Anyone work in Air Traffic Control?

[Legend83]

Off the back of the recent threads in some other sections about people disillusioned by their jobs, I have spent a boring morning (no work on) scouting the Prospects website just out of interest.

My BIL is a pilot and loves his job. I couldn't be a pilot but am interested in that field. So I got reading about ATC.

Anyone working in ATC wish to share the pros and pitfalls? I guess my main issue in life is maintaining a stable family life and not sure if the unsociable hours/potential to be moved locations would ever suit.

[MarkwG]

Happy to share, drop me a line. Also, www.pprune.org , ATC forums worth a read & a search.

[DrTre]

There's a couple IIRC, euroboy for one. MarkwG is another.

Edited by DrTre on Wednesday 15th July 11:19

[bonsai]

I do believe it's not really the kind of job where you can Alt-Tab onto PH for an half an hour or so.

[Legend83]

MarkwG said:

Happy to share, drop me a line. Also, www.pprune.org , ATC forums worth a read & a search.

Thanks, YHM.

[Legend83]

bonsai said:

I do believe it's not really the kind of job where you can Alt-Tab onto PH for an half an hour or so.

That would be the biggest pitfall obviously...

[Ray Singh]

Legend83 said:

bonsai said:

I do believe it's not really the kind of job where you can Alt-Tab onto PH for an half an hour or so.

That would be the biggest pitfall obviously...

Along with having to hold in your "brown trout" for the length of your shift?

[DrTre]

Ray Singh said:

Along with having to hold in your "brown trout" for the length of your shift?

Surely you're allowed to say into the microphone "I've got a Jumbo in need of an emergency landing. Be back in a sec."?

[stifler]

It's something that I have thought of. Quite stressful apparently.

[JRM]

Don't they have quite a low life expectancy after all the stress?

I knew a guy years ago who did this, and propbably still does, and he did reckon that the guys over 40 seemed to age noticably almost by the day, not sure how true it is though.

[Superhoop1904]

DrTre said:

Ray Singh said:

Along with having to hold in your "brown trout" for the length of your shift?

Surely you're allowed to say into the microphone "I've got a Jumbo in need of an emergency landing. Be back in a sec."?

[tom g]

Ray Singh said:

Legend83 said:

bonsai said:

I do believe it's not really the kind of job where you can Alt-Tab onto PH for an half an hour or so.

That would be the biggest pitfall obviously...

Along with having to hold in your "brown trout" for the length of your shift?

[RB Will]

I have been told that it is one of the most stressful jobs going and a lot of people end up having to have time off for it.

[illmonkey]

tom g said:

Ray Singh said:

Legend83 said:

bonsai said:

I do believe it's not really the kind of job where you can Alt-Tab onto PH for an half an hour or so.

That would be the biggest pitfall obviously...

Along with having to hold in your "brown trout" for the length of your shift?

Exactly, imagine holding that for a 10 hour shift trying to guide planes into land!

[MK4 Slowride]

I'd think you'd need to be switched on fully 100% of the time & also be teetotal?

[LukeBird]

stifler said:

It's something that I have thought of. Quite stressful apparently.

The latter point isn't true!

There's a thread in the P&P archive that is well worth a read that myself and several others gave plenty of info and links etc.
I'll try and find it, but searching isn't bringing anything up at the moment...

[stifler]

LukeBird said:

stifler said:

It's something that I have thought of. Quite stressful apparently.

The latter point isn't true!

There's a thread in the P&P archive that is well worth a read that myself and several others gave plenty of info and links etc.
I'll try and find it, but searching isn't bringing anything up at the moment...

[E31Shrew]

I used to be in ATC but thankfully gave it up! Salaries are good but try not to end up at Swanwick. Airfield work was al ot more interesting. Try the NATS website

[Legend83]

LukeBird said:

stifler said:

It's something that I have thought of. Quite stressful apparently.

The latter point isn't true!

There's a thread in the P&P archive that is well worth a read that myself and several others gave plenty of info and links etc.
I'll try and find it, but searching isn't bringing anything up at the moment...

That would be awesome if you could find it.

Main issue for me at the moment is that NATS appear to suggest you could be posted anywhere after training. We live near Luton Airport which would be ideal, but we are settled where we are and the thought of commuting to Prestwick does not appeal.

[offshorematt2]

MK4 Slowride said:

I'd think you'd need to be switched on fully 100% of the time & also be teetotal?

Ha! Knowing a few of the folk working International out of Swanick, I don't think I've ever met a less teetotal bunch

IIRC the shifts are 4days on 6days off (or something similar) on a rolling basis, so its about as far from 9 till 5 as you can get. It seems to me that the only full time mates are other folk on the same watch for obvious logistical reasons...

I had a very interesting day sitting observing at Swanick and it does seem to be pretty good crack. When on shift though, they aren't sitting at a screen for 12hrs - more like 1.5-2hrs max, then a break. They have more people on each watch than there are screens and seem to manage there time between each other. You know, come back from a break and see who has been on longest so let them off next.

Don't know how comparable that is with sitting up a tower in some god forsaken airfield though...

My pal got paid well during training and gets even better pay now. He wouldn't change anything (except NATS, but then who wouldn't change their boss?)