Navy CHART Migration

Yesterday I received an email regarding the Navy's job announcements.  Here are a few important lines:

"After September 30, 2011, all DON job vacancies will be posted on the USAJOBS website and the CHART job search functionality and job vacancies will be removed...

...DON will no longer use DON nation wide Open Continuous Announcements (OCAs) to gather applications for upcoming and anticipated vacancies. Most vacancies will be filled using individual vacancy announcements with identified closing dates. For frequently filled jobs at a particular DON installation or activity, activity specific OCAs may be opened. You can be notified via email for posted vacancy announcements by using the USAJOBS Saved Searches feature."

Basically, all DoD ATC jobs are now in one location: USAJOBS.gov.  Happy job hunting.

FAA Initial Tower Cab Training

What better way to spend my Labor Day weekend than racking up a $200 tab in downtown OKC, lazing around my room for a day and a half recovering, and updating my blog?

This weekend roughly marks the halfway point in my training here at the Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center in Oklahoma.  Four weeks have passed since my arrival.  Because I have prior experience, I skipped the ATC Basics class.  My class covers Initial Tower Cab Training only.  My last day will be September 28th.  We have a smaller than average class with only 13 students.  Only two of us are prior military.  The rest graduated from CTI programs.  Our work hours switch each week from day shift (7am - 3:30pm) to swing shift (3:30pm - 12am).  Here's a quick breakdown of my training schedule:

Weeks One, Two, and Three
Day one covered typical new hire orientation information: FAA policies and employee benefit information.  Aside from day one, the first three weeks were filled with classroom work.  Most of the material was pulled from chapter three of FAA JO 7110.65 but also covered information specific to our simulated airport here at the academy.  I've found little need to study, but dedicated some time to memorizing phraseology and brushing up on my aircraft identification.

Week Four
Table tops.  Picture a large room with a table in the middle.  The table is painted to look like an airport.  Model airplanes and vehicles are positioned on the airport.  Three students at a time work as Local, Ground, and Flight Data/Clearance Delivery controllers.  A few other students follow the instructions of the controllers and move aircraft or vehicles around the airport or airspace accordingly.  It's only fun for the students working Local or Ground, but it's a good way to work out the kinks in our phraseology.  We also get to use a simulator during week four.  It uses four flat-screen monitors and is much smaller than the simulator we use in the coming weeks.  Due to the small size, depth perception is a little tricky.  I've had to send aircraft around because they look the same size at four miles away as they do at one.  The larger simulator will be much better and we also get to use a CTRD (Certified Tower Radar Display) to assist in sequencing.

Weeks Five through Eight
The rest of our time here will be spent in the larger simulator.  We will run three different scenarios a day.  As the days and weeks progress, the scenarios get more and more difficult.  On our last day we will have a PV (Performance Verification) to assess our control ability.  If anyone fails the first one, they have to come back on the following day to try again.  If they fail a second time, they go home.  A lot of people stress about it, but we are well trained to pass and the failure or wash-out rate for Initial Tower Cab Training is very low.

I realize I've breezed over many details, particularly in regards to pay, per diem, transportation, and the like.  If I feel inspired, I may write some more about these.  As always, if you have questions feel free to contact me.  Thanks for reading.

FAA Hiring Process and Timeline

Since receiving the initial phone call to schedule my interview with the FAA, the process has been a whirlwind of appointments and tedious paperwork. Now that I’m less than four weeks from heading to the academy, I feel sufficiently able summarize the experience. First, here is an overview of my career timeline as it stands now:

Getting in the Door

My first application was unsuccessful; most likely because it was unplanned and rushed. Also, the FAA prefers not to offer jobs to military members while they are still on active duty. I was much better prepared for the second application by ensuring my resume looked pristine and also by double-checking all required paperwork. Still, I watched as other members on StuckMic posted about being selected. After a few members were selected from the same states I chose, and with my 31st birthday rapidly approaching, it was time to be more proactive.

