New Direction for the Blog

Hey all,

So first off, I'm sorry I haven't updated the blog in a while. A lot has happened in my life, and I have been completely swamped over the last couple of months. I have moved and moved back to where I started, interviewed for what seems like hundreds of jobs, and have been bogged down in the craziness that is the Christmas season.

Anyway, I have decided to drop out of the ATC hiring process. The reasons for this are many, but the main factor is the backup of the hiring system. The vast majority of PUBNAT 7 applicants were turned down, January's panels were canceled, and now there are strong indications that there will be a hiring freeze until fiscal year 2011 at the earliest. I have been graduated from college for almost a year now, and I need to get established in a career. I can't just sit around indefinitely waiting on the FAA to call. I also don't want to settle down in a location and get comfortable in a good job only to abandon that when (if) my number does get called up, which could be 1-3 years from now. So, I'm moving on to another field.

Obviously, this will mean a new direction for the blog, as it will no longer be ATC or aviation themed. I think it will evolve into a more general purpose, anything goes blog, although I plan to have somewhat of a focus on politics, science, economics, and faith. I'll also just blather on about my daily life, and post a few of my writings, whenever I actually have time to write. I haven't decided whether or not to rename the blog, although I'm leaning towards doing so. "Left Heading 330" is hopelessly aviation-related, but maybe there can be a deeper, metaphorical, life-lessony meaning to it . . . . OK, now I'm just rambling on. If there will be a new name, it will come in the next few weeks.

Anyway, thanks for reading, and this should become a much more active place in a little while.

God bless and take care.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving you guys! Have a great day and may God bless you!

WQ

Got my AT-SAT score back. I passed. 94.7%. WQ.

Thank God.

I was certain I failed it, so I'm in absolute shock.

The waiting is the hardest part . . . .

It has now been eight days since I took the AT-SAT in St. Charles, Ill., and still no test scores. It is slowly driving me nuts. Anyway, I'll make sure to post the results here as soon as I know them.

Took the AT-SAT Today . . . . . .

Well, I took the AT-SAT today . . . . . . and bombed it. At least I think.

I did well on the Dials, and then the Math came. I got the first ten questions, but then bombed the rest. I'm sure I calculated some of them wrong, and I had to guess on like eight questions at the end. For everyone who hasn't taken the test yet - the practice rounds DO count against your total time. It's better to skip the practice and go straight for the test problems in Math. Scan I totally bombed. It was very different from the online game (much more difficult) and I couldn't deal with it. The range changed very frequently and there were far more planes than in the JJ version. I don't think I got half of the planes I was supposed to get. Letter Factory sucked - I missed moving boxes numerous times, and I was completely lost on the "situational awareness" questions - I totally guessed on 90% of them. AT Scenarios started out OK but then turned disastrous. I crashed NUMEROUS planes (I was the only one in the room to crash) and my scores were ABYSMAL! My scores were 75, 36, 79, and 74. Analogies was what everyone made it out to be - a total crapshoot. I think I did OK on the word analogies, but totally guessed on the pictures. Personality was a non-factor (I hope).

Anyway, I can confidently say that WQ, and even Q, are out of the question. The only issue is how spectacularly I sucked. I'm guessing that my score is in the 50-60 range, if that, but 30-40 is certainly within the realm of possibility. Im so disappointed that I didn't perform very well. I guess I'm just not cut out to be an Air Traffic Controller. Back to the job search for me.

AT-SAT Tomorrow

After a long, arduous journey (Illinois drivers SUCK!!!) I'm finally at the Days Inn in St. Charles, Illinois, ready to get a good night sleep before the AT-SAT exam tomorrow. I'll make sure to post here after I've taken the test to let you guys know how it went and offer some insight on the test itself.

Good night.

Studying for the AT-SAT

So, I'm studying for the Air Traffic Standardized Aptitude Test, better known as the AT-SAT. It's a test that all aspiring controllers must take, and it determines whether you will advance further into the ATC hiring process or be sent home. Think of it as the ACT for controllers. The test is given at many locations throughout the United States; I'm taking mine in St. Charles, Illinois. Anyway, the test includes eight sections:

1. Dials
2. Applied Math
3. Angles
4. Scan
5. Air Traffic Scenarios
6. Letter Factory
7. Personality
8. Analogies

The names are pretty self-explanatory. Dials consists of five aircraft instruments, where you are asked to give readings; Applied Math is just that - only no calculators, E6Bs, CX2s, or anything of the like are allowed; Angles gives you several angles and asks you to tell the degrees; Scan asks you to contact "aircraft" within a certain range; Air Traffic Scenarios is just that - an actual ATC simulation; Letter Factory is a conveyor belt game all sorts of dorked up; Personality is like a mini Meyers - Briggs; and Analogies consists of word and picture problems similar to what you would find on an IQ test. This will be the most pressure-fraught test I have taken since the SAT in my life. No one outside the FAA (and likely no one inside, either) knows exactly how the test is scored, but it is believed that the Applied Math section is the most heavily weighted, and the Personality section is there just for kicks.

The test is scored in two ways: a points score based on 100, and a letter grade system. The points system is what you're used to from school, but the letters are very different - instead of the ABCDE that you're used to, the new letter system is WQ (Well Qualified), Q (Qualified), and F (Failing). WQ is 85-100 on the points system and is like scoring an A - it gives you the best chance of being selected for a facility. Q is 70-84.99 and is like scoring a C - you could still be selected if you select a state that has a great need of controllers. F is 0-69 and is just like in school - FAIL! If you score this it's time to start filling out job applications.

So far I've been studying the StuckMic.com study guide (which is VERY helpful), coming up with my own Applied Math questions, and playing the Jeremy Justice Scan and ATC Scenarios games. I've decided not to buy the "Green Book," a decision that I hope doesn't come back to bite me. I don't know how I'm going to do on the test. Math is my weakest subject and that worries me. I'm hoping for a WQ score, but that seems like somewhat of a long shot unless I ace the math. A Q score may still be enough to get me a tentative offer letter (TOL) for Fairbanks.

Anyway, I hope you've found this post informative, and if you're taking the test, make sure you are prepared!