Air Traffic Controllers and how the shutdown is affecting them

I did for years. 2 days, 2 swings and 2 mids. Depends on the schedule at the facility at which they work.
 
6 days and 10 hrs is at an understaffed facility. My brother was on that for awhile but now they’re at almost 100 % manning so they’re back to a 5 day and 8 hrs.
 
I work Sundays through Thursdays alternating between days and swings. Its an act of God to approve overtime but its coming because we don't have enough watch supervisors to work all the shifts.
 
Velocity173 said:
6 days and 10 hrs is at an understaffed facility. My brother was on that for awhile but now they’re at almost 100 % manning so they’re back to a 5 day and 8 hrs.
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How long are you typically at a position before getting a break? Seems like a long time to stare at a screen.

<question for any ATC’er.>
 
Some days I'm the only watch supervisor, so 8 hours. I'm in a tower so I don't stare at a screen all the time, but I do glance at it from time to time. On holidays that I work, I'm the only one in the tower so I have to time my bathroom breaks to where I don't think someone will call. I have peed in a Gatoraid bottle a few times.
 
Could a local pilot or group of pilots send pizza, subs, delivery of some sort to the tower, just as a "thank you, we appreciate you" gesture i this tough time for em? How would one coordinate something like this?
 
Huckster79 said:
Could a local pilot or group of pilots send pizza, subs, delivery of some sort to the tower, just as a "thank you, we appreciate you" gesture i this tough time for em? How would one coordinate something like this?
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I have been debating doing this with the local EAA chapter.
 
Ryanb said:
How long are you typically at a position before getting a break? Seems like a long time to stare at a screen.

<question for any ATC’er.>
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Said they’re staffed pretty good now so 1 hr on and 1 off. 1.5 hr lunch break and then rest room / break room breaks also. He works both tower and approach so he splits up the screen staring a bit...although he does use radar on local (tower) as well. Couple years ago he couldn’t get leave approved because they were so short on manning. The increased hiring that started about 4 years ago has helped. Friend in Atlanta approach said the same.

Another added undesirable effect of the shutdown for ATC is that the students are considered non essential and are furloughed. Just delays their training and have to pick up where they left off when they return.
 
Timbeck2 said:
Some days I'm the only watch supervisor, so 8 hours. I'm in a tower so I don't stare at a screen all the time, but I do glance at it from time to time. On holidays that I work, I'm the only one in the tower so I have to time my bathroom breaks to where I don't think someone will call. I have peed in a Gatoraid bottle a few times.
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You mean there hasn't been at least one shift where the pilot heard what what sounded like a stream of fluid joining more fluid in a receptacle as he got the wind info from you? Followed by ".... Clear to Land **flush**""

Or does your headset cable not stretch that far?
 
Huckster79 said:
Could a local pilot or group of pilots send pizza, subs, delivery of some sort to the tower, just as a "thank you, we appreciate you" gesture i this tough time for em? How would one coordinate something like this?
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I've done this for our local tower gang a few times in the past. Gave me a good chance to meet the voices and get a better understanding of how they work to keep me and others safe.
 
Slight side drift to the questions/comments on the shutdown affecting the FAA employed controllers....

Are the contract tower controllers affected by the shutdown? Especially on the payroll front? Or is it ops as normal for them?
 
Cykoguy said:
I have been debating doing this with the local EAA chapter.
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Yea my home airport is untowered, but im part of a flying club at a towered airport we could do it at. Could a contoller on here give some insight if that would be practical, if another gesture may be more appreciated or appropriate, and how would be best to coordinate it with the tower...
 
I've heard through Facebook of several buying meals for the DSM tower crews since the shutdown.
 
AggieMike88 said:
You mean there hasn't been at least one shift where the pilot heard what what sounded like a stream of fluid joining more fluid in a receptacle as he got the wind info from you? Followed by ".... Clear to Land **flush**""

Or does your headset cable not stretch that far?
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I’d be tempted to install jacks in the stalls. So you can at least get the initial and handoff calls while taking care of business.
 
AggieMike88 said:
Are the contract tower controllers affected by the shutdown? Especially on the payroll front? Or is it ops as normal for them?
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I was wondering that too, we have a few contract towers around me and I was curious as well
 
Sinistar said:
Paging @Radar Contact - how are you guys holding up?
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We are doing okay....would really like this to come to an end though!! Thanks for thinking about us. :)

FloridaPilot said:
I didn't know ATC's work 6 days a week? Do you know any ATC's that can confirm this?

https://www.msnbc.com/ali-velshi/wa...ing-good-can-come-from-shutdown-1429519427561
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It is facility specific. Ours has a lot of 6 day weeks (to include during the shutdown) and 10 hour days.

Ryanb said:
How long are you typically at a position before getting a break? Seems like a long time to stare at a screen.

<question for any ATC’er.>
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Very much unlike @Velocity173 's brother, we are lucky to get out at 2 hours on and 30 min breaks are the normal. Sometimes 20. In 18 years at 5 different facilities (DoD, contract tower, major airport control tower and large TRACON) I've never had the rotation his brother is on. Maybe one day. :)
 
Radar Contact said:
We are doing okay....would really like this to come to an end though!! Thanks for thinking about us. :)


It is facility specific. Ours has a lot of 6 day weeks (to include during the shutdown) and 10 hour days.


