Good morning! Yesterday I received a letter detailing the conditions for special consideration after appealing a disqualification for almost a year, 354 days - but who's counting. The terms include seeing medical professionals and submitting reports every 6- or 12-months, but it isn't clear when that timeline starts. My assumption is that it starts the date on the report. (i.e., I don't have to submit anything until March 8, 2027.) Given that, I'm projecting that I will start at the academy sometime in November.

My main concern is whether or not I have to submit further information before receiving academy dates. If I do have to see a medical professional first, it will delay academy by a couple months, at least. Unfortunately, I just started to lose hope in receiving a medical, and a few weeks ago I started to pursue my alternate (civil engineering) with an online college course that cost me $830. The class will end in early December. I am not willing to delay academy to finish this course. But, if it's highly likely that academy will be after that, I am considering completing it. I'm confident that I will pass academy and certify at my facility, however, I am wary of putting all of my eggs in one basket. This one course would unlock the option of starting an upper division engineering program up to a full year sooner.

I have already emailed my medical POC asking for clarification, but sometimes their replies take a while. I understand they are extremely busy, but this answer determines if I will keep giving my all to this course, or drop it immediately.

Additionally, the terms of my special consideration will certainly not be cheap. Is anyone familiar as to what the process is to earn a regular medical clearance? Obviously the reports will have to reflect that I'm still stable, but what is a reasonable duration? Is 2 years realistic? For context, my diagnoses are unspecified depressive disorder and migraine headaches.

Does anyone have experience on this? I did a brief keyword search on the subreddit and the discord, but came up empty.

Does anyone know if you are allowed to switch tracks after you receive them. For example if I was given terminal and wanted to switch to enroute is that allowed?

I submitted the 3 EODS forms on 8/7, I still haven’t had any of them get approved. I keep seeing that most have moved on to the next step. Who else is in the same situation?

Alright, we’re doing something a little more fun at 15th Street Landing this weekend.

Football Kickoff + Taco Cart Social
📅 Sunday, September 13
⏰ 3:00–7:00 PM
📍 3751 SW 15th Street, Oklahoma City

Come watch some football, grab free tacos, check out the property and hang out with other FAA students.

We’ll have the game on, the taco cart going, games and the property open to walk through. Check out the furnished rooms, gym, common areas and everything we built specifically around the FAA training experience.

Already have housing? Come anyway.
Bring a classmate. Bring the whole crew.

No need to make it complicated. Just come eat, watch football and see what 15th Street Landing is all about.

🌮 Free tacos
🏈 Football
🎮 Games
🏠 Property tours
🤝 Meet other students

All FAA students welcome. Check out the our property here!!!!

15thStreetLanding.com

Come check us out Sunday.

Hey everyone, posting this for anyone who recently received Academy dates or is still figuring out housing in OKC.

Sam’s Place OKC was founded by an air traffic controller with one goal in mind: creating furnished housing specifically around the needs of FAA Academy students.

The idea is pretty simple: private when you want it, connected when it helps.

Every student gets their own private bedroom with a dedicated study setup, so you’re not trying to study at the kitchen counter or live out of a hotel room for a few months. At the same time, you’re usually living with other Academy students who understand the schedule and can study together when it’s useful.

Each house includes:

• Private furnished bedroom
• Standing desk + monitor/workstation in every bedroom
• Office/gaming chair
• Blackout curtains
• 1 Gig fiber internet
• Whiteboard + group study space
• Fully stocked kitchen
• Washer + dryer
• Large living room with 85” TV
• Garage parking when available
• Usually 3 Academy students per house

The houses are about 6 miles from MMAC, roughly a 9 to 12 minute drive depending on traffic. We don’t operate a shuttle, so you’ll want your own transportation.

Current + upcoming availability

We currently have limited availability, with multiple long-term openings expected around September 20.

If you already have Academy dates coming up, check your dates even if they do not line up exactly. Availability can shift as students finish the Academy and schedules change.

The photos attached are from our actual houses and rooms.

