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Totally Useless Thread On A Rainy Wednesday

Everything that would not belong anywhere else.
 

Lucas (netAirspace ATC & Founding Member) 01 Jan 14, 22:34Post
Welcome to the year 2014 and a new thread for rainy days and incorrigible people.

To start us off, the FAA just completely changed their hiring process for air traffic controllers due to lawsuit concerns over diversity.

Target has shifted, tracking!
GQfluffy (Database Editor & Founding Member) 01 Jan 14, 23:30Post
So does this just through everything you've worked for off the track?
Teller of no, fixer of everything, friend of the unimportant and all around good guy; the CAD Monkey
ANCFlyer (netAirspace ATC & Founding Member) 02 Jan 14, 01:16Post
throw, not through Fluffy {duck}

Well more Obamination perhaps?

Look, I work for . . . I can't say . . . . there's a hiring preference, by law, here as well. But the good thing is, if you're a moron and you apply, you're still screwed.

Thank God.

Mind you, I'm still surrounded, but at least I got some say . . . .
LET'S GO BRANDON!!!!
Lucas (netAirspace ATC & Founding Member) 02 Jan 14, 03:23Post
As far as I can tell, what ANCFlyer says will be true, and it's part of a push for 2014 by the administration indeed.

Here's the problem: the best controllers are military. These are largely "non-diverse." The college training initiative candidates (CTI) have been discovered to be, well, not that awesome at the job, and those who do make it are also "not diverse." Getting a general feel for things?

Lawsuit threats because the FAA was having closed bids for ATC-degree holders (CTI) and VRA (vets). Only other bid was the very rare OTS (off-the-street) bid, the last of which was in 2009. Both CTI and VRA could also apply for the OTS bids. Oh no, not diverse, because vets are better!

Apparently, this is "very prejudiced" and has resulted in a workforce largely dominated by a certain sort of human being, kind of like during the Reagan years, and is entirely unacceptable. Keep in mind, though, that the washout rate is high for non-VRA applicants.

Well, the FAA said, "Screw it, your 2-year, $30-60K degree no longer matters. 3 years progressively responsible work experience or a 4-year degree in anything. There will only be one bid, and it will be OTS (everyone bids)."

Another big change is that you can no longer select location preferences. You'll go wherever they feel like. Before, you could pick two states you'd like to work. Now the FAA will assign you based on a variety of factors.

OJT at ZNY (New York) takes 2-4 years. The wash-out rate can be high. Once you're there, you're stuck, because they don't want to let someone who CAN do the job go and replace them with someone who WON'T be able to do it for 2-4 years.

Now that the FAA assigns you automatically, the chaff will be shunted to places where they might succeed (ie., podunk-nowhereville), and the ones who can do the job (VRA hires) will be sent where they're needed. (ZMA, ZNY, ZID, etc.)

Overall, it is expected that military applicants will still come out way on top, that they might hire some "diversity" and send them to a few backwater crapholes, that the legal threats will go away, and that military applicants will now have more chances to apply.
Lucas (netAirspace ATC & Founding Member) 02 Jan 14, 03:49Post
To be totally useless, I'm going to have an opportunity to try out my 60D soon!

My laptop is heading back to the manufacturer a second time, too...all within a month.
gkirk 02 Jan 14, 13:10Post
I just had an awesome shit
captoveur 02 Jan 14, 13:27Post
gkirk wrote:I just had an awesome shit


Me too!
I like my coffee how I like my women: Black, bitter, and preferably fair trade.
Mark 03 Jan 14, 01:23Post
Obamacare finally verified my identity and I was able to get through the website. With my hospital and EMS wages taken into consideration, I can get a gold plan that looks pretty good.

Image
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
Boris (Founding Member) 03 Jan 14, 02:10Post
Mark wrote:With my hospital and EMS wages taken into consideration, I can get a gold plan that looks pretty good.

Anytime you can get other people to pay sixty five percent of your bill, it looks pretty good... {crazy}
The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers...
Mark 03 Jan 14, 03:31Post
Boris wrote:
Mark wrote:With my hospital and EMS wages taken into consideration, I can get a gold plan that looks pretty good.

Anytime you can get other people to pay sixty five percent of your bill, it looks pretty good... {crazy}


Well, I could lie about my income in order to pay more. {silly}
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
halls120 (Plank Owner) 03 Jan 14, 12:26Post
Mark wrote:Well, I could lie about my income in order to pay more. {silly}


Why isn't your hospital offering a health care plan?
At home in the PNW and loving it
Mark 03 Jan 14, 16:07Post
halls120 wrote:
Mark wrote:Well, I could lie about my income in order to pay more. {silly}


Why isn't your hospital offering a health care plan?

I'm part time. They hire all their nurses as part time, then offer them more hours over the period of a year until they're full time.
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
ShyFlyer (Founding Member) 03 Jan 14, 16:18Post
Speaking of which, I almost forgot that I'm a criminal now. Yep. Don't have health care coverage. I'll refrain from the pontifications since this isn't a politics thread.
Make Orwell fiction again.
Cadet57 03 Jan 14, 17:10Post
ShyFlyer wrote:Speaking of which, I almost forgot that I'm a criminal now. Yep. Don't have health care coverage. I'll refrain from the pontifications since this isn't a politics thread.


Me neither!
halls120 (Plank Owner) 03 Jan 14, 18:12Post
ShyFlyer wrote:Speaking of which, I almost forgot that I'm a criminal now. Yep. Don't have health care coverage. I'll refrain from the pontifications since this isn't a politics thread.


You realize that you are being unpatriotic, correct? ;)
At home in the PNW and loving it
Boris (Founding Member) 03 Jan 14, 18:24Post
halls120 wrote:
ShyFlyer wrote:Speaking of which, I almost forgot that I'm a criminal now. Yep. Don't have health care coverage. I'll refrain from the pontifications since this isn't a politics thread.


You realize that you are being unpatriotic, correct? ;)

{thumbsup} {thumbsup} {thumbsup}

Young, healthy, and uninsured!!! {bugeye}

That's close to treason... 8)
The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers...
miamiair (netAirspace FAA) 03 Jan 14, 18:54Post
Boris wrote:Young, healthy, and uninsured!!! {bugeye}

That's close to treason... 8)


You forgot well-informed and can think for himself.
And let's get one thing straight. There's a big difference between a pilot and an aviator. One is a technician; the other is an artist in love with flight. — E. B. Jeppesen
ShyFlyer (Founding Member) 03 Jan 14, 22:36Post
Also, I'm at the mercy of basic math:

Wage - Bills = Disposable Income < Insurance Premimums
Make Orwell fiction again.
CO777ER (Database Editor & Founding Member) 03 Jan 14, 22:36Post
Kim Jong Un fed his uncle to starving dogs {crazy}

Link
JeffSFO (Photo Quality Screener & Founding Member) 03 Jan 14, 23:51Post
CO777ER wrote:Kim Jong Un fed his uncle to starving dogs {crazy}

Link


Most likely not as the only source for this story is a Hong Kong tabloid devoid of any credibility. However, it is possible that said uncle was executed by firing squad with anti-aircraft guns:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2014/01/03/no-kim-jong-un-probably-didnt-feed-his-uncle-to-120-hungry-dogs/

Even if he wasn't blown away with AAA, that method has been used for executions in North Korea before. {nut}
Lucas (netAirspace ATC & Founding Member) 04 Jan 14, 00:23Post
JeffSFO wrote:...dogs... {nut}


And if not, Kim is probably thinking, "Why didn't I think of that!?!"
KFLLCFII 04 Jan 14, 12:43Post
Lucas wrote:As far as I can tell, what ANCFlyer says will be true, and it's part of a push for 2014 by the administration indeed.

Here's the problem: the best controllers are military. These are largely "non-diverse." The college training initiative candidates (CTI) have been discovered to be, well, not that awesome at the job, and those who do make it are also "not diverse." Getting a general feel for things?

Lawsuit threats because the FAA was having closed bids for ATC-degree holders (CTI) and VRA (vets). Only other bid was the very rare OTS (off-the-street) bid, the last of which was in 2009. Both CTI and VRA could also apply for the OTS bids. Oh no, not diverse, because vets are better!

Apparently, this is "very prejudiced" and has resulted in a workforce largely dominated by a certain sort of human being, kind of like during the Reagan years, and is entirely unacceptable. Keep in mind, though, that the washout rate is high for non-VRA applicants.

Well, the FAA said, "Screw it, your 2-year, $30-60K degree no longer matters. 3 years progressively responsible work experience or a 4-year degree in anything. There will only be one bid, and it will be OTS (everyone bids)."

Another big change is that you can no longer select location preferences. You'll go wherever they feel like. Before, you could pick two states you'd like to work. Now the FAA will assign you based on a variety of factors.

OJT at ZNY (New York) takes 2-4 years. The wash-out rate can be high. Once you're there, you're stuck, because they don't want to let someone who CAN do the job go and replace them with someone who WON'T be able to do it for 2-4 years.

Now that the FAA assigns you automatically, the chaff will be shunted to places where they might succeed (ie., podunk-nowhereville), and the ones who can do the job (VRA hires) will be sent where they're needed. (ZMA, ZNY, ZID, etc.)

Overall, it is expected that military applicants will still come out way on top, that they might hire some "diversity" and send them to a few backwater crapholes, that the legal threats will go away, and that military applicants will now have more chances to apply.


Is there still a must-be-under-30-years-old-for-phone-call rule?
Mark 04 Jan 14, 17:35Post
Looky what I won on eBay for $19.95. A brand new, in-the-box DeVilbiss steam vaporizer from the early 1960's. This sucker will put a modern cool mist humidifier to shame.

Image
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) 04 Jan 14, 18:32Post
KFLLCFII wrote:
Is there still a must-be-under-30-years-old-for-phone-call rule?


Tentative offer letter prior to 31st birthday stops the clock. So as long as they've typed in the TOL by 30 years and 364 days, you're set.

Lots of people averaging around 800 days now from TOL to...well, still no FOL.
Mark 05 Jan 14, 15:38Post
I had the joy of picking up friends that were flying into MSP from SEA last night. Flight Aware showed they'd arrive at 2005, 20 minutes ahead of schedule. So I left the house early. I spent 45 minutes and 30 miles driving the loop at MSP. The loop is the circular route that brings you back through the arrivals/baggage pickup area every 2 miles at the airport.
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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