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The State Of The...Your Job!

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ShyFlyer (Founding Member) 25 Mar 19, 23:55Post
Lucas wrote:You might also consider rail dispatcher.

I don't really want to move again. Not as young as I used to be.


The "true" nature of my new assignment seems shrouded in some mystery. There is a theory that it is to handle some tasks handled by the patrol division's dispatch. There is a new, and currently unused, CAD terminal in the control room.
Make Orwell fiction again.
ANCFlyer (netAirspace ATC & Founding Member) 26 Mar 19, 07:27Post
Lucas wrote:Kandahar.

{thumbsup} {thumbsup} {thumbsup}

Just an FYI Air Force, they still shoot 'mericans there . . . head on a swivel, 24/7 . . .
LET'S GO BRANDON!!!!
Lucas (netAirspace ATC & Founding Member) 26 Mar 19, 19:45Post
ShyFlyer wrote:
Lucas wrote:You might also consider rail dispatcher.

I don't really want to move again. Not as young as I used to be.


The "true" nature of my new assignment seems shrouded in some mystery. There is a theory that it is to handle some tasks handled by the patrol division's dispatch. There is a new, and currently unused, CAD terminal in the control room.


I was thinking about RTD but I don't know their pay actually.
Lucas (netAirspace ATC & Founding Member) 26 Mar 19, 19:46Post
ANCFlyer wrote:
Lucas wrote:Kandahar.

{thumbsup} {thumbsup} {thumbsup}

Just an FYI Air Force, they still shoot 'mericans there . . . head on a swivel, 24/7 . . .


Yes sir!!! And I do stand out... {blush}
ShanwickOceanic (netAirspace FAA) 26 Mar 19, 21:44Post
Lucas wrote:I was thinking about RTD but I don't know their pay actually.

Do they get to stay in those swanky penthouses you used to get?
My friend and I applied for airline jobs in Australia, but they didn't Qantas.
ShyFlyer (Founding Member) 26 Mar 19, 22:44Post
Lucas wrote:I was thinking about RTD...

I forgot about them. They're on NEOGOV so it'll be easy to keep an eye on openings and payrates (no openings today).


ShanwickOceanic wrote:Do they get to stay in those swanky penthouses you used to get?

RTD is the bus/light rail system for Metro Denver.
Make Orwell fiction again.
halls120 (Plank Owner) 04 May 19, 12:17Post
Recently celebrated my 1 year anniversary in the new job. SO glad I made the move, for a number of reasons. Better work environment, rewarding and challenging responsibilities, and a huge improvement in our quality of life.

If not for this new job, I would have retired 1 January 2019. Glad to still be employed....
At home in the PNW and loving it
ShyFlyer (Founding Member) 04 May 19, 14:52Post
At the "Hilton," we are in the midst of a massive control/security systems upgrade. We're talking about replacing early 80s and 90s era equipment, that's been patched and "MacGyvered" together with a tiny bit of 2000s era equipment.

For the most part, it's going ok with the minor headaches you'd expect from a major IT project. I've had a chance to use the portion of the new system that is live and it is a great improvement over the old mechanical stuff. The interface is highly intuitive and implements many of the comments and suggestions that end users requested.

However, there are major issues with implementation of the system. Nearly all we have learned about the new system, and some new procedures that the system allows for, have come from the contractor installing the system. No info from the upper levels of command and when our concerns (safety and security related) were sent up the chain, our supervisors are only told they need to stop asking questions. We have new alarms for things that don't need an alarm. When we asked the techs if these alarms can be disabled or at least the sound on them turned down, were were told that its technically possible, but the upper level of command specifically requested this feature be implemented in this manner. To their credit, though, the techs will change and or modify stuff per our request if they don't have orders stating otherwise.

It's interesting to note that one of the masterminds (now retired) behind the design and feature selection in the project was also one of the masterminds behind another recent major project, the records management software upgrade. He deliberately withheld many time saving shortcuts in workflow in the new software that are only now being discovered - sometimes by accident and sometimes by the software company representatives showing them to us when they visit to patch/tweak the system and its servers.
Make Orwell fiction again.
Mark 04 May 19, 23:16Post
I've had an unexpected major change in employment. Actually, I'm a little blown away by it.

From 1979 to 2015, I held two simultaneous full time healthcare jobs... one as a paramedic and the other as a registered nurse. I worked about 60 to 80 hours a week and loved every minute of it. Around 2010, I started to notice some pain in my shoulders at night and had trouble reaching for things above the level of my shoulders. I attributed it to overuse after lifting heavy people and stretchers for so many years. Over the next few years, my shoulders worsened and my orthopedist ordered bilateral MRI's. The results showed bursitis and arthritis and he found pathological calcium deposits had permanently developed inside both side's rotator cuff tendons. Finally, in 2015, after experiencing progressive increasing pain and deteriorating range of motion in my shoulders and realizing that it was starting to interfere with the ability to perform my job, I came to the realization that I had to look for less-physically-demanding work and leave the field of healthcare.

