First ARTCC

[Jonah Finkelstein 1361947]

Which ARTCC should I join at the beginning?

 

Requirements:

 

-Good training staff

-Medium to low traffic

-More than 1 major airport

-VATUSA

[Jason Baxter 920557]

The requirement for multiple major airports is going to be a complication. That being said, id recommend ZHU. I cant speak for the training staff but they have modest traffic and between IAH, HOU and MSY there will be enough to keep you awake.

 

The only other two that meet the requirements are ZMA and ZTL but ATL can be considerably busy so there is that issue.

[Ernesto Alvarez 818262]

your choice. look around, get to know them and what they have. cant tell you which to join, youll have to do the homework yourself there.

 

personally i would add to your list the really important factors, such as how many trainers do they have, how many students are on that training list, whats the waiting list (if any).

 

avoid the major ones like New York for example, while excellent places to control, being popular has its downside when it comes to training simply because youve also got a lot of others interested to control there.

[Jonah Finkelstein 1361947]

Thanks for the quick responses! I'll check out ZHU first, then look at some of the other ones.

[Krikor Hajian]

Jonah,

 

If you're looking for multiple major airports, another ARTCC that meets your requirements is Washington (ZDC). We have three cl[Mod - Happy Thoughts] Bravo airports (DCA, IAD, BWI), as well as some cl[Mod - Happy Thoughts] charlies that are fairly busy (RDU, ORF). As well, the flows into New York, Atlanta and Miami are generally pretty busy. The airspace is fun, complex and challenging, but traffic levels are not as high as some of the other large metropolitan areas such as New York.

 

Wherever you go, I'm sure you'll be making a good choice, as VATUSA has a lot to offer and is enjoyable no matter where you go. I do recommend reading through an ARTCC's general policies, training progression and requirements, etc. before selecting where you go. That way, you'll have an idea what to expect and can be sure you're making the correct choice.

[Rick Rump]

Jonah,

 

While ZDC does meet every one of your requirements, I would recommend looking at some of the smaller facilities that certainly need more controllers:

ZID, ZLC, ZKC, ZOB and ZAU come to mind. I would check each facility's website and you can always send the facility staff any questions ([email protected] where XXX is the there letter ARTCC identifier).

[Andrew Morkunas]

 

avoid the major ones like New York for example, while excellent places to control, being popular has its downside when it comes to training simply because youve also got a lot of others interested to control there.

 

With all due respect ZNY has a very responsive training staff and training progresses at the pace of the student. The challenge at ZNY is we have four major airports, three of which are under one Cl[Mod - Happy Thoughts] B airspace, TRACONs hand off and receive from neighboring ARTCCs requiring knowledge of ZDC and ZBW procedures and letters of agreement, an oceanic sector, and radar services in Bermuda. Our SOPs are based directly on the real world procedures. Our DATM is a captain for a major airline and our training administrator is a FAA tower controller. This at times is overwhelming but ZNY prides itself on the quality of controllers we produce. We do not turn away anyone who comes to join our ARTCC. Be ready to study hard that is all we ask.

[Sebastien Bartosz]

+1 Andrew!

ZNY is busy but has a responsive training staff. Im not just saying that because I'm a member there.

[Camden Bruno]

Im not just saying that because I'm a member there.

 

vZNY is indeed very popular, however, from what I have seen that does not affect their staff responsiveness or training progression. As with most ARTCCs, if you dedicate the time and effort, you can progress as fast or slow as you'd like. From what I understand, a lot of their initial programs are self-study, therefore, you actually get on the scopes a lot quicker than most ARTCCs (even the very small ones) as long as you're proficient with the material. As Andrew stated, it may take a bit longer to conquer Center considering you have a lot to learn in terms of the multiple complex airspaces and airports, but your dedication is still key and it revolves around how much you put into it.

 

I am not a vZNY member (although I'm honored to have them as a neighbor), so I wanted to vouch for them and support the fact that Andrew and Sebastien's statements were not bias.

 

I'd encourage you to go wherever you want to go. Do not base it on popularity. The only additional comment I have is that I see you are looking for an ARTCC with multiple major designated airports, but one with low-medium traffic. Generally you'll find that most ARTCCs with more than one major designated airport are some of the most busy airspaces.

 

Good luck!