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!
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 “No. 1 Uncle,” and a happy 4th back at you! I hope you enjoyed a fabulous fireworks display.
In order to obtain a permit for public fireworks displays, the organizers must obtain approval from the Federal Aviation Administration. Any conditions the FAA imposes must be followed in order to receive that permit. The FAA then makes the information on such events available to those who need to know.
I can’t say there have never been aircraft accidents due to fireworks displays. Using absolutes like “always” or “never” tend to get me into trouble. I’ll just say I don’t recall hearing of any and that makes sense to me. After all, aeronautical charts clearly indicate minimum safe altitudes (MSA) to fly at. Planes rarely operate below the MSA unless they are taking off or landing. It’s a pretty safe bet your FAA won’t approve fireworks displays near an airport, along those departure or arrival paths. Besides, fireworks don’t go much higher that a few hundred feet. Certain flights do operate at those altitudes but only during daylight hours; a bad time for fireworks. These planes are involved in such things as crop-dusting, banner towing, aerial photography or some other low altitude mission.
I hope this answers your question. Thanks for writing!
Factor
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Thanks for writing Isaac. The answer to your question is no! There are radar blind spots all over the continental U. S. The good news is that, as a pilot or passenger, you don’t have to worry about it too much. The blind spots are generally at very low altitudes and there are pilot/controller procedures used in the non-radar environment to keep aircraft safe from other airplanes and the terrain. Around airports where most commercial flights operate and at the altitudes they cruise at, radar coverage is continuous – unless one of the radar sites is not working (it happens). In such cases, those pilot and controller procedures I just mentioned come into play.
Even though an aircraft is below radar coverage, the pilot has several options to maintain flight safety. When weather conditions permit; pilots can visually separate themselves from obstructions such as mountains, antennas or power lines. If pilots cannot maintain good flight visibility, there are usually instrument procedure available that keep the airplanes safely above such obstructions and guide them to their destination.
Radar is a wonderful tool for both controllers and pilots but it has its limits. The radar pulses travel outbound from the antenna in ‘line-of-sight’ fashion. If there is an obstruction in the way of the beam (for example; a mountain or cityscape) the beam will go no further in that direction, at and below the height of the obstruction. It will, however, continue to travel in that direction above the obstruction. So...if you had a radar system in your front yard; your house would prevent you from seeing radar targets in the back yard but you would still get a radar image of the plane flying above your house.
I hope this answers your question!
Cheers,
Factor
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Hi there, “ATC Wannabe.” I really hate it when I can’t answer a reader’s question but just going to have to buck up and admit defeat. I have no idea what O”Hare or the Great Lakes Regional Office’s hiring policies are. O”Hare Airport is within The Great Lakes Region’s authority. As in the previous reader’s question, I recommend you call the Great lakes Region when you are ready and ask them about ATC job openings. I also recommend you take your friend’s opinion as well intended but likely to be uninformed. As a “high schooler” – you have plenty of time to position yourself as a viable ATC candidate - anywhere.
As to the idea of starting your career off in one of the many busy facilities; there are differing opinions. The skeptics and those motivated by ego will say you must be an experienced and exceptional controller before setting foot in the door. While I understand their argument I disagree. Having started my own FAA career in a very busy facility, I can attest to the benefits of learning how to handle complex and heavy traffic conditions right off the bat. I also know that, later in my career, when I was training folks who transferred in from less active facilities, it was hard breaking them of their more laid back work habits. When you start off in a busy place, you learn to work quickly and efficiently. Plus; the steady pace of traffic makes for more frequent and meaningful training opportunities. This is something the smaller facilities can’t always provide.
I’m happy to hear of your enthusiasm for air traffic control and wish you all the best in your pursuit of a career.
Cheers,
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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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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