding of the rules. It's insane. I asked one simple question once of a rep at the GSO FSDO. When I called back the following week for a clarification question I got AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT ANSWER from someone in the SAME office. I mentioned it in conversation to the owner of a mid-sized Part 135 operation where I was flying at the time, and he proceeded to recount horror story after horror story of misinformed, contradictory inspectors making his life miserable for thrity-some years. And then there are the inspectors who are on such a power trip they honestly appear to delight in making uncomfortable the men and women who are trying to feed families doing a job they love, and a job they strive to be the best at every single day, whether they be pilots or controllers. It's a d@mn shame.

To co-opt another Sienfeld line ... "Who are these people?"

Minh

 

[sky37d]

Also, I read recently that at OSH, the administrator said they are looking at dumping FSS. Could be the reason that there is no hiring at ATC is they are also still looking at privitizing that as well. Seems like Raytheon is the company to work for. They seem to have an inside track on FSS.


Seems like more than a little insider / good ol' boy stuff going on.

 

[JAFI]

Rally, ATC does pay better and you get to retire younger. Not with standing Shakum's rant, if you wish some info on the Ops Inspector route send me a PM.


Shakum, I recommend you get some help with anger management before you burst something important. Life is too short to be that pissed off.

 

[Snakum]

Well ... I'm sure there are, indeed, FAA Ops people who are decent, regular people just trying to do a job. You may be one of them. However, when every single pilot and manager I have ever met has nothing but scarey stories about FAA inspectors (and a number of funny stories about FAA incompetence ) what is one to believe? Seriously? Is everyone making it up? Having experienced some of it first-hand recently, I'd say 'No'.

So ... no offense intended to you personally, but we're not making this stuff up.

Shakum
(My new Jewish name )

 

[satpak77]

The Kerry Factor

If Kerry gets elected we might see the privatize-ATC push slow down or stop. He is anti-privatization, documented in NATCA and ALPA articles

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


http://www.alpa.org/alpa/DesktopModules/ViewDocument.aspx?DocumentID=11034

 

[Goose Egg]

Now hold on for a minute. There are careers other than flying?

 

[Goose Egg]

No, seriously...

"Just about to make the step into the regionals. Believe it or not after seeing the pay, life style..."

That's funny, those are selling points for me. What better lifestyle is there than flying all the time and getting paid for it? The rest I can deal with.

"...all you guys taking about divorce etc..."

Newsflash #1: Flying does not cause divorce. It may be something that aggravates an already bad situation, but I know enough happily married pilots to know that work does not determine marital happiness. There are plenty of people in so-called "stable" professions that are getting divorced. What does that tell you? Face it, if you and your partner are not equipped to deal with changing life situations and hardships, then you really have no business being married in the first place.​

"I am contemplating a new career. I want to stick around aviation but want something stable.

Newsflash #2: A "stable" job is a thing of the past. It doesn't exist anymore. Get used to it.

How about a career in the FAA? Maybe a general ops inspector? Anybody here do that? How hard is it to get in? Do you have to have time in a/c over 12,500 pounds? I meet all of the other requirements.

General ops inspector?! Are you freakin' kidding me? You'd rather do that then fly airplanes?

 

[mattpilot]

If Kerry gets elected we might see the privatize-ATC push slow down or stop. He is anti-privatization, documented in NATCA and ALPA articles

Help me out .... Is he against privatization after he was for privatization, or is he still expected to take the side for privatization?

 

[ATCER]

Help me out .... Is he against privatization after he was for privatization, or is he still expected to take the side for privatization?

KERRY VOWS TO KEEP SKIES SAFE, WINS STAUNCH BACKING OF AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS
​

Kerry Pledges No Privatization of Air Traffic Control


​

WASHINGTON - In keeping with its mission to protect aviation safety above all else, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association today gave its full support to Sen. John Kerry's presidential campaign, declaring Senator Kerry as the candidate who will ensure that the safety of the flying public never takes a back seat to political ideology or special interests.

"The Bush Administration has tried to jeopardize the safety of our skies by pushing its own political agenda to contract out safety to the lowest bidder," NATCA President John Carr declared. "Fortunately, brave Republicans and Democrats have fought to keep safety first, but the clock is ticking. Four more years of a Bush Administration means four more years of putting a misguided political ideology over air safety. That's four more years our nation can't afford."

"Air traffic controllers are both Republicans and Democrats, but when it comes to aviation safety, we support any elected official who is truly committed to making sure the flying public comes first. We represent more than 15,000 dedicated FAA employees who work each and every day to guide America home safely. As public servants, we would be proud to have Senator Kerry as our commander-in-chief and we will do all we can to support his campaign."

In a letter to NATCA President John Carr, Senator Kerry stated, "I have been disappointed with the Bush Administration's systematic plans to diminish our air traffic control system. They have sought to privatize air traffic control services. They are currently seeking to slash the budget for modernization of air traffic control technologies. And they have taken a position of malign neglect toward the looming retirement crisis that will devastate staffing of air traffic control facilities throughout the country in the next few years."

Senator Kerry also pledged that "we will restore the partnership between the Federal Aviation Administration and the air traffic controllers that is essential to true progress in the important task of keeping our skies safe." Senator Kerry asserted that the Bush Administration has "squandered the good will that existed between the FAA and air traffic controllers in the previous administration, a period of unprecedented progress in the modernization of air traffic control."

 

[ATCER]

John Kerry Opposes Privatization of the Air Traffic Control System

Kerry testified against privatization before Commerce Committee:

In a hearing on reauthorization of the FAA, Kerry told the Commerce Committee:

"I am concerned over the impact the administration's plan to privatize part or all of the air traffic control system may have on air traffic in the United States, and I hope it will be debated as we proceed with drafting legislation. Last fall the President changed the designation of air traffic services from "inherently government" to "commercially competitive," thus allowing for the possible takeover of the air traffic control system by private contractors. I cannot think of a worse idea than handing over responsibility for the nation's air traffic control system to a private company, and I am surprised that even this administration would entertain such a notion. After September 11 we felt it necessary to make baggage and passenger screening a federal responsibility because private screening was obviously inadequate and most people agreed that in this age of heightened alert only professionally trained federal workers could provide our best protection against terrorism. I ask my colleagues: if we don't trust private screeners to inspect baggage why would we trust a private entity to run our nation's air traffic control system? The United States government has developed and maintained the largest, safest, and most complex air traffic system in the world. Other nations have attempted privatization with questionable results. This work should only be performed by well trained and experienced federal workers. These men and women perform a valuable service to their country and their jobs should not be contracted out to the lowest bidder. Privatizing the air traffic control system is a bad idea and I sincerely hope the administration takes a closer look at the harm this could cause our nation." [Statement to the Committee on Commerce, Senator John F. Kerry, February 11, 2003]

Kerry Voted to Ban Privatization of Air Traffic Control

On June 12, 2003, John Kerry voted to prohibit the Transportation secretary from privatizing core air traffic control functions, system specialists and maintenance of systems and flight service stations. [S824, 6/12/2003, Senate Vote #222] The amendment passed 56-41