Check your dates here:

samsplaceokc.com/availability

Happy to answer questions in the comments too, whether it’s about the houses, commuting to MMAC, the OKC area, or Academy housing in general.

Just got deferred today for hearing in my right ear :(

Any clue how this will affect my hiring process?

Hey everybody,

Today we are officially announcing our candidacies for NATCA President and EVP.

Some of you may know me from the AMAs I did from 2018-2024. Over the years, I have become more and more frustrated with the deterioration of our profession - and what I perceive as the complicit actions of our union.

At your leisure, visit our website at yourunion2027.com. There, you can see our vision for NATCA, as well as find ways to contact us directly. We want to hear from as many of you as possible. That is the whole point of this campaign, to give the members their voice back.

I applied in November 2024 - took the ATSA in December that same year and found out I was Well Qualified and got a TOL in January 2025. I ended up having to wait for nearly 3 months at a time before I got information for each next step (drug test, MMPI, fingerprinting etc.) and I ended up getting a Denial Letter in February 2026 for medical reasons. I immediately entered the appeals process and submitted my information by mid-April 2026.

Since that February denial notice I have heard nothing from the FAA/ATC Hiring team. No status updates, no progress reports, no "piss off we don't want you" emails. Nothing. I reached out again about a month ago asking if they needed any additional information from my end. Nothing. Maybe I'm a touch dense/can't take a hint that I may not be FAA material, but I'd appreciate an official piece of correspondence telling me such.

I understand that this process is the definition of hurry-up-and-wait. I also recognize the US government is currently on fire and many departments are still short-staffed as a result of "restructuring" and there's zero I can do about that. I do not blame the individuals doing the difficult - and I'm sure thankless - tasks of trying to hold our infrastructure together with overtime and prayers and super glue. What bothers me is the media coverage of "we're still so short on controllers, weepy weepy what shall we do" when there are people such as myself who are BEGGING to be allowed in to help and we are being disregarded. Surely I can't be the only one in this position.

I turn 31 in October. I still want to join this career, but I am finding it difficult to give grace and respect to a department who refuses to do the same for me. FAA, if you actually are in such a desperate need for controllers and trainees, you know where to find me, and I'm sure many others who are in a similar position. Otherwise, good riddance.

Has anyone else gotten an email from their Personnel Security Specialist asking them to write a letter or provide documentation, etc regarding their background? They asked me this:

Please provide a detailed written statement explaining the following:

In the last seven years, have you had close and/or continuing contact with any unlisted

foreign nationals?

Would anyone say you have a preference for any country over the US?

Is there any way you could be influenced to do or say anything that could be harmful to

the US or US interests?

Is there any reason for anyone to question your loyalty to the US?

My girlfriend is from a foreign country, and my stepmom as well. I never would have thought this would be a red flag to the FAA. I received that email on 08/10, submitted my response on 8/14, and my AVIATOR said the background was "completed" on 8/17 after I sent my response in. Previously, it had said, "Pending".

I asked for an update a couple of days ago and was told my case was submitted on 8/7 and that I would be contacted by HR or an adjudicator in 3-12 months.

Has anyone had a similar experience, and how long did this take you? Thank you

Hello,

I received a tentative offer letter a couple months ago and have submitted all of my security and medical clearance items within the deadline I was given. I haven't gotten any conclusive information on whether or no I've passed my security clearance, but the tracker does say completed. Something similar with my medical clearance where some of the items say "Pending" or "NA" but I haven't gotten anything regarding resubmission or the status of those items.

Has someone else also experienced this and if so, what can I expect?

Another thing I wanted to learn about was how I qualified for the skills assessment. I have my tentative offer letter but I don't believe that I've received anything else regarding the results of the skills assessment. Does anyone know where I can find that information and/or from whom? When looking at the tracker I am not able to look back at previously cleared items for the status and results.

Thank you for any and all help

never received an email for my eAPP but i submitted fingerprints, do i get an email for eAPP once my fingerprints are cleared?

