Who are the controllers who participate on PoA?

AggieMike88

AggieMike88

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The original "I don't know it all" of aviation.
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I know of a few names, such as Steven (@roncachamp), but not everyone.

Who else of the PoA regulars are ATC? Let us know who you are and where you're posted.
 
I've been working traffic for 14 years, currently at Chicago TRACON. I also worked at Chicago ARTCC.
 
Steven's not a real controller. He's a VATSIM geek that simulates working approach at GRB. :popcorn:

I think our current controllers are just MarkZ and Timbeck.

A few of us did it military / FAA years ago. Myself, 8 yrs in USMC. My "pink card" has endorsements for RATCF (approach) & GCA at NBC. I have a CTO (tower dude) from ROTM (Okinawa). Got another GCA rating & radar branch chief from NKX (Top Gun). Also done the tactical stuff on the radar side on various exercises around the world. Brother is former AF and current FAA controller. He's sucks at it though. :)
 
Retired Air Force controller, towers and RAPCONs (what USAF calls approach control), and mobile towers and MPN-14 radar unit (surveillance w/ PAR) when I was in Combat Communications outfits.
 
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MarkZ said:
I've been working traffic for 14 years, currently at Chicago TRACON. I also worked at Chicago ARTCC.
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You ever ran across three controllers that were in the Air Force stationed at Davis Monthan AFB before they went your way. Jennifer Johnson (AKA JJ) but her last name could be something else, she was married a couple of times while in Tucson. Another is a married couple Derrick and Suzi...don't recall their initials or Derrick's last name. He by the way cleared Air Force One to land on the wrong runway. Good times.
 
Timbeck2 said:
You ever ran across three controllers that were in the Air Force stationed at Davis Monthan AFB before they went your way. Jennifer Johnson (AKA JJ) but her last name could be something else, she was married a couple of times while in Tucson. Another is a married couple Derrick and Suzi...don't recall their initials or Derrick's last name. He by the way cleared Air Force One to land on the wrong runway. Good times.
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That sounds like a story. Any articles/reports on that one?
 
Well....We were all sitting around waiting on Air Force One and Derrick was a newly rated controller. He asked the watch supervisor at the time if he could be in local (tower) to clear AF1 to land. Since nobody else had asked (or cared) the WS said yes. Finally AF1 shows up at 15 miles for a straight-in to runway 12 and calls the tower. Derrick adopts this DJ radio voice and tells him to report a 5 mile final. Everyone was wondering two things, one, where this goofy voice came from since he'd never used it before and two, why not just clear him to land instead of reporting a 5 mile final. He answered that he didn't know about the voice and two that he just wanted to talk to him again. So when AF1 reported 5 mile final Derrick says (in the same goofy voice) "Air Force One, wind calm cleared to land runway three zero" to which we all yelled at once "ONE TWO". He keyed back up and said, "correction, runway one two...in his normal voice" and his face turned beet red.
 
I am not a controller. Ill make that clear, I will always bow in deference to those that are. However, Im majoring in ATC and hoping to be hired this year. Please don't let me get enroute...
 
Seanaldinho said:
I am not a controller. Ill make that clear, I will always bow in deference to those that are. However, Im majoring in ATC and hoping to be hired this year. Please don't let me get enroute...
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Why the aversion to enroute?
 
mscard88 said:
Retired Air Force controller, towers and RAPCONs (what USAF calls approach control), and mobile towers and MPN-14 radar unit (surveillance w/ PAR) when I was in Combat Communications outfits.
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I was at Hq. Pac Comm Area during Nam, were you ever in the 1st Mob or the Third Herd?
 
2nd Combat Comm Group (MOB) out of Patrick AFB.
 
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Retired. El Toro, Iwakuni, Nam Phong, Twentynine Palms and North Island while in military. Santa Barbara, Lemoore, Burbank and Los Angeles Center as civilian.
 
Retired now. US Navy at Litchfield Park, AZ, Midway Island and Kingsville, TX and FAA at Abilene, TX Rapcon/Tower, Houston, TX Tracon and Denver Center.


Much preferred enroute. Nearly always busy and complex traffic situations kept you challenged.
 
FAA controller at a large TRACON for the last 8 years. One that enjoys working GA traffic.
 
Walboy said:
What was U.S. Navy doing at Litchfield Park? Back in the airship days?
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When I was at Litchfield Park in the mid 60's, it was the Navy's boneyard. The facility closed in the late 60's and the aircraft they wanted to keep were moved to Davis-Monthan AFB at Tucson.
 
Walboy said:
Interesting, I did not know that. When you say Litchfield Park, was that the same airport that is now Goodyear (KGYR)? It is still a graveyard of sorts, but I don't recall seeing any military aircraft.
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Yes, it is now Goodyear.

