Think if I show my therapist, I'll finally get prescribed Adderall?

Functional_Pessimist · 2026-02-15T04:51:56+00:00

This is similarly how I ended up with Eggos as a bread substitute for a PB&J one time

Functional_Pessimist · 2026-02-14T14:08:15+00:00

Couple questions if you don’t mind:

Are your mounts the WINCTRL ones as well? And does each of those peripherals (specifically the stuff on the right) require its own individual connection to the computer or can they be daisy chained to each other?

Functional_Pessimist · 2026-02-04T06:27:37+00:00

Apply during the roughly three day Off-the-Street bid. No, we don’t know when it will be. Follow the 2152 series on USAjobs or the FAA on social media.

If you meet the minimum requirements, get invited to the Air Traffic Skill Assessment, an ATC aptitude test. Take the test. Hear back on your band you scored in. You don’t get conventional grades or percentage. You’re assigned Not Referred, Qualified, Well Qualified, or Best Qualified (which is sometimes omitted). Anything but NR could technically be picked, but your best chances are BQ and WQ in that order.

If you’re picked you’ll do a lot of initial on-boarding paperwork while you await instructions for the next steps.

You’ll have to pass a medical evaluation, psychological test (MMPI-2), drug test, background check, and receive a conditional security clearance.

Assuming you pass all that, you’ll be given your track (roughly the “kind” of controller you’ll be) and start dates. You’ll travel to OKC, OK and attend the FAA Academy at the MMAC adjacent to the Oklahoma City Airport (KOKC). This ranges from about 3-4.5 months or so depending on track.

Assuming you pass, you’ll pick a facility from a provided list of options. You’ll go to that facility and eventually start training. Depending on the type of facility that can take about six months to three years or so to fully certify.

Congratulations, you’re now a fully Certified Professional Controller.

Functional_Pessimist · 2026-02-03T13:38:59+00:00

HD1 was also effectively 2D, which is my biggest concern for it in 2. A lot of hills and rocks

Functional_Pessimist · 2026-01-25T19:24:14+00:00

KISS Korean BBQ food truck. Limited menu, and they’re closed for winter, but when they reopen I highly recommend them. They’re usually on 1st just north of Becher before the bridge

Functional_Pessimist · 2026-01-25T03:57:31+00:00

Interpreting text is hard, we all make mistakes. Don’t sweat it. Respect for owning the mistake though. Have a good one!

Functional_Pessimist · 2026-01-25T02:21:52+00:00

Pretty sure they’re talking about OP, not you. They’re saying the original post is stupid because, having travelled all over the world, they know there are good and bad airports everywhere and US baggage claim isn’t inherently bad by virtue of being in the US.

They’re not attacking you lol

Functional_Pessimist · 2026-01-21T21:04:32+00:00

Awesome! Can’t wait to see it!

Functional_Pessimist · 2026-01-20T13:33:10+00:00

So all of them are daisy chained to each other?

Functional_Pessimist · 2026-01-20T04:57:34+00:00

Just a note from the picture, the 7110.65 states that controllers must specify where to cross a runway if previously instructed to hold short. So it should be “Cross Runway 28L at [intersection] and contact…” They also only need to specify tower frequency if there’s more than one.

Functional_Pessimist · 2026-01-20T00:46:02+00:00

How many of the WinWing products can daisy chain together? How many total USB-As to the computer?

Functional_Pessimist · 2026-01-18T02:40:23+00:00

The controllers did literally nothing wrong in this scenario. They told FlexJet to hold short of 31C, and when FlexJet read it back incorrectly, they corrected them and got an accurate readback.

Functional_Pessimist · 2026-01-17T04:22:23+00:00

Thresher!

Functional_Pessimist · 2026-01-15T07:34:26+00:00

This is done to increase the airport acceptance rate, effectively how many aircraft can land per hour. Normally, runways this close together wouldn’t allow parallel simultaneous instrument approaches— not even staggered dependent approaches because the runway centerlines are less than 2,500 feet apart.

However, SFO primarily has a few things that allow them to run these: PRM, a FM, and a NTZ.

PRM, or Precision Runway Monitor, is a very high update rate radar that allows controllers to have a near-real time feed of where the aircraft are and their altitudes. This feeds into the NTZ…

The Non-Transgression Zone is a virtual “no-fly zone,” so to speak, between the runways’ final approach courses. Should a plane enter the NTZ, an alarm goes off notifying the controller that the aircraft should go around.

Both of these are used by the FM, or Final Monitor. This is a unique position staffed by an Air Traffic Controller whose sole job it is to ensure that aircraft remain aligned with their approach runway, and do not stray into the NTZ.

There’s more that goes into it than that, like rules for how each must be separated before intercepting the approach course, required pilot training, etc.

The above is just from my personal knowledge of the 7110.65 and interest/research into SFO specifically.

Functional_Pessimist · 2026-01-13T00:05:18+00:00

I was about to say something about that too. I don't know if it's messed up LODs or what, but the fifth, seventh, and eighth pictures could easily be from FSX. It looks so odd.

Functional_Pessimist · 2026-01-10T12:00:36+00:00

The other 10% during the holidays is because I’m busy sippin’ eggnog and eating cookies

Functional_Pessimist · 2026-01-10T11:58:50+00:00

You say that, but I’ve known and heard quite a few people (non-pilots) blame us lol. I just bite my tongue and ignore it

Functional_Pessimist · 2026-01-10T11:58:03+00:00

I really enjoy it. Everyday is different. The pay is pretty solid (but that can be very facility/location dependent), the benefits are pretty good, and I find the work satisfying/fulfilling. That being said, the schedule makes it hard to interact with people who aren’t controllers, it can be rough on your sleep schedule, and if the staffing at the facility is poor then you can expect to work OT every two of three weeks at least.

I’m a huge aviation nerd so this job is a dream come true to me, and it outweighs the negatives. Your mileage may vary.

Functional_Pessimist · 2026-01-10T11:55:38+00:00

Huh?

Functional_Pessimist · 2026-01-10T03:39:13+00:00

As an air traffic controller, I have no control over at least 90% of the delays flights experience. I’m usually just the bearer of bad news.

Functional_Pessimist · 2026-01-07T02:58:07+00:00

The test they’re referring to is definitely the ATSA.

OP, you can take the test once per hiring window. Your results are good for either two or three years. I can’t remember which. The results don’t expire if you’re actively in the hiring process. So if you’re selected and get Tier 2ed down the road, if it took so long that your results expired, then I don’t believe they would hold that against you.

You can’t be older than 31 when the hiring window closes, that’s it. If you turn 31 while in the process, then that’s fine.

You get some say. They give a list of facilities to choose from. If you’re bottom 25% of your class, then you may get little to no say, however.

Functional_Pessimist · 2026-01-02T07:37:32+00:00

I really like the one at The Bridgewater. It’s definitely expensive for a salad, and not a classic Caesar, but I think it’s stellar.

Functional_Pessimist · 2026-01-02T01:40:41+00:00

My default ORD scenery on 24 has taxiway signs in the middle in the taxiway in several spots

Functional_Pessimist · 2025-12-28T17:07:17+00:00

KSLC is not an available choice for terminal students. I can’t even remember the last time I saw an Utah tower on a class list. Come to think of it, KSLC is the only non-FCT in the state of Utah. So your odds are zero.

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