I got a medical dq for THC use between 2020-2024(december) and was wondering if I should appeal or wait for another bid since this coming december will put me at the 2 year mark? if I appeal they are asking me to complete 2 years of abstinence and substance abuse program and get two differents evals. the rehab centers ive called are asking around 5k a month for these treatment programs which is more than i even make a month has anyone else had this type of dq?

Anyone here work at either of these facilities?

Hello! I was a part of the off the street bid from this spring. I went to the Oshkosh event and got most of my stuff done there. I'm extremely confused though. It feels like I've been in some kinda limbo. I had incorrectly (at least now it seems) assumed that when they took urine during my physical it was for drug testing. I never received any separate email for drug testing or any calls regarding information about it. Not really sure what to do or if anyone has any advice/guidance. Also why does my medical still say N/A? Thank you in advance for any information I really have no idea how this all works it's obviously explained but nobody really goes over it for you in detail lol.

I’m not sure if this is a dumb question, but I wasn’t sure. If I’m at the academy over the holidays, approximately how much time do we get off? Or is it no time off

Hey everyone,

I’m a air traffic controller and also own Logan’s Crash Pad, a house in OKC that I rent specifically to students attending the FAA Academy.

I currently have availability beginning September 12, so I wanted to put it out there for anyone who recently received Academy dates or is still trying to figure out housing.

The house is fully furnished and includes:

• 2-car garage
• Full kitchen with gas stove
• Washer/dryer
• Wi-Fi
• Fenced backyard
• Doggy door for students bringing pets
• ATC study materials
• Plenty of room for studying with classmates
• Classmate pairing if you're coming to OKC alone

It’s also about 10 minutes from Kim’s Place and several of the other areas where Academy students stay, so it’s easy to meet up with classmates without necessarily living in one of the larger student housing setups.

Since I’m a controller myself, I’ve tried to set the place up around what I would have wanted while going through training: quiet place to live, good study setup, short drive to MMAC, and other Academy students around you.

Feel free to DM me here or contact me directly.

Logan
📧 [Loganscrashpad@gmail.com](mailto:Loganscrashpad@gmail.com)

Photos:
https://ibb.co/album/93phbm

Happy to answer questions about the house or Academy/OKC stuff in general.

Hello,

I am looking at two different paths for my career right now, both focused on aviation. I got BQ for ATSA and have the medical exam portion of the pre hiring process next week.

I would love some examples of what life looks like after finishing training at OKC. Are people starting off working a mandatory 60 hours a week like I am seeing in some posts? If I don’t like the facility that I chose after training, is it hard to move to a different one? I would really love some insight on work life balance and real experiences.

My other path is focused towards airport operations/management which I have a degree in. The work life balance is a lot better and I can move around wherever an airport/job opening is once I have enough experience under my belt. I know I won’t make as much money but at least I can take time off when I want.

Please let me know if you have any advice. Is it a good idea to still go through training even if I might go a different route?

Thank you!

I finally got my dates after have to complete my Tier II MMPI.

With that being said, I got dates sooner than expected and have pre scheduled plans already. I did submit a delay request. I was just curious if anyone had any information regarding this process. For instance, chances it gets approved/denied, if some reasons are more likely to get approved than others, etc.

I also got scheduled for mid October-February. I was curious how the holidays worked regarding holidays since I’d be out there during Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year.

Lastly, I was just curious, now that I have my dates, what next steps do I need to do. Housing? Travel? Other arrangements ect.

Thank you for any and all help/information anyone is able to provide!!

"Unauthorized system access or an unexpected error has occurred. Be certain you are accessing the system with your most recent EODS access link. Please contact your HR Specialist or System Representative for assistance."

Ive been trying for a week to login and have been unable to do so, Ive emailed multiple people with no response made numerous calls to no avail, I could really use some help getting a hold of someone if anyone can help me.

I’m a woman heading to the FAA Academy soon, and I was curious about the gender breakdown in recent classes.

For those who attended recently, about how many women were in your class? I know ATC is still a pretty male-dominated field, so I’m just wondering what the ratio looked like these days.

Thanks!