Very much unlike @Velocity173 's brother, we are lucky to get out at 2 hours on and 30 min breaks are the normal. Sometimes 20. In 18 years at 5 different facilities (DoD, contract tower, major airport control tower and large TRACON) I've never had the rotation his brother is on. Maybe one day. :)
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Yeah, I used to sign on for at least a couple of hours even if it was super busy. After a couple of hours of non stop talking, I was pretty much brain fried.

Heck in Okinawa there were only two of us in radar so one would sign on sup for 4 hrs and the other on RFC. The next 4 hrs we’d flip flop.
 
Radar Contact said:
We are doing okay....would really like this to come to an end though!! Thanks for thinking about us. :)


It is facility specific. Ours has a lot of 6 day weeks (to include during the shutdown) and 10 hour days.


Very much unlike @Velocity173 's brother, we are lucky to get out at 2 hours on and 30 min breaks are the normal. Sometimes 20. In 18 years at 5 different facilities (DoD, contract tower, major airport control tower and large TRACON) I've never had the rotation his brother is on. Maybe one day. :)
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What would be the best way for us as pilots to show direct support for you guys/gals that are our angels on our shoulders keeping us safe? If we want to send some pizzas or something would it be best to call the tower phone number and coordinate? Is there something that would be more meaningful or appreciated than a few pizzas?
 
PlasticCigar said:
I did this. They really appreciated it. Just called them, asked if it would be ok, who they like to get delivery from and how many pizzas they wanted. I’m surprised more people aren’t doing this (it was center, not tower though. Our local tower is a contract tower and not directly affected by the shutdown).
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How do we know if our tower is contract or not? And are we sure the contract ones aren't affected?
 
Huckster79 said:
How do we know if our tower is contract or not?
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This web page might help with that....


I also found this document in my search. Some interesting info.....

FEDERAL CONTRACT TOWER PROGRAM (FCT) ANNUAL AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL OPERATIONS

"Operations at the nation’s 254 Federal Contract Towers (FCTs) accounted for 28.6 percent of all aircraft handled by air traffic control during FY 2018. Nationally, aircraft operations rose 3.7 percent over FY 2017 to 51.8 million. Of that, FCTs accounted for 14.8 million operations."​
 
I'm sure it's mentally taxing but I've never met a controller that seems to live paycheck to paycheck so I would say most are financially alright for a little while at least.
 
Grum.Man said:
I'm sure it's mentally taxing but I've never met a controller that seems to live paycheck to paycheck so I would say most are financially alright for a little while at least.
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Income level doesn't always dictate financial situation. I know doctors that live paycheck to paycheck, and average blue collar guys that are closet millionaires.
 
All I can get is voicemail from our tower. I think we will put the funds together and send em a Visa giftcard to order what they want when they want....
 
The ones really hurting are the trainees who don't make the same money as the fully certified guys (as high as 160k a year before overtime). Think on the magnitude of up to 1/3 if they work in a center and are fresh out of the academy.
 
midwestpa24 said:
Income level doesn't always dictate financial situation. I know doctors that live paycheck to paycheck, and average blue collar guys that are closet millionaires.
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This for sure! Everyone thinks because ATC gets paid well, we all live like $40k year people. Not true. Higher income just means we pump more money into the market, higher mortgages, more expensive cars, etc etc. I think its just the way America works. Doesn't matter how much money you make, 85% of America lives paycheck to paycheck. I am fortunate to be able to ride out several months, not paycheck to paycheck. I was only getting nervous because my planes annual is up next month.
 
Gmonnig said:
This for sure! Everyone thinks because ATC gets paid well, we all live like $40k year people. Not true. Higher income just means we pump more money into the market, higher mortgages, more expensive cars, etc etc. I think its just the way America works. Doesn't matter how much money you make, 85% of America lives paycheck to paycheck. I am fortunate to be able to ride out several months, not paycheck to paycheck. I was only getting nervous because my planes annual is up next month.
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You did the right thing in having smart financial planning. And the stress of an ATC job deserves a nice paycheck.

No offense, but spending more money on things that are unnecessary (bigger house, better car, more expensive neighborhood, private school, etc) does not give a person the same standing as another making less money when s--- hits the fan and paychecks stop. The richer person could sell an expensive car and buy a more reasonable one, while the poorer person could not get any cash from that situation. If you get paid 100K+ and you choose to spend it all every month and now your mortgage, car payment and other debts are due, my sympathy is not going to go to you, but to the guy that makes 40K and is in the same situation.
 
Matthew Rogers said:
You did the right thing in having smart financial planning. And the stress of an ATC job deserves a nice paycheck.

No offense, but spending more money on things that are unnecessary (bigger house, better car, more expensive neighborhood, private school, etc) does not give a person the same standing as another making less money when s--- hits the fan and paychecks stop. The richer person could sell an expensive car and buy a more reasonable one, while the poorer person could not get any cash from that situation. If you get paid 100K+ and you choose to spend it all every month and now your mortgage, car payment and other debts are due, my sympathy is not going to go to you, but to the guy that makes 40K and is in the same situation.
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No offense taken. I get where you are coming from but some people put their money into luxuries that match their income. I, for one, choose flying, an we all know that airplanes are not cheap. Also why I drive a 2008 Saturn to offset my spending habits.
 
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