Air Traffic Control

[Sludge]

When I was younger, and NOT during the strike, I got deep into the hiring process. I would have worked at Aurora, Illinois, which has the highest level of pay. (You don't work in a tower at Aurora. It's more like a dark basement.)

But, I was disqualified for having......................................a too strong eyeglass prescription.

Sludge

[waffle]

Ah the ridiculous rules from back in the day, I had a corrected 20/20 perscription, and about 2 years ago I had lasik done (best money ever spent) and have 20/20 vision). I imagine Aurora is Chicago Center or is it the TRACON? It's a good job, less the bs of the politics of having a government job and dealing with less then quality controllers.

[Sludge]

Ah the ridiculous rules from back in the day, I had a corrected 20/20 perscription, and about 2 years ago I had lasik done (best money ever spent) and have 20/20 vision). I imagine Aurora is Chicago Center or is it the TRACON? It's a good job, less the bs of the politics of having a government job and dealing with less then quality controllers.

I think Aurora controls a very large area, including entry into Chicago. (I remember a plane crashing 300 miles away, in my mom's home town, and the article said the Aurora Center was the controlling center at the time.) This was in 1988. No lasik back then. (My wife has had lasik and has been very happy with it.)

As far as the eye glass prescription, mine wasn't even close. There really wasn't too much tolerance for eye glasses at that time.

I would have spent six weeks in Oklahoma City, then one year of training in Aurora before they would even think of letting me work on my own. The man who interviewed me was a very nice man. He showed me the dark room. Work stations with monitors lined three walls, and you "hand off" a plane to the person next to you. Life turned out OK for me, but it sure would have been different had I qualified.

Sludge

[waffle]

Yup, that sounds like the TRACON. It's up to two months now in OKC, three months with radar, with on the job training ranging from 1-3 years these days.... It's not a job for the faint of heart, but I wouldn't trade it in for anything else out there. Even selling little toy airplanes.

[Guest]

As a commercial pilot I have nothing but the most deep respect for ATC's. You guys (and girls) are amazing.

Tnat

[Sludge]

By the way, most of us have heard the radio activity during the Sully Hudson River flight. It appears the ATC guy (nice accent) did a fantastic job!

Sludge

[eugenevh]

I take my hat off to ATC. To be able to handle that stress day in and day out must take a special person. That is why they ought to get the big bucks and why they burn out quite early.
I remember the sadness of the Bashkiran 2937 and DHL 611 mid-air collision and the killing of the ATC responsible Peter Nielsen touched me. He didn't deserve what he got, I'm sure his life was hell as it was, whether it was his fault or not (personally I think he was just a victim of a lot of circumstances which led to the disaster). His memory deserves respect. I will have a glass of wine to him now.

As ATC you have to be on the ball 100% of the time. I know that I coudn't do that. Kudos to all Air Traffic Controllers.

If for fun some of you mere mortals want to try your hand a a simple ATC game (simple being the operative word here), then try out Airport Madness from BigFatSilulations(dot com).