My first letter went out to my district Representative. I also wrote my Senator, any connections I had in the FAA as well as NATCA. Before writing, I performed a little research on my congressmen/women to tie in any connections they had to the FAA, aviation industry or to military veterans. In the end, I am not sure if any of the letters helped my situation. What I know for sure: I received an interview mere days before my 31st birthday and a Tentative Offer Letter (TOL) the day after my interview. There was obviously some sort of rush linked to my paperwork. Here are a two samples of letters I wrote.

Sample Letter #1          Sample Letter #2

The Interview

There is not much I can tell you about the interview that has not already been covered in the StuckMic Interview Guide. Prepare for the interview, but relax. More than anything, it is a formality. I am pretty sure you can not screw it up unless you punch the interviewer in the face. Dress appropriately, answer the questions, and wait for your TOL to arrive in your inbox.

The TOL

Due to my rapidly approaching birthday, my TOL was rushed and a little sloppy. It involved multiple emails through three different people in HR. Typically a new hire will receive a single email from their HR representative. This email “package” contains the TOL, numerous forms and instructions for HR and Security (background check), as well as instructions to schedule all necessary appointments (urinalysis, flight physical, and MMPI). Everything is electronic except the fingerprint cards which arrive via USPS. The email also contains a list of deadlines for each document or appointment. From my experience, these are soft deadlines. HR was flexible with me around the holidays and even let me complete my MMPI in a different state than my residence.

The Waiting

There is no way around this one. Most of my waiting was after the TOL, but it could come at any stage in the hiring process. Responses from HR representatives are hit and miss so I felt in the dark a lot of the time. Eventually I figured out there was an issue with my medical clearance (as described in a previous post). Once that was straightened out, all was good again. Compared to most applicants/new hires, my waiting time was relatively short.

The FOL and Class Date

Shortly after my clearances were finished in late-May 2011, my HR rep called to schedule a class date. I did not receive my FOL until five weeks prior to my class date. From what I have read, that is pretty normal. Aside from the FOL itself, the FOL package includes a welcome letter and instructions on how to navigate through the online Entrance on Duty system (EODs). EODs is filled with another series of forms to fill out and pages upon pages of information on benefits.

Next Steps

Sometime between now and my class date I should receive some more information from my HR rep about what to expect next. Since I know my class date, I have already made reservations in Oklahoma City to stay at Walnut Gardens. There’s not much else to do except start packing.

Firm Offer Letter

I received the following FOL on June 30th, 2011:
___________________________________________________________________________________


Dear Mr. Harris:


I am pleased to extend the following firm employment offer to you:

      Position: Air Traffic Control Specialist, AT-2152-EC
     Option: Terminal
     Type of Appointment: Excepted Appointment NTE 13 months;
     full-time, temporary
     Salary: $42,319 per annum, which includes 14.16% locality pay
     Effective: August 8, 2011

You are required to attend initial air traffic training at the FAA Academy located at the Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, beginning August 8, 2011. Classes will be in session for approximately 37 classroom days.

During this temporary appointment, you will earn annual and sick leave. You will also be eligible for other federal benefits to include; health insurance, life insurance, retirement benefits, as well as participation in the Thrift Savings Plan, which is similar to a 401K.

You can expect to receive information from the FAA Academy on travel arrangements and lodging available in the Oklahoma City area before you are scheduled to report to the FAA Academy. Please read this packet of information thoroughly. For information regarding housing, per diem, and other student information visit the website at http://www.academy.faa.gov/ama100. You are encouraged to make your lodging arrangements as soon as possible since space is limited in some locations.

We are required by law to verify proof of identity and employment eligibility. When you report to the FAA Academy, it is important that you bring a picture I.D. (state driver’s license, military I.D., passport), and your original Social Security Card, birth certificate, or other proof of citizenship. Photocopies of these documents do not meet the requirement of the law. In addition, if you have any other Federal civilian or military service, please bring proof of that service with you.

