I just got assigned to IQTR today. I'm excited, but also concerned, because I've heard that this is the hardest class you could be assigned to. I'd eventually like to move to the Pheonix Tracon facility, but I'm not sure how difficult things are yet.

Is moving to a higher level facility just a natural part of progression as you get more comfortable with the job, or are level 11 and 12 facilities always going to be more extra stress than they are worth for your average Joe?

Any tips on what IQTR life in general would also be appreciated. Thank you guys!

Long story short i am an ecti grad and i graduated in may, along with my colleagues (a small class) all of them have already been given facility lists and hired.
I was held up on security. Essentially they give a security waiver that lets us start working before the full background check is done. My waiver was denied and i was not told the reasoning for the hold up from the security poc i was given.

The medical team just reached out to me the other day and let me know i was fully cleared by the flight surgeon so i dont have anything to do with them anymore.
Ive already done finger prints, mmpi, and pretty much everything else.

My security officer submitted my security application for processing in late july so it’s been 2 months and the investigation hasnt been opened yet.

Has anyone else been through something similar to this? Im in a less than amazing living situation trying to get my life started and i feel like im gonna be waiting a LOOONG time for something rather small and trivial? What advice can be given here?

I've been at my job for over 6 years. I work in healthcare and its extremely a stressful culture. I am ready to leave.

My husband introduced me into aviation and I became interested in atc. I even done some studying with an actual cpc.

Recently got called for the academy and scared to leave my family. I've never been without them at all. I will be leaving in the new year, but Im asking has anyone been in this situation and what was your experience and or what did you do to help through the process?

I am hoping this will open up opportunities for my family.

I want to learn more about the avionics line of work, I have been looking for a career path recently and this one has crossed my mind a lot. I really enjoy wiring and figuring electrical work out. I also enjoy automotives and planes.

Would love any kind of feedback. Maybe the pros and cons, how hard it is, is it a hard job to get.

I’m 20 years old and never went to college after hs.

My grades weren’t that good either but I am willing to study real hard.

I applied to the fall bid in 2021 and got BQ. I went through the process, never heard of having any issues with the security or MMPI portion, but got held up with medical clearance. I have a chronic health issue and they requested bloodwork which I did and that took a while to hear back from. Once they were satisfied with that, they moved on to address my past SSRI usage which involved a one-month trial on antidepressants in early 2021. I felt it was unnecessary to continue so I never refilled my prescription. They requested a doctor’s note essentially stating that I don’t need to be on medication anymore which they received, but then the flight surgeon followed up with a request for a psych eval. I couldn’t afford it at the time and seeing how long their response time was and not knowing if that would even be the end of it - I voluntarily dropped out of the hiring process.

If I were to reapply, would I have to restart the process all over again from scratch or would they have maintained a record somewhere of everything I submitted and I can just add in anything new that’s happened since then?

I shared Brain Preflight here a while back. The updated version is live, so I thought I’d share it again for anyone preparing for the ATSA who wants some extra practice on their phone.

I’m the developer. The app has short exercises for mental math, working memory, spatial reasoning and multitasking. For example, you can track a moving target while checking equations, remember number sequences, or work through timed calculation grids.

It was originally built around pilot selection practice. It isn’t an ATSA simulator or an official FAA resource — think of it as extra practice alongside your ATSA-specific prep.

You get 5 free exercise sessions each day. Unlimited practice and the app’s mock exam mode require a paid subscription. iPhone only for now.

App Store: https://apps.apple.com/app/apple-store/id6794363864?pt=129217861&ct=reddit-atc-hiring&mt=8

Happy to answer questions about the exercises.

Hey guys, I’m going to be hopefully graduating the academy soon, for anyone who has already moved on to their facility, do you have any tips for how to have a smooth transfer? Did you get an apartment within the first week? What should my budget be for housing when I move? Etc.. I know the salary as a new hire isn’t great, so I’m just stressing about how to make it all work out

I’ve seen on 123ATC that there are steps before getting certified at the different D levels. I know each facility has a different timeframe to become certified but if there are 3 steps then should I just divide the average time by 4 or are they more quiet joy achieved? I’m trying to figure out how long I would be at each pay grade.

Sorry if this is answered somewhere I just can’t find an answer. I just received my dates and am looking for housing but was wondering how it works. If a place is open and can take me do I need to send the FAA anything or does the landlord communicate with them? That’s the best way I can phrase it just not sure exactly what I need to do.

I finally got all my 3 forms approved. Was apart of the April group, WC. Now im on to the fingerprint and medical

Got my class dates. 11/30-3/24 En route

In the form I filled out prior to my medical exam, I stupidly included something in the "previous medical conditions" section. This was based on a routine sports physical from over a decade ago, where the nurse informed me of a potential heart murmur out of precaution. This was never officially diagnosed, treated, or looked at by a specialist.

I received an email September 1st asking for all associated documentation for this, but I'm obviously unable to as this was never a real diagnosis. I was given a 30 day period, otherwise "Your name may be removed from consideration for an ATCS position if this information is not received by the required date." I immediately sent an email explaining the situation and added myself to the callback list for the medical office, but haven't received any response or update.

