Air Traffