Jay Honeck wrote:

Chicago Center has trainees, lots of 'em.


Great. You're not inspiring any confidence here, Newps... ;-)

Please tell me that before you can become an ATC trainee at Chicago Center,
you have to first be a controller at some other backwater part of the
country, right?

No. When I went thru the Academy in Oklahoma City in 1988-89 on
graduation day you would separate into your regions and march down there
one by one and get your assignment. Every region would have a list of
where they needed people. Centers always needed people, and probably
still do, because only about 20-30% of the people wanted to go there.
These people were only looking at the money end of it and the vast
majority washed out. Chicago was like any other center, when they
needed people they got them from the Academy. As for working at some
backwater place before going to Chicago or any other center, nobody
experiences life in a nice place and then transfers into a center. The
centers have to get them before they wise up because they'll never get
them after.



Or, at the very least, tell me they first assign the trainees to my neck of
the woods, where traffic is relatively light?

Once you get to a center you are assigned to an area that needs people.
You'd have to ask Chip how they handle it in Atlanta but if you are
asking do they do some kind of screening process to see where you fit in
the answer is no.