TinCupChallace

I'm a controller as well. Level 12. Medium volume but high complexity. I've been more stressed waiting tables. There's stress but you learn and get better and predict the future better so the next time it's easier.

It's fucking fun. And I make great money.

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The schedule mostly sucks and busy traffic gets harder to deal with as you age. Most controllers are out of their prime after their 40s. The schedule makes it very hard... I got to work at 6 am...worked 8 hours... Back at 10pm and I'll go home at 6am. Today is my Friday. I'll be off until Thurs night. I see my family... Sometimes.

And tonight's been a shit show due to weather. And the coffee sucks (and we have to pay for it).

Honestly.. It's like playing a video game. You forget that there are people on the planes. I work in a radar room so I never see the planes I work, just little blips on a radar screen. There are times of busy work and stress, but my kids stress me out exponentially more than the job ever does.

That being said, the schedule is stressful. It's hard on families. I just finished my "weekend" and got 8 calls for overtime. I just dont answer unless I want to work it but sometimes they schedule you on the OT a week out and it's harder to avoid.

Basic schedule is 5 days on /2 off. Everyone has a different Monday and better shifts go to senior people.

Monday 2pm - 10pm

Tuesday 130pm - 930pm

Wednesday, quick turn(hope you slept last night) 630am - 230pm.

Thursday 6am - 2pm

Thursday (yep same day) 10pm - 6am (but you'll get a 2-4 hour break on this shift and sleep).

And now you are off the rest of Friday after 6am and you don't come back until Monday afternoon so a nice open weekend. My week starts today (Friday night) so it's rough working all weekend.

The FAAs official moto to controllers is "Fuck you, that's why" (sorry faa, just kidding). It maximizes the "weekend" so people like it. It only takes a few weeks to get used to. My facility isnt terribly busy at night but days can be crazy, so it keeps everyone working a mix of traffic through the week. Plus people come in staggered through the day. We are scheduled 8 hour shifts and can only work 10 hours a day max (and 6 days a week max), so it also allows them the option to have people come in 2 hours early or stay 2 hours later to cover for low staffing or someone calling out sick.

But I like it. I just ran a bunch of errands, got the kids to school, went to the gym, took the dog for a run and I still have 3 hours before I have to leave for my "Monday" shift.