During its heyday, there were thousands of aircraft on the field. During the Vietnam conflict, many hundreds if not thousands were returned to flight status including a hell of a lot of Douglas A-1 Skyraiders. There was an ongoing scrapping operation on the field while I was there. I am sure that what wasn't sent to Tucson was melted down.

The Navy turned over the cleaned up field to the local government in the early 1970's.
 
Kansas City Center controller here! Couldn't ask for a better career or a better group of people to work with. The job is, quite simply, a marriage. There are highs and lows, good and bad memories. You spend nearly as much time with coworkers as you do with close family members. I love working the low sectors with the GA pilots. I've been flying since I was 17 and have a degree in aviation, I feel like I'm a good source to use in that area.
 
KBJC Controller here. Been working 2 years here, 4 years in the FAA. St. Thomas was my previous tower.
 
ATC_av8er said:
KBJC Controller here. Been working 2 years here, 4 years in the FAA. St. Thomas was my previous tower.
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That looks like a nice little D there. Thought about transferring to one of our Colorado bases a few times. Cost of living is a bit high for me.
 
Velocity173 said:
That looks like a nice little D there. Thought about transferring to one of our Colorado bases a few times. Cost of living is a bit high for me.
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It's a great little facility. Wish we were busier though. We are the closest airport to downtown Denver. It's a shame we don't get more traffic. Cost of living is a little high, but not through the roof, especially if you buy.
 
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Current trainee at the FAA Academy in Oklahoma City, assigned to the en-route option. I have not yet been assigned to a facility.
 
Seanaldinho said:
I don't like where any of the centers are located, and I really enjoy working in the tower and approach environment. An up down would be ideal to me.
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Having never done the job, theoretically you wouldn't be able to know what you enjoy. Considering you have a 1:6 chance of being hired into the tower program, you're in for a rough time unless you come into the application process with an open mind.
 
Harold Rutila said:
Having never done the job, theoretically you wouldn't be able to know what you enjoy. Considering you have a 1:6 chance of being hired into the tower program, you're in for a rough time unless you come into the application process with an open mind.
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Not real familiar with the FAA pay scale but wouldn't you fare better with center out of OK City?
 
Velocity173 said:
Not real familiar with the FAA pay scale but wouldn't you fare better with center out of OK City?
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The biggest factor determining that is training times. If there are big delays in training, a new center trainee can be stuck without a pay increase for an extended period of time. The terminal facilities usually have quicker training programs, so raises come more quickly. But in the end, a new hire who fully certifies at their first center will earn more than a new-hire who fully certifies at their first tower, mainly because tower new-hires are sent to Level 9-and-below towers. Conversely, there are no centers rated below a Level 10. The pay scales are dependent upon the facility level where a controller works.
 
Harold Rutila said:
Having never done the job, theoretically you wouldn't be able to know what you enjoy. Considering you have a 1:6 chance of being hired into the tower program, you're in for a rough time unless you come into the application process with an open mind.
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I feel the sims have given me an accurate enough picture of what working is like. Im not trying to say they are perfect or anything like that but from the experience I have I would prefer terminal. Regardless, I don't like where any centers are located and where I live is important to me, having lived somewhere I don't like for an extended period now.
 
My buddy works at JAX Center. Middle of nowhere in redneck land.

We were always told center locations were chosen for nuke reasons during the Cold War. Last line of ATC defense to work those of us that survive the aftermath in our EABs.:D
 
Until the late 1960's/early 1970's, absolutely. That's why the major centers are located at least 30NM from typical strike sites. After that point and with the advent and development of high yield bombs, that became a moot point.

Or so I was told.
 
Velocity173 said:
My buddy works at JAX Center. Middle of nowhere in redneck land.

We were always told center locations were chosen for nuke reasons during the Cold War. Last line of ATC defense to work those of us that survive the aftermath in our EABs.:D
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Actually JAX center is probably they only one I would consider. Its pretty close to the coast and I don't mind small town redneck stuff (grew up around it) Id probably commute from the beach which I don't mind either having done it for several years. However, my understanding is JAX is one of the few centers that is properly staffed. Im hoping by the time Im picked up enroute hiring will have settled down.
 
I did 12 years in enroute. It was fun. Don't knock it until you've tried it.

You are in college, trust me....you have no experience yet. I've seen some of the simulators you speak of. They do a decent job teaching basics, but they barely scratch the surface on what the actual environment of any facility would be like. Or what work would be involved in that specialty. Each facility and specialty has its quirks and nuances that make it unique.

And...that's assuming you survive OKC.
 
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