Since 2015, I've worked three different jobs in retail, believing each one would be less physically demanding than the last. I worked as a grocery store manager, a customer service manager for Walmart, and, finally, as a lowly, humiliated convenience store clerk. Soon after starting each job, I quickly discovered that my shoulders could not tolerate the required physical demands.

I have three different doctors... two are specialists and one is my primary care provider. Early in 2018, I visited each one for routine, unrelated appointments. Each one independently told me that my shoulders had deteriorated to a point where I should seriously consider applying for Social Security Disability. Reluctantly, I did, with the help of the county's disability office, expecting it to be a bureaucracy-laden waste of time. Over the next few months, I begrudgingly filled out the never-ending supply of forms that arrived in the mail every couple of days and complied with their request to have their doctor examine me.

Seven months later, I received a letter indicating that my initial request for disability had been denied, as expected. The county disability office automatically appealed the decision, which was SOP. Four more months passed. Last Wednesday, I received a call from the regional Social Security office. The man I talked to started out the conversation without identifying himself by saying, "We have to finish up some details. It shouldn't take more than 30 minutes." I was confused and five minutes into the call, he asked for my bank routing number and checking account number. Red flag. I asked, "Why do you need to know that?" That's when he realized that I hadn't received "The Letter"... He said, "Your request for disability has been approved. Congratulations. You're retired."

Retired for medical reasons. I'm not ready to retire and I don't FEEL disabled. Shit, I'm only 58 years old.
Commercial aircraft flown in: B712 B722 B732 B734 B737 B738 B741 B742 B744 B752 B753 B762 B772 A310 A318 A319 A320 A321 DC91 DC93 DC94 DC1030 DC1040 F100 MD82 MD83 A223 CR2 CR7 E175
Lucas (netAirspace ATC & Founding Member) 26 May 19, 03:39Post
Can't say much due to NDA, but imagine if you will:

-Great co-workers, except for one you're paired with who literally is so bad that he killed 6 people and had to leave the country, and is unrepentant, though given in frontload training as "what not to do" in the US.

-Company down the crapper and losing the contract; CCTLR working doubles just to get anyone training.

-You're way ahead of the training curve, but can train only once/3 days due to being used for manning in other positions.

-The Ramadan festivities kick off with some exploded cars by you.

Which isn't that bad. Actually, only one vulnerability is truly egregious, but can't mention it in "public." But holy heck was it horrifying.

Summary: company will take me back whenever, wherever (they understood and loved me), and am hoping to go back when new company takes over, if I can't get elsewhere first. (Probably new company by August, but said company mostly fires everyone each time they take over a contract...which is where 1/3 of the prev controllers came from, with the last lost contract.)

That said, was trying to video some fun turb (just as we left it) and caught these words. Will say that a few of the people there were the best I've ever worked with.

A couple worked for Moloch.

PM me for dirty details.

ShyFlyer (Founding Member) 26 May 19, 20:27Post
^^ I shoulda did what you did at your age.



Lucas wrote:and caught these words.

That is pretty darn cool. 8)
Make Orwell fiction again.
GQfluffy (Database Editor & Founding Member) 28 May 19, 19:18Post
...

How much did you bribe them, and the flight crew for that matter?
Teller of no, fixer of everything, friend of the unimportant and all around good guy; the CAD Monkey
JLAmber (netAirspace ATC & Founding Member) 28 May 19, 21:33Post
Lucas wrote:Great co-workers, except for one you're paired with who literally is so bad that he killed 6 people and had to leave the country, and is unrepentant


Yikes! Sometimes it's a compliment when you're sent to work with the worst of the worst. Some people need to be paired with the best to bring the team average up, but that is just unforgivable.

Very cool send-off there Lucas {thumbsup}

I was offered a senior position in procurement managing additional material requirements for the future build rate increases on *that* line today. If you're in the Northern Hemisphere and you heard what sounded like howls of laughter followed by a very loud "NO" you weren't hearing things, that was me.
A million great ideas...
ShyFlyer (Founding Member) 29 May 19, 01:38Post
The upgrades at work continues. I was searching for an aviation-themed way to explain just how significant this upgrade is for the facility.

Imagine if you will the last passenger production Boeing 727. The cabin is at it's max limit for passenger seats.

On the flight deck, you still have the three-man cockpit with piece-meal upgrades done over the previous years. EFIS instruments for pilot and copilot. Dual GPS units that were state of the art when en-route IFR by GPS was "cutting edge." An FMS that can't do navigation and whose only function is performance calculations. A portable GPS that provides additional situational awareness but support for which by the manufacturer is about to end. Circuit breakers that will pop because the wiring for all this stuff is barely up to spec.

A spiffy new 787 as been approved for order, but the order has not yet been placed. When ordered, it won't enter service for several years. The tired 727 must continue, so renovations to the aircraft are now in place. The entire cockpit will be replaced, eventually, with that of a 737 MAX, but not all at once. First, the FE will get a new modernish panel. Then the First Officer will get a new panel. Lastly, the Captain will have the new panel and the upgrade will still be only partially complete.

