runway to air traffic control

Friday, February 19, 2010

ATC Beyond the Navy

I'm nearing the end of my enlistment and looking at ATC opportunities outside of the Navy. My decision to get out of the Navy is based on many factors, most notably my age. To work for the FAA, I need to be offered a job prior to my 31st birthday. The FAA is not my only option, but the one I prefer. Other opportunities include civilian DoD (Department of Defense) and government contractors - primarily Midwest and Serco. If I get a DoD ATC job prior to my 31st birthday, I will still be eligible for the FAA later in my career. Midwest and Serco, however, do not lock in my age for the FAA.

I've been researching the hiring process for quite some time. There is far too much information for me to post here. The best resource I found is
StuckMic - an ATC forum. There are many people much more knowledgeable on this subject than myself and post there regularly. Many rumors also circulate on that site, so research with discretion. I will continue to post to this blog with updates as my career progresses. Thanks for reading.

PS: I'm safe and back from Iraq. I just realized I haven't posted since my return.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

not sure if you realized this, but your blog is the second thing that shows up when you google "navy air traffic controller." a lot of people are probably using this as a resource.

Colin said...

anonymous,
yes, that was intentional.

Brendan said...

Hey I'm going to the navy on June 28th to become an ATC and I just wanted to tell you that I've been reading this blog as a resource like anonymous said. It's definitely a good read and was helpful trying to understand the life of being an atc. I look forward to future posts and good luck with your job search!

Anonymous said...

Colin,

Good Luck man! It was great working with you!

Anonymous said...

Thank You!

Father of a recruit on his way to Pensacola. Go Kyle! Good Luck Colin. Please keep posting on your way to the FAA.