ATC Question

[Downsizer]

Quick question, are the qualifications RAF air traffickers get transferable to civvy street? If not how difficult is it to qualify or whatever as a civvy controller?

 

[FOMz]

No mate - if they were, there'd be a mass exodus to the CAA.

Post RAF, a lot of people get into civvy ATC either via the CAA (if they are still young enough) or pay out of their own pockets for the training to get their licences. There are a couple of indipendant ATC schools in the UK. ATAC at Gloucester Airport and a place up the valleys in south Wales. Its not cheap though..

 

[FOMDude]

No mate - if they were, there'd be a mass exodus to the CAA.

Post RAF, a lot of people get into civvy ATC either via the CAA (if they are still young enough) or pay out of their own pockets for the training to get their licences. There are a couple of indipendant ATC schools in the UK. ATAC at Gloucester Airport and a place up the valleys in south Wales. Its not cheap though..

FOMz - are you qualified to give that answer or do you know this because you are thinking of defecting? ;o)

 

[FOMz]

'Yes', because I know at least 3 people that have done it in the last year and 'No' I would not consider defecting.

 

[amfortas]

Much of the cost of converting from Mil to civ, is in the surgical operations needed to remove Initiative and Tactical Freedom from Controllers' brains. Also a whole two weeks of the training program is devoted to getting Mil controllers to stop interrogating pilots about bent gadgets. I understand electric shock treatment is held back to day 13 and come at extra cost.

 

[Downsizer]

No mate - if they were, there'd be a mass exodus to the CAA.

Post RAF, a lot of people get into civvy ATC either via the CAA (if they are still young enough) or pay out of their own pockets for the training to get their licences. There are a couple of indipendant ATC schools in the UK. ATAC at Gloucester Airport and a place up the valleys in south Wales. Its not cheap though..

Ballpark how much would this cost an ex-mobster?

I only ask this because a controller here has been filling one of my SACs heads with promises of walking into a 60k job if they were to remuster and then leave...

 

[Spearmint]

I only ask this because a controller here has been filling one of my SACs heads with promises of walking into a 60k job if they were to remuster and then leave...

I looked into this latest remuster trawl and also noticed the huge wages being mentioned in the Civilian world of ATC. Seems to be the same sort of scenario like a TG1 bod coming out into the Civilian sector, those kind of jobs do exist but are few and far between. Not to mention all the extra hoops you have to jump through to gain the relevant qualifications.

 

[FOMz]

If you were to pay for your own licences at ASTAC, you are looking in the region of £20-£30K................

To remuster and leave....

You gave to remuster to ATC first so pass cranwell (either IOT or NCAITC 1) then pass JATTC then get validated etc... then after all that to leave???!!!???

Cough up £30K odd and go through all the training again? sounds a bit silly to me mate.

If he's young enough and has the academic qualifications, get him to apply direct to the CAA...

 

[Chaka]

Going back to the original question.

When I left RAF controlling after 14 years the CAA gave me exemption from the Nav and Met exam.Now That's Funny

 

[orgASMic]

NATS cadets currently only get about £10k per annum in training, so it pays to have some savings tucked away beforehand/use your lump sum/persuade your parents to move to Bournemouth (delete as applicable) before starting out as a civvy controller.

You will get paid more eventually, but you still have to persuade a unit to take you on for OJT, if non-NATS, or take whatever job you are given if contracted to NATS.

You should also get paid for all the extra stuff we mil controllers are expected to do for free - unit trg team, UTO, LEO, watch roster writer.

And you will be able to join a very powerful union.

A few colleagues have gone across to civvy controlling and have loved it. Some experienced mil controllers, who we thought were good candidates, did not get through selection. Some have been binned off/withdrawn from civil training because they could not adapt to civil ways.

 

[R_Squared]

....walking into a 60k job if they were to remuster and then leave...

That is simply not going to happen. Those who have made the jump across have left the RAF and gone through the normal application process.

We've had a few interested SACs come across, and all of them have asked about the possibility of a civilian licence. We've put all of them straight in that respect, and advised them that it is much easier to just apply directly to NATs.

Obviously, the idea is running around somewhere, but it's not come from any controller's I work with.
I couldn't possible comment on the idea that management might be letting the idea jog about in order to gee up a bit of interest.

 

[Hmmmm]

Unusually, FOMZ is talking out of his backside. The transition isn't anything to do with the CAA other than you would eventually get a licence issued and administered by them. If you are interested in the 'career profile', you need to look at NATS or self fund through something like ASTAC, Gloucestershire whilst banging on SERCO's door with a well crafted CV.

Alternatively, try New Zealand ( a favourite haunt for some ex-RAF types) or Dubai (mostly ex-RN).

 

[FOMz]

. self fund through something like ASTAC, Gloucestershire whilst banging on SERCO's door with a well crafted CV.

QUOTE]

I'm sure I already said something along those lines. As for when I said CAA, I did actually mean NATS - so calm down Hmmm

But back to the OP - I hear from a 'friend' that the cnutroller in question who is feeding out the duff gen that you can easily walk straight into civvy controlling after controlling in the RAF is being corrected in the information that is passed on.