The flight controls will then be converted to fly-by-wire.
Make Orwell fiction again.
Lucas (netAirspace ATC & Founding Member) 31 May 19, 17:18Post
ShyFlyer wrote:^^ I shoulda did what you did at your age.
Lucas wrote:and caught these words.

That is pretty darn cool. 8)


They are changing the managers over there to a new company right now. Convince the new guys that they need a stormtrooper to keep us plebs in line!
Lucas (netAirspace ATC & Founding Member) 31 May 19, 17:19Post
GQfluffy wrote:...
How much did you bribe them, and the flight crew for that matter?


Lol, hey man, I signed a general order that prevents me from bribing people. It's terrible!
Lucas (netAirspace ATC & Founding Member) 31 May 19, 17:21Post
JLAmber wrote:
Lucas wrote:Great co-workers, except for one you're paired with who literally is so bad that he killed 6 people and had to leave the country, and is unrepentant


Yikes! Sometimes it's a compliment when you're sent to work with the worst of the worst. Some people need to be paired with the best to bring the team average up, but that is just unforgivable.

Very cool send-off there Lucas {thumbsup}

I was offered a senior position in procurement managing additional material requirements for the future build rate increases on *that* line today. If you're in the Northern Hemisphere and you heard what sounded like howls of laughter followed by a very loud "NO" you weren't hearing things, that was me.



Thanks, and I am sorry to hear about your bad case of the laughs. :))
mhodgson (ATC & Photo Quality Screener & Founding Member) 17 Jun 19, 13:08Post
Unfortunately I've been off work for the past three months following someone jumping in front of my train. Naturally it isn't something I've been particularly keen on sharing; however with support from my employers I'm starting back on Wednesday - and I'm really looking forward to it.

Whilst I've been off work, I have been keeping busy though - and it has been an ideal time to purchase a new home as the time allowed me to do viewings and get my place tidied, de-cluttered and on the market whilst also doing viewings to find a new place. Currently everything is in the works with banks and solicitors, so I'm now just awaiting a moving date. I suspect its been a massive help as well, as during this time off it gave me a reason to get up and keep busy during the day but with little for me to do now, its the right time to get back to work and get some proper routine back (insofar as I can with my weird shifts).
There's the right way, the wrong way and the railway.
vikkyvik 17 Jun 19, 14:05Post
mhodgson wrote:Unfortunately I've been off work for the past three months following someone jumping in front of my train. Naturally it isn't something I've been particularly keen on sharing


Totally understandable. My goodness, I can't imagine. I almost hit a pedestrian who ran out in front of my car one time (accidental), and that was scary enough. Is the 3-month break standard company policy?

Glad you've been staying busy - certainly important. Congrats on the new house!
mhodgson (ATC & Photo Quality Screener & Founding Member) 17 Jun 19, 20:41Post
There isn't really a standard under the circumstances - it's individual. Some people come back after a week but I was strongly advised not to as those that do often suffer more psychologically in the long term. My way meant I got support and feel ready to go back, so hopefully when I drive through the area I won't stress or have a flashback - though they still send me out with a manager the first couple of times I go through to make sure!
There's the right way, the wrong way and the railway.
JLAmber (netAirspace ATC & Founding Member) 17 Jun 19, 21:40Post
Definitely a good idea to take your time with such things Martin, better to be back on the rails with your head in the right place. My Father served as a JP, often chairing inquests into transport deaths, and he needed to step away for a while after just hearing the details of some of the cases, so you're absolutely right to take your time after what you experienced first-hand.

mhodgson wrote:it has been an ideal time to purchase a new home


No more Salford Quays? Is it you that bought Rooney's old place in Wilmslow? :))
A million great ideas...
mhodgson (ATC & Photo Quality Screener & Founding Member) 17 Jun 19, 21:45Post
I wish :)) - my budget has put me in a Bolton postcode - was originally looking at south Manchester but my money has gone a hell of a lot further on the north side, the only difficulty being fewer direct trains to work when I get a daytime shift.
There's the right way, the wrong way and the railway.
vikkyvik 18 Jun 19, 13:59Post
mhodgson wrote:There isn't really a standard under the circumstances - it's individual.


That's good - let people take as much time as they need after something traumatic like that.

Best wishes as you resume your duties.
vikkyvik 18 Jun 19, 13:59Post
mhodgson wrote:There isn't really a standard under the circumstances - it's individual.


That's good - let people take as much time as they need after something traumatic like that.

Best wishes as you resume your duties.
Mark 12 Jul 19, 14:59Post
I think I just landed a job as the public relations guy for the Leonid & Friends band. It's a new position for them. It could be an at-home computer and phone type job or I could end up touring with the band with occasional trips to Moscow. I don't even know what it pays.

Commercial aircraft flown in: B712 B722 B732 B734 B737 B738 B741 B742 B744 B752 B753 B762 B772 A310 A318 A319 A320 A321 DC91 DC93 DC94 DC1030 DC1040 F100 MD82 MD83 A223 CR2 CR7 E175
 

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