How to Become an Air Traffic Controller
An air traffic controller is a person who directs the flow of aircrafts. This person’s job is to make sure that aircrafts are kept apart from each other and that they maintain their proper positions in their assigned sectors.
An air traffic controller position requires a person to have a very extensive educational background and skill set. It is known to be a quite challenging position and in turn it demands a very high salary. A controller must have a level head when working to ensure that all aviation vehicles are routing safely and efficiently. Anyone who wants to know how to become an air traffic controller will have to follow a very detailed path to such a career.
How to Become an Air Traffic Controller
An individual who has no experience in air trafficking can still apply for the position. Quite a few air traffic facilities are located in the United States. In order to qualify for such a position, one must be a United States citizen.
He or she must also be younger than the age of 31 years old. For positions within the FAA, the specialist must be hired and start working by the age of 30. He or she must retire by the age of 56 years old. For NATS employment, an air traffic controller must be at least 18 years of age to being eligible for work, and must retire by the age of 60.
One important requirement of how to become an air traffic controller is passing the medical examination. The medical examination will be thorough and will cover things such as vision, color vision, cardiovascular strength, hearing, neurological wellness, psychiatric evaluation, diabetes testing, substance abuse testing, and general medical wellness.
The applicant must also pass a very intrusive security investigation in which the organization will check for felony offenses, employment terminations, unpaid financial obligations, drug and alcohol offenses, dishonorable discharge from the military, and any government loyalty complications.
An individual desiring to know how to become an air traffic controller must have a firm grasp on the English language. He or she must be able to speak and write the language fluently. The individual must also have a bachelor’s degree in a related field or three years of related work experience. A combination of those two requirements is also acceptable.
Another requirement for becoming an air traffic controller is that applicants must have a background in mathematics. They must also have an excellent memory and be capable of articulating instructions to pilots. A controller must be able to engage in quick responses as well.
The last requirement one needs to know about how to become an air traffic controller is that there will be an FAA pre-employment test. The test will usually be administered 4-8 weeks after a vacancy is announced.
Air Traffic Controller Benefits and Salary
Many excellent benefits exist within the field of air traffic control. Typical salary for an air traffic controller is between $55,000 and $172,000 a year.
Air traffic controllers work only eight hours per day and five days per week to receive this high salary. They are rewarded with medical coverage, a spectacular 401k plan, and a phenomenal retirement plan. They also receive 13 sick days per year and up to 28 vacation days per year, which is quite generous.
Plenty of advancement opportunities exist for air traffic controllers. A controller will have the potential to advance to ground controller, local controller, departure controller, or arrival controller. Controllers also have the flexibility to move to other locations in supervisory or management positions.
Job vacancies are steadily becoming available because of the retirement requirement. However, there are always more applicants than positions and competition is on the hefty side.
We hope that we were able to answer the question of how to become an air traffic controller and that you now have a better idea as to how you should go about getting this position.