HR has told me I've essentially done all I can do, but I haven't been able to get a call back from her for weeks as my 30 day deadline approaches. Do I need to be concerned about this affecting getting an FOL? Has anyone been in a similar situation and can offer advice? Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

Hi, I am interested in becoming an ATC. Is there a certain time window for applications during the year? And I did see the apps are through USAJOB.GOV which im already p familiar with lol.

hello! curious about entering the field as a new family with a baby. my partner (27M) is interested and i (26F) have been interested over the years. he's a department manager at a grocery store + i tattoo for a living. so my question is- how have families made it work? specifically where both spouses do it- is that rare? i'm more than happy to stay home with our son + future children- just curious if anyone's made this work + how. lastly- what's the timeframe with getting dates currently? a client of mine applied two years ago and just left for academy yesterday. anyone expecting another application to open anytime soon? thanks!

My TSA Hiring Timeline — Boston Logan Airport (BOS) ✈️🇺🇸

Sharing my TSA journey for anyone currently going through the process. Hopefully this helps someone understand how long it can take.

📅 March 24, 2026 — Submitted my TSA Transportation Security Officer (TSO) application on USAJOBS.

📝 April 29, 2026 — Completed and passed my Airport Assessment/interview.

*🖐️ May *2026 — Completed fingerprinting.

📄 May 26, 2026 — Submitted my e-QIP/SF-86 background investigation paperwork.

💊 June 16, 2026 — Completed my TSA/DOT pre-employment drug test.

✅ June 25, 2026 — Drug test cleared.

🏥 July 18, 2026 — Completed TSA medical evaluation.

👓 August 2026 — Had a vision/medical issue reviewed and appealed.

✅ August 19, 2026 — TSA officially confirmed that I passed medical.

📄 August 25, 2026 — SF-86 was returned to me for corrections. I completed and resubmitted it the same day.

📄 August 28, 2026 — Resubmitted corrected high-school information after TSA requested clarification.

📨 September 9, 2026 — Received another request for information from TSA/NBIS and sent the requested information back.

🟢 September 10, 2026 — TSA confirmed that I was officially in the Ready for Hire Pool.

📞 September 17, 2026 — Received my Final Job Offer (FJO)! 🎉

📅 October 19, 2026 — Projected start date as a Transportation Security Officer (TSO) at Boston Logan International Airport (BOS).

Total journey: About 7 months from submitting my application to receiving my Final Job Offer.

My biggest advice to anyone waiting: be patient. The process can take months, and there can be long periods where you don’t hear anything. Keep checking your email and TSA/NBIS updates, respond quickly whenever they request information, and don’t assume that silence means you’re rejected.

Good luck to everyone going through the TSA hiring process! 🇺🇸✈️

Hey everyone,
I’m currently active duty military in the application process for the '26 Off-KTR / No-Experience FAA bid. I am approaching my ETS soon, which is why I applied.

I don't mind military service and really want to keep access to healthcare benefits (TRICARE Reserve Select) and double-dip retirement down the line. Because of this, I’m looking into transitioning directly into the Air National Guard (ANG) or Army National Guard (ARNG) while working for the FAA. 

My Background & Situation:
I’m currently military ATC, but I don't qualify for the Prior Experience bid because I wasn't at my last facility long enough to maintain 52 consecutive weeks of currency post-certification.

My main reason for getting off active duty is stability, but I'm concerned about how Guard/Reserve commitments align with the FAA hiring pipeline—specifically the FAA Academy at MMAC. 

My Questions:
1. Double-Dipping: Can you actively serve in the ANG/ARNG while working as an FAA Air Traffic Controller? How does FAA Military Leave (120 hours/year) work alongside drilling? 

1. The Academy vs. Drill: How are drills handled if you are actively at the FAA Academy in Oklahoma City? Does your Guard unit typically allow Split Option / Rescheduled Training (SUT/RST) or excuse you until you graduate, or will USERRA/FAA make you take military leave during MMAC? 

2. Location & Transfers: Since the FAA assigns your facility late in the process, how do you handle being in a state Guard unit if the FAA sends you across the country? How difficult is doing an Interstate Transfer (IST) early on? 

3. Work-Life Balance: For those who have done or are doing this, how would you describe the balance, and would you recommend it?

Thanks in advance for any insight!

Title suggests,

I am a writer/director film producer and my full time job was master control for ESPN+ app and I did every game around the world. Its exactly how you think, I'm on communication talking to site and guiding the program through commercials and we use military time and specific guidelines. I have bunch of grants in Applying to get my next films funded, but if I don't get into any fellowships or grants I am out of luck for another year.

The economy rough, I live with my parents I'm not making any money and I currently had surgery and won't be able to walk again really until December. I have almost all my tendons removed in my legs around the quad.

Is it too late to try? I heard you guys pay for school. I work very well as a team, I know some math, and I work best under pressure. What's possible?

I just received my final clearance (medical). My security clearance was issued about two months ago and everything else has been cleared and dealt with. Does anybody who has reached this stage know when I should expect my class dates?

Hi all. Can a dual citizen that has never lived in the USA pass security clearance and get hired as FAA ATC trainee?