[I Am An Air Traffic Controller 3 All Airports Torrent Download
Betty Neyhart
Think you've got what it takes to be an Air Traffic Controller? Keep reading to learn what you can expect from the application process and training to the hours, pay, and benefits of an exciting new career.
The 2024 application window is open April 19-22, 2024.The application process can take 6 months or longer. Applicants must complete these steps in the following order and cannot continue unless the previous step is met:
Entry-level applicants must complete required training courses and spend several months at the FAA Academy in Oklahoma City. After graduating the academy, individuals are placed in locations across the country and must gain 1-3 years on-the-job experience before becoming a certified professional controller.
Controllers work full time and some work additional hours. Many of our facilities operate continuously (24/7/365), where employees work day, evening and night shifts, along with weekends and holidays.
The salaries for entry-level air traffic controllers increase as they complete each training phase. The annual salary for more advanced controllers varies with the location of the facility, the complexity of the airspace, and other factors.
As a federal employee, air traffic controllers receive a benefits package that rivals, if not surpasses, those offered in the private sector - with a variety of insurance, retirement, leave, and flexible spending options for employees and their families.
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Air traffic controllers work in control towers, approach control facilities, or en route centers. Their work can be stressful because maximum concentration is required at all times. Night, weekend, and rotating shifts are common.
Despite limited employment growth, about 2,000 openings for air traffic controllers are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Most of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Tower controllers direct the movement of aircraft and other vehicles, such as snowplows, on runways and taxiways. They check flight plans, give pilots clearance for takeoff or landing, and direct the flow of aircraft and ground traffic in their area of responsibility. Most observe from control towers, managing traffic from the airport to a radius of 3 to 30 miles out.
Some air traffic controllers work at the Air Traffic Control Systems Command Center, where they monitor traffic within the entire national airspace. When they identify a bottleneck, they provide instructions to other controllers to help prevent traffic jams. Their objective is to keep traffic levels manageable for the airports and for en route controllers.
Most air traffic controllers work in control towers, approach control facilities, or en route centers. Many tower controllers and approach and departure controllers work near large airports. En route controllers work in secure office buildings across the country, which typically are not located at airports.
Most controllers work in semidark rooms. The aircraft they control appear as points of light moving across their radar screens, and a well-lit room would make it difficult to see the screens properly.
Air traffic controllers must remain focused and react quickly to conditions that change frequently. Being responsible for the safety of aircraft and their passengers may be stressful and exhausting. To prevent burnout, the FAA requires controllers to retire at age 56.
Most air traffic controllers work full time. The FAA regulates the hours that an air traffic controller may work. Controllers may not work more than 10 straight hours during a shift, which includes required breaks, and must have 9 hours of rest before their next shift.
Major airports may operate control towers on a 24-hour basis. Controllers who work at these facilities may work day, evening, or night shifts that include weekends and holidays. Small airports or those that are less busy may have towers that do not operate around the clock. Controllers at these facilities may have standard work schedules.
In addition, prospective air traffic controllers must be U.S. citizens and must pass a medical evaluation, background check, and FAA preemployment tests, including the Air Traffic Controller Specialists Skills Assessment Battery (ATSA). They also must complete a training course at the FAA Academy and apply before the FAA's age cutoff.
Once hired, controllers typically complete on-the-job training that lasts more than 12 months. They also must pass a physical exam each year, a job performance exam twice a year, and periodic drug screenings.
Air traffic controllers typically need an associate's or a bachelor's degree. To qualify with an associate's degree, candidates must complete their studies in an AT-CTI program. A bachelor's degree may be in any field, including transportation, business, or engineering.
The FAA sets guidelines for schools that offer the AT-CTI program. AT-CTI schools offer 2- or 4-year degrees that are designed to prepare students for a career in air traffic control. The curriculum is not standardized, but courses focus on subjects that are fundamental to aviation, including airspace, clearances, chart reading, and federal regulations.
After graduating from the Academy, trainees are assigned to an air traffic control facility as developmental controllers until they complete requirements for becoming a certified air traffic controller. Developmental controllers begin their careers by supplying pilots with basic flight data and airport information. They then may advance to positions within the control room that have more responsibility.
With additional training, controllers may switch from one area of specialization to another. For example, a controller may complete training to transfer from working in an en route center to an airport tower.
Air traffic controllers sometimes qualify through work experience instead of a degree. Candidates either need up to 3 years of progressively responsible generalized work experience that demonstrates the potential for learning and performing air traffic control work or must have specialized work experience in a military or civilian air traffic control facility.
Detail oriented. Controllers must be able to concentrate while multiple conversations occur at once. For example, in a large airport tower, several controllers may be speaking with different pilots at the same time.
Math skills. Controllers must be able to do arithmetic accurately and quickly. They often need to compute speeds, times, and distances, and they recommend heading and altitude changes.
Organizational skills. Controllers must be able to coordinate the actions of multiple flights and to prioritize tasks, because they may be required to guide several pilots at the same time.
The salaries for development controllers increase as they complete successive levels of training. According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the salaries for more advanced controllers who have completed on-the-job training varies with the location of the facility, the complexity of the flight paths, and other factors. A full explanation of the pay ranges for air traffic controllers can be found on the FAA Pay & Benefits page.
Major airports may operate control towers on a 24-hour basis. Controllers who work at these facilities may work day, evening, or night shifts that include weekends and holiday. Small airports or those that are less busy may have towers that do not operate around the clock. Controllers at these facilities may have standard work schedules.
Although air traffic is projected to increase in the coming years, the satellite-based Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) is expected to allow individual controllers to handle more air traffic. As a result, the demand for additional air traffic controllers should be somewhat limited over the projections decade.
The Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program produces employment and wage estimates annually for over 800 occupations. These estimates are available for the nation as a whole, for individual states, and for metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas. The link(s) below go to OEWS data maps for employment and wages by state and area.
CareerOneStop includes hundreds of occupational profiles with data available by state and metro area. There are links in the left-hand side menu to compare occupational employment by state and occupational wages by local area or metro area. There is also a salary info tool to search for wages by zip code.
The What They Do tab describes the typical duties and responsibilities of workers in the occupation, including what tools and equipment they use and how closely they are supervised. This tab also covers different types of occupational specialties.
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