DaytonaJoe

Mandatory 6 day work weeks at many facilities. Inability to choose where you work - you could be placed anywhere in the country. If you get placed at a poorly staffed facility you may not be able to leave before retirement, unless the system changes. Basically in an effort to staff shitholes where no one wants to work, they've made it so no one can leave those places unless staffing rises above an unrealistic threshold.

I used to love this job but 6 day work weeks have killed my enthusiasm in and out of work. I'd also add that many people suspect the FAA is keeping things the way they are, rather than massively increasing hiring, because it's cheaper to pay the overtime than it is to pay new bodies and their trainers.

They pay mileage if you drive or they pay for your ticket. You're also paid for your time in Oklahoma and it's honestly a pretty sweet deal. They give you a per diem rate that is way more than enough to live there, especially if you don't stay at the normal controller spots...the owners know who stays there, so they rip you off knowing what you're getting paid.

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When you get to your facility you start getting raises with each position you certify on, gradually rising from the starting salary of $45k or so up to whatever you'll be making as a certified controller. The training process tkes about 1-3 years.

I did it that way as well, but as of a few years ago the FAA decided not to prioritize hiring CTI people over "off the street" applicants, so the only advantage is you get to skip 5 weeks of class in Oklahoma City. It is still that way, isn't it?

Let's say your family or wherever you want to be is place A. When you get hired, the FAA sends you to place B, 2000 miles from there and critically understaffed. You can't leave until staffing improves but for every trainee that certifies (a 1-3 year process typically), someone retires, flunks out of training, or hardships (force the agency to let you move for some specific reasons like medical care for family). Because of this, people who are stuck sometimes quit, worsening the problem.

If you manage to get picked up in time, it's incredibly unlikely you'd stay local. They send you to class in Oklahoma City for a couple months and where you end up is dependent on how you score relative to your class. If you're #1 you get first pick from a list of facilities, #2 is 2nd etc. The list is formed of facilities that need people and would be appropriate for a first time controller.