Upon successful completion of this initial training at the FAA Academy and all other requirements for continuing employment, including all evaluations required by the Air Traffic Organization (ATO), you may be converted to a permanent position:

     Position: Air Traffic Control Specialist (Terminal), AT-2152-EC
     Salary: $52,427 per annum, which includes 14.16% locality pay
     Duty Location: FAA Binghamton ATCT/TRACON
     Binghamton Regional Airport 2534 Airport Rd Box 17
     Johnson City, NY 13790
     Type of Appointment: Excepted-Conditional; full-time,
     permanent.


Probationary Period: All permanent hires are required to complete a one-year probationary period from the effective date of their appointment unless the probationary period has been satisfied previously in accordance with FAA HRPM EMP-1.4, New Hire Probationary Period.

You will be granted one workday for travel to your assigned facility upon successful completion of FAA Academy training. You are not authorized payment of moving expenses.

When you report to your assigned facility, you will be in a developmental training status until you attain Certified Professional Controller status. You will receive salary increases as you complete each required developmental phase. As a condition of continuing employment, you will be required to successfully complete air traffic controller training and obtain facility ratings within uniformly applicable time limits. Failure to do so will result in separation from the FAA.

If you are not interested in this position, please contact me immediately. You may also contact me if you have any questions. Welcome to the FAA!

FAA Academy Date

Well, it's been a little over 6 months since I received my TOL. After my interview in November 2010, the FAA immediately sent me a huge package of paperwork to fill out and a list of appointments to make. I finished all of my paper work very quickly. Most of it was for the background check and requests for all of my military records to be sent to them. I also went through a flight physical where they checked my overall health (just like what I went through annually in the Navy). I was also required to take the MMPI (Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory). It's a 500+ question test to weed out any personality disorders. It's not fun, but I followed everything i read and answered the questions honestly without putting too much thought into them.

All of that was finished in January 2011, but it took a very long time before I received word that my clearances were good to go. I've read that prior military controllers take longer because they have to review all of my records. However, a month ago, they informed me that there was a hold up and I needed to provide some more information for my medical clearance. Part of it was related to some back pain issues and I also had to provide a bunch of paperwork related to a "Minor in Possession of Alcohol" charge I received 12 years ago when I was 19. About a week after I sent that in, I received a phone call to schedule a class date.

So, after months of waiting, my clearances are finished and I now have an FAA Academy Date of August 8th, 2011! Technically, this is still tentative until my FOL (Firm Offer Letter) arrives later this week. After I receive the FOL, I will begin making arrangements for my temporary move to the FAA Academy in Oklahoma City. Because I have prior ATC experience, I get to skip the basics class in OKC. The facility I'm headed to, Binghamton, NY is considered an up/down which means it has a tower and radar just like we had at Whidbey Island. Based on this, my first trip to the academy will be two months of tower training. After successful completion of my classes, I'll head straight to Binghamton to train in the tower. Eventually I'll head back to OKC for radar training and then back to Binghamton again.

Someone posted some questions about pay at the Academy. If you're really interested about the FAA pay scales and how they work, I highly recommend becoming an "Elite Member" on StuckMic.com. From what I've found, I will be making "Academy Graduate" or AG pay while i'm in OKC. This is a step above those without military control experience as prior military controllers make a little more starting out. AG pay will be equivalent to approximately $40k per year. I believe other trainees without experience make the equivalent of $22k per year. On top of that, I will also receive about $90 a day in per diem pay to cover the cost of housing and food. I'll also get some travel pay for my expenses to/from the Academy. The VA (Veteran's Affairs) will also pay me the OJT (on the job training) rate until I'm fully qualified at my facility or until my GI Bill runs out. OJT pay is a little more than $1000 a month for the first 6 months and then steps down gradually beyond that. The OJT pay I receive while in OKC won't actually be paid to me until I arrive in Binghamton and will be a lump sum of back-pay.

I'll fill you all in on my experiences in planning for the academy as I learn more. I've done quite a bit of research already and have a good idea of where I want to stay. A lot of this comes down to personal preference as to how much money you want pocket versus how comfortable you want to be. Until then, thanks for reading and all of your support.

Before I go, I can't say enough good things about StuckMic.com because that's where almost all of my information comes from. There are some great people over there that provide me with priceless information. Thanks especially to Rosstafari.