This is for Air Traffic Controllers or someone that know something about them?

Question

Ok I passed the AT SAT got a 77. Is that any good by the way. I never had any experience with air traffic controlling. I am a veteran though and qualify for the 10 point preference. Anyway what is the next step? Are they going to call me and let me know what is the next step or do I have to do something on mu own?

Answer 1

70 is passing, 70-84.99 is considered qualified and 85-100 is well qualified.  

I didn't go off the street so I'm not 100% sure about the process, but as I understand you've submitted your application and were told to take the AT-SAT.

As far as what happens now...you will wait for a referral notification or an intervew where the details of your referral will be laid out.  The wait between AT SAT and this it seems is anywhere from one to five months.  Following that you'll get all the paperwork in odrer send it all in, then when they can fit you in to a slot at OKC, off you go.  

They SHOULD notify you, but it doesn't hurt to make a call to them every so often just to make sure things are churning nicely.

Answer 2

Well, you have to apply, but I hear they need controllers really bad right now.  I have a friend who is a controller, but he applied many years ago.  I'm sure it's different now.  Just look it up on the web and you will find out how to apply.  Good luck.

Answer 3

There seems to be a lot of these questions on here as the FAA doesn't really tell you much.  I'll just add that the FAA will contact you.  Just make sure they have your application.  Here is my response to someone else who asked the same question:

I'm currently at the FAA academy and I had a lot of similar questions because the FAA didn't really tell me anything until I got here. It was almost exactly 6 months to the day from when I took the AT-SAT to when I arrived at the academy. Most of the guys I know here waited about the same amount of time: 5-7 months.

My interview was at the nearest FAA ATC facility. I met with the tower manager. The FAA mainly just wants to put a name to a face and have contact with you. She asked me some of the usual job interview questions, but it wasn't a difficult or stressful interview. Of course, you don't have the interview until you get (and accept) what the FAA calls a "tentative" job offer.

After the interview you have to take a psychological exam called the PF-16. It's nothing to study for. I just asks you a bunch of simple life-situation questions and you just answer how you feel about it. (ex.: Do you consider yourself an organized person? A. Yes B. No C. Maybe)

After that, you should have gotten more info from the FAA and will need to complete a bunch of forms, mainly the background check information, fingerprint cards, etc., and have a thourough medical examination by an FAA certified doctor, which includes a drug test.

I completed my medical and all other paper work and next-day mailed it to the FAA on a Monday evening, and on the following Monday I got a phone call from the FAA asking me to come to the academy in 10 days! I told them that was too soon for me, and they were able to give me one more week.

You need to find housing, but there are several places that are not run by the FAA, but are FAA friendly. Go to www.faa.gov then after .gov type: /education_research/faa_academy (yahoo keeps truncating the address). If that doesn't work to go www.faa.gov and search for FAA Academy. Once there, click on "student services" on the left, then on "housing." That will give you a list of places that are "FAA friendly." The apartments are your best bet, and some even have cars you can rent for less than $10 a day. You just need prior insurance.

Pay is sufficent if you don't have many other debts. You get per diem of almost $80 a day, 7 days a week, working or not. You will also get your pay that was specified in your offer letter, which is usually around $18,000-20,000 annual for new-hires. Like other jobs, you usually don't get paid on the first payday you are there and have to wait about 3 weeks for your first paycheck.

As far as the academy goes, the hardest thing isn't the academics, it's just talking to airplanes! We all think we know what to say, but at first it's really difficult to say the right words in the right order and keep it flowing. I would suggest listening to controllers in any way you can (buy a radio and drive to your local airport or find a live stream on the internet) and repeating out loud what they say. If you can go to an airport with a radio, try watching the planes and making the calls before the controller does and then see if how the controller says it. Keep in mind, however, that not all controllers use the exact phraseology that they teach at the academy and you might have to learn something different at the academy.

Hope that was helpful. Let me know if you have other questions!

Answer 4

I scored a 90.9 on the ATSAT.  You still have a long process ahead of you.  Interviews, physical, drug test, psych test, etc. It took about 14 months after the ATSAT to go for training in Oklahoma.