Factor
Woodstock, VA
Male, 65
My life in ATC began with 4 years Air Force then another 30 years with the Federal Aviation Admin. working tower & radar at some big international airports. I fought in the 1981 war with PATCO, survived the strike and kept a job that was just too exhilarating to walk away from. While there was nothing better than working airplanes, I did move on through several air traffic supervisory and management positions. It was a long, crazy career but I wouldn't trade a moment of it for love or lucre!
Greetings and thanks for writing. Although my opinion is worth a little more than a burned out matchstick; I’ll give it to you. I think you should contact the FAA Regional Office nearest you. A list of such offices can be found here:
http://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/arc/ro_center/
Ask to speak with someone who is directly involved in hiring controllers, Tell them of your situation and ask if they plan on hiring within your specific timeframe. Don’t be discouraged if they say they won’t be hiring. There are nine (9) FAA Regions and just because one of them has no upcoming vacancies doesn’t mean some or all of the other eight Regions won’t be hiring either. Give ‘em a call. When I was trying to get the job, my ‘home’ Region told me they were not currently hiring. They advised me to call another Regional Office (RO). I did - and that Region was indeed hiring. They also told me I’d have to have my application transferred from my ‘home’ RO to their office. Apparently at the time, you couldn’t have your name on more than one Region’s list of applicants. I don’t know if that is still the case or not but it’s a question to ask them.
If you run into a dead end with the FAA and are still determined to be a controller; contact one or all of the private companies who provide ATC services and ask if they’re hiring.
Best of luck to you!
Factor
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Thanks for writing, JB. First off, I should mention that very few small airports have operating control towers. It is not cost effective to have controllers at airports with very little air traffic. Even if you see a tower there; chances are you’ll find far more cobwebs inside than controllers.
To your question though, I will break it down into a few important points. At airports without towers, most planes come and go as they please. They are responsible for separating themselves visually from other traffic. At such airports, the only pilots that need permission to take off are those who filed an Instrument Flight Plan with ATC. As there would be no controllers on site; permission is generally obtained from the ATC facility responsible for that airport, either by phone or radio. Pilots are issued a short time window in which to depart so that ATC knows when to expect them and provide ATC services.
At airports with operational towers, all flights must receive a specific clearance to take off and/or land. Without that ATC clearance; pilots can do neither.
There are also airports with part-time control towers. When the tower is open, the rules specified in the previous paragraph apply. When it is closed, expect what I outlined two paragraphs back. There are several publications available that list all towers and their operating hours, so you’ll know what to expect when you go flying.
You also asked if a tower is required to keep a schedule for take offs, even if they have say less than one a day. Although towers do not generally keep flight schedules, they do receive information on the proposed departure time of flights on Instrument Flight Plans. This information is normally transmitted to the tower via computer.
I hope this answers your questions!
Cheers,
Factor
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Hi Liv. Your question is most interesting because there are so many ways to answer! It’s like asking if there is a particular electrical appliance that should not be plugged in and thrown into the bathtub while someone is bathing. There are so many!
In answering your question, I suppose I need to separate, in my own mind, the character traits that are merely annoying from the ones that make ATC the wrong choice for a career. There are also common traits shared by every successful controller I’ve worked with. Lacking one of these traits may not completely disqualify a person for the job but they may wish it had. Keep in mind that what I say here is based solely on my experience and opinions. Far from scientific.
One trait I believe should disqualify an ATC candidate is an inability to track several developing situations simultaneously, take action on each one at a precise moment while assessing new situations as they develop and predicting when they’ll need further attention. Whew! If the aspiring controller can’t manage an ever changing air traffic picture continuously, over the course of one or two hours; they might want to seek a different profession. Unfortunately, deficiencies in this area are usually uncovered sometime after the candidate has been hired. Pre-employment aptitude tests are no substitute for the crucible of a live air traffic control facility.
Another ‘must have’ trait is self-motivation. Controllers work independently; without direct supervision. Normally, there won’t be someone there to tell them what to do and when to do it. If our candidate is the kind of person who needs frequent direction and guidance to get through the workday; they should stay away from ATC.
A good controller must also be able to accept, if not embrace, change. The ATC environment is constantly changing. It’s not just the volume, type and complexity of air traffic either. There are continuous changes in weather conditions and changes on the airport surface that require controllers to immediately adjust. And let’s not forget about technological changes. ATC equipment – the tools of a controller’s trade – are ever changing. New aircraft, such as the Boeing Dreamliner, are coming on line and with them; new flight characteristics the controllers must adjust to.
There are the more obvious ‘show-stoppers’ such as substance abuse, alcoholism, and flatulence. (Maybe I’m just kidding about the flatulence but try spending several hours in the confines of a control tower with someone who has it!)
I could go on but don’t want to bore you. The bottom line is; there are several behavior or character traits that don’t really work well in the ATC environment. Unfortunately, the FAA’s pre-employment screening process isn’t 100 percent effective.
Thanks for a great question! Hope I wasn’t too long-winded.
Cheers,
Factor
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Hello again and thanks for your questions! The subject of employment prospects may bring different responses, depending on who you ask. Controllers, especially those working in the busiest ATC facilities, will likely say they need more help. I worked in very busy places where the normal “minimum” staffing levels could quickly turn into “critical” staffing levels due to vacation schedules, sick leave and controllers on special details to administrative tasks. Throw in some bad weather, unusually high traffic demand or unplanned equipment outages and you’d end up with a bunch of drained and disgruntled people by shift’s end. Had you asked me your first question at the end of such a shift; I’d have said we needed more controllers, as soon as possible!
Management’s view varied; depending on how far they were from the epicenter of discontent. Shift supervisors generally felt the same heat as their controllers during a busy, understaffed shift. They’d usually agree we needed more help. The front office’s response was to point out that perhaps too much leave was approved or that not enough overtime was called in. The regional office, far from the immediacy of a hectic, understaffed shift, would only see the facility’s authorized staffing levels, performance figures (traffic count figures) and other numbers that belied the challenges associated with them.
FAA should also be mindful of the attrition rate of controllers due to retirement. Succession planning is an important factor in current and future staffing levels. Then, of course, somewhere far above our level, there are congressional committees working with the FAA on its annual budget request. Those folks are about as far from a controller’s daily reality as you can get. It’s like a crazy analogy where the leaves in the treetops place limits on how big the roots grow.
We should also keep in mind that the FAA is always seeking new technology that might automate certain controller functions, thus decreasing their recruitment needs.
Was my career worth it? Even with the occasionally unpleasant variables, I’d have to say emphatically; yes! I always considered myself lucky to have the best job there was. Like sky diving, sports car racing or skating on thin ice; it was a thrill - as long as nothing went wrong.
Sorry I had to give such convoluted answers to your “two simple questions.” Sometimes I drink too much coffee in the morning.
Cheers,
Factor
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Hello again! Getting into the basics of your question; you will need either some related military air traffic control experience or two to four years of college in aviation related degrees. If you decide on college rather than the military, you should look for colleges that offer the Air Traffic – Collegiate Training Initiative (AT-CTI).
Three years of progressive work experience or a combination of college and work experience is another possible pathway in. The kind of “work experience” they’re looking for would be in jobs such as a commercial pilot, navigator or air dispatcher. Those are the standard, ‘paper’ requirements necessary to be eligible but there are more ambiguous job requirements that are so important in ATC work.
The ability to multi-task and keep a fast moving, three dimensional traffic picture in your head is essential. The ability to concentrate in an environment rife with distractions and keep up with frequently changing rules and technology is equally important. You’ll need to handle pressure well and be pretty thick-skinned. Most controllers I knew could be brutally blunt at times and were masters in the art of sarcasm. All in good fun and necessary forms of stress relief in an environment that could really heap it on at times. The trainees I knew who failed did so - not because they didn’t have the necessary knowledge but because they didn’t have these and other necessary abilities.
ATC is like many other jobs in that a person can get all the required book-learning but still be unable to enjoy the work and do it effectively. Looking at other “Jobstr” contributors and learning what they do, I shake my head, knowing I’d fall into that category.
By the way, Oklahoma City is a great place to visit and the academy a terrific place to learn. I always enjoyed going down there for one course or another. You will too!
Best of luck to you!
Factor
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Howdy Arizonagirl13 and welcome to my tiny piece of Jobstr real estate. Looks like it’s time to pay the rent! You’ve posed an excellent question and I’m hoping my answer will keep me from being evicted.
Although it is true that English is recognized worldwide as the language of air traffic control, I am sure there are occasional deviations. Pilots in non-English speaking countries who fly in and out of airports that handle only regional traffic probably converse with controllers in their native language. Why not? Their home language is familiar to all concerned, so there is less chance for any misunderstandings. I’ve worked as a controller at a foreign airport and know this to be true. However, if one of those pilots had to use an airport that handled flights from other countries; that pilot had better be familiar with the jargon of ATC in English. The same principle would apply if an English speaking pilot arrived at a foreign, regional airport. The controllers there would be expected to do their work in English.
If pilots and controllers are not on the same page (language-wise), chaos can quickly gain momentum. The foreign airport I mentioned above was actually a joint-use military base and a glaring exception to the ATC language standards. Our tower was staffed with both American and locally grown controllers. The locals were responsible for any flights operated by pilots of their own nationality; using their native language. We worked all our traffic in English. As if that wasn’t chaotic enough, there was an interpreter in the tower, who’s job it was to keep each set of controllers advised about what was going on. Without someone with knowledge of both languages to translate, neither side knew what the other was doing. Unfortunately for all of us, our interpreter was about as helpful as a rodeo clown in a slaughterhouse. Inattentive, lazy and frequently absent, we all learned to work around him and deal with the mayhem on our own. All that to say that clear communication between everyone involved in maintaining safety of flight is essential; no matter what part of the planet the planes are flying in.
Thanks for writing and I hope my answer was helpful.
Cheers,
Factor
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It’s high time for this question Starberry. Although we magicians are never supposed to reveal our secrets; I’ll share a little aviation magic with you – like how an airplane can gain around 100 extra knots of groundspeed, save fuel and shorten the time enroute to its destination. The trick involves using a relatively narrow band of fast moving upper air current known as the jetstream.
Although it shifts around from day to day, the jetstream remains basically a West to East wind that can be found in the 23,000 to 39,000 foot range. The altitudes commercial and other types of flights use, such as those you mentioned, are often based on where the jetstream happens to be that day. Pilots will want to get their plane into it and take advantage of the boost in speed this powerful wind can give them. Conversely, if the direction of their flight happens to run opposite to the jetstream, pilots will try to plan their route and altitude so as avoid it. After all; being able to shave 30 minutes or so off a transcontinental flight is truly magical! On the other hand; adding additional flight time because you picked a route and altitude that put you into that hefty headwind is more ‘tragical’ than magical.
Thanks for writing,
Factor
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