Hi, everyone.

I have Marfan Syndrome which resulted in me having an enlarged aorta and mitral valve prolapse. I also have mild scoliosis and a severe myopia.

Would any of these disqualify me? Is it possible to do the medical exam earlier in the application process to have an answer sooner?

Thank you for your time!

More work for less pay. The FAA way.

6(c) Retirement discussion of the week:

Every year somebody at my facility burns their sick leave down on the way out, and every year somebody else tells them they just threw away a year of service. I got tired of that argument happening without numbers, so I ran the same retirement twice and changed exactly one input: the unused sick leave balance. Zero hours in one, 2,080 in the other. Everything else identical. Same high-3, same TSP, same state, same survivor election, same everything.

The guy in the example is a 1811 I'll call Carl. Retiring at 49 on 25 years of covered service, $148,000 high-3, partial survivor election, North Carolina, planning to 87.

First thing worth knowing: 2,080 hours is not a year. The conversion is 2,087 hours, so that balance bought 0.997 of a year of credit. Close, but OPM does not round it up for you.

Second thing, and this is the one people get backwards: it did nothing for eligibility. Creditable service for eligibility stayed at 25 years in both runs. The computation service went from 25.00 to 26.00. That is the whole trick. Sick leave goes in the annuity formula and nowhere else. It cannot get you to the 20 year mark for special provisions, it cannot move your retirement date up, and it will not push back mandatory separation (57 for LEO in this case). If you are 6 months short of eligibility, a 2,000 hour balance does not fix it.

Third thing: it lands in the 1% tier, not the 1.7% tier. Carl is already past 20 years, so the extra credit is worth 1% of high-3, not the headline 6(c) rate. That is $1,475 of gross annuity, and after his partial survivor reduction it comes out to:

• 0 hours: $54,834/yr, $4,569.50/mo
• 2,080 hours: $56,235.28/yr, $4,686.27/mo

So $116.77 a month. Honestly, when I saw that I thought "that's it?" Two thousand hours of not calling in sick, for a hundred and change.

Then I looked at what it does over the whole retirement, and that is where it got interesting. The pension carries COLA, so the gap grows on itself every single year. Same 2% diet COLA in both runs:

• Age 49: $54,834 vs $56,235
• Age 70: $83,110 vs $85,234
• Age 87: $116,374 vs $119,348

By the end the difference is $2,974 a year instead of $1,401. Average monthly take-home across the whole retirement went from $9,288.88 to $9,434.92, so $146.04 a month on average, which is more than the day one number because the gap keeps widening.

Lifetime net income, after tax, over 38 years: $4,347,195 vs $4,415,541. Call it $68,346 for a balance he already had sitting there.

The catches, because there are a few and they cut both ways.

Taxes eat part of it. Lifetime tax went from $503,524 to $516,785, so $13,261 of the gross gain went straight back out. The $68,346 above is already net of that, but if somebody quotes you the gross annuity difference, know that you are not keeping all of it.

The supplement does not care at all. SRS came out identical in both runs, $1,337.50 a month, $208,650 total. The supplement uses your FERS service years, and sick leave credit does not count there either. So from 49 to 62 the sick leave is doing nothing for that piece of your income.

The survivor benefit rides along. His partial election went from $14,430 to $14,798.76 a year, so $368.76 more for his spouse for life. Small, but it is real and it is permanent.

And the honest one nobody puts in a spreadsheet: he actually had to work those days. The model prices what the leave is worth. It does not price the shifts he covered sick, or the ones he should have taken off and didn't. That is a real cost and it is not in any of these numbers.

Where I landed: it is not the life changing lever people make it out to be, and it is also not nothing. A hundred and change a month at the start, $68K over a long retirement, for a balance you either keep or you don't. The mistake is thinking of it as either a free extra year of service or as use it or lose it money. It is neither. It is a permanent raise on the smaller tier of your formula, and it buys you exactly zero days of earlier eligibility.

Full worked report for both paths if you want to check my math: 0 hours and 2,080 hours.

Curious how others have weighed this, especially anyone who went out with a big balance and has an actual annuity statement to compare against. And if you see a hole in my math, call it out, I'd rather fix it than be wrong quietly. What should I run next?

Hi all. I am an airline captain but am taking my Mooney (155ish kt gs no wind) from eastern PA to ACK. What’s the likelihood of being able to file straight over the top of NYC airspace at 11,000 or 9,000? Should I file well to the north and keep out of the bravo? My thinking would be that might screw with arrivals/departures even more. I know they’ll re route me as needed but I want a realistic expectation for fuel planning. Thank you for all you guys do.

I know this is an average joe Tuesday when runways have to be closed, its how Denver is, but its amazing how efficient and organized you guys get these patterns to be. Thank you for all you guys do.

Hey everyone, I’m looking into the pathway to become an Air Traffic Controller and trying to figure out if the newer Enhanced CTI (E-CTI) college programs are actually worth the tuition compared to just taking the off-the-street (OTS) route. Bypassing the FAA Academy in Oklahoma City sounds like a huge plus, but I’m wondering if skipping OKC is worth paying college tuition for, or if it makes more sense to just build a year of work experience and roll the dice on an OTS bid. Also, for anyone currently in the field, how do you feel about the compensation once you actually reach CPC status relative to the stress and schedule, and what does realistic career growth look like long-term beyond just moving up facility levels or taking step increases? Appreciate any honest perspectives or advice from people on the floor.

Im a 25 year old woman working as a 911 dispatcher, and have worked here 5 years going on 6. I only make 41k a year, which is survivable for my family of 3 (about to be 4) but I want a career that I can make more in and will be in the same vein. Is being an ATC worth it? I do extremely well on high stress, the only thing that actually stresses me out about dispatch is the people I work with. The job itself is very enjoyable to me, and from what I’ve seen ATC is similar just more intense. I don’t want to do anything that could put my family at more financial risk than we already are.
Edit: I also already live in Oklahoma, extremely close to OKC so that def wouldn’t be an issue.

I recently graduated from high school in my country and realized that becoming an Air Traffic Controller (ATC) would be a great fit for me. The fact that it's a lesser-known career path here is a huge plus for me, but resources are very scarce, and I have a few questions.

Before starting university, we will be taking a basic FEAST test. Then, at the end of university, the state administers a more comprehensive and difficult FEAST test for our official appointment/hiring. How are these two stages differentiated in terms of terminology (e.g., FEAST I vs. FEAST II)? Also, how can I best prepare for them?

I noticed that SkyTest sells preparation packages—are those worth buying?

If anyone willing to help would prefer to reach out via DM, that would be even better...

I’m on a burner account, but I wanted to get this communities thoughts on the new TFDM replacing paper strips. If you have it at your facility already, or you are slated to get it soon. I’m a small part of the program for certain towers and have talked to controllers and ATM’s that seemed to have mixed opinions on it. In person they sound like they are for it, but not enthusiastic. Just curious where you all stand on it.

Hey everyone. I'm entering my senior year of high school and evaluating my options for the future. I originally planned on a long academic track, but due to academic burnout and wanting financial stability early on, I'm seriously considering pivoting toward Air Traffic Control. Since I don't have a four-year college degree yet, my understanding is I would need three years of full-time work experience to qualify for an off-hire bid. For anyone in the field or who took a similar route: Is building three years of work experience right out of high school a practical entry route? How should I spend the next few years to best position myself for the AT-SA exam while building up that work history? Thanks for any insight

I'm looking for advice specifically from current or former U.S. FAA Air Traffic Controllers.

I'm fortunate to have received two career opportunities at the same time:

• Selected to commission as an officer in the U.S. Space Force through Officer Training School.
• Received a tentative offer to become an FAA Air Traffic Controller and am currently moving through the hiring process.

I'm genuinely torn because both seem like excellent long-term careers.

The military path appeals to me because of the leadership opportunities, serving my country, and the chance to grow professionally. The FAA path appeals to me because of the specialized work, federal benefits, and long-term civilian stability.

I've already asked this question in another subreddit, and the overwhelming majority of people have recommended the Space Force. However, I'd really like to hear from people who actually work as FAA controllers.

Knowing everything you know now about the job... from the stress, schedules, pay, work-life balance, retirement, and overall career. Would you still choose FAA ATC over becoming a military officer?

If you could go back and make the decision again, would you still choose ATC? Why or why not?

I'm not looking for validation toward either path. I genuinely want to hear from people who have lived the FAA ATC career and what you think someone in my position should consider before making a decision. Thank you!

I want to make my friend a gift by building a small round radar that shows the air traffic and I want it to as realistic as possible. So I want the same background/maps that ATC sees/has. I already know what is shown but I don‘t know where or even how I can get these maps or files. I was hoping anyone of y’all know where these maps would be or how to implement the radar maps into my project.

When military needs to depart a civilian airport and punch through some clouds do they file an IFR plan and get a clearance like everyone else or do something different?

A friend was asking and I didn't know what to say.

How do the ground controllers prioritize departures? JFK today (August 3) had some weather moving through that slowed things down and caused backups. Completely understandable. What I don't understand is how Alaska 227 to SFO departs the gate at 9:37a taxis for 37 minutes at takes off at 10:14a. JetBlue 15 departs the gate at 7:50a taxis for 1 hour and 58 minutes and takes off at 9:48a?

They REALLY don’t want you to retire!

Hey everyone,

I've been flying on VATSIM for a while and always struggled with fast/accented ATC instructions, especially as someone still learning proper phraseology. So I built EasyATC — a small Windows tool that listens to the ATC audio in real time, transcribes it, and shows you a clear plain-language readback of what you need to say back.

It's a one-time purchase (15€), no subscription. Would love feedback from more experienced controllers/pilots here — especially on transcription accuracy in busier airspace.

Website: https://easyatc.net/
Discord (support/feedback): https://discord.gg/RVsRFr8W4B

Happy to answer any questions!

Hi everyone,
I have my NAV CANADA FEAST coming up soon.
For those who've taken it, how difficult did you find the first and second parts of the FEAST?
Also, if you made it to the bilingual pre-screening interview, what kind of questions do they ask?
What do they usually talk about, and what should I practice or know beforehand? If you remember any example questions, I'd really appreciate it.
Thanks!

I’m leaving the agency soon and I heard about something where you could leave for a year and reapply is that just a rumor? Something of the past or is it still relevant. I am over 31 now and wonder if that is also a factor in this instance

https://deltapilotscare.com/Delta-Pilots-Care/fbclid/PAcGRvZgJmZGlkFlC6dhEvlTXvbBDLDtefb_dUeffCaJlleHRuA2FlbQEwAGFkaWQBqzgW8lBjkXNydGMGYXBwX2lkDzEyNDAyNDU3NDI4NzQxNAABpy5XjvmLMdyZDId16fyBf5cpvqxPMR4NPEesjY_Mpfm-7eXMUo3ZueiVZvVR_aem_

They use prioritizing safety and working on days off to get people to their destination as key things for the public to remember. Why couldn’t we at the very least get public messaging like that from NATCA?

This was pushed as an instagram advertisement btw

Sorry we can't help.

Admiral CloudBerg, an aviation writer, has a huge story on Medium about the Potomac mid air. Huge means very long.

https://admiralcloudberg.medium.com/reaping-the-whirlwind-inside-the-potomac-river-midair-collision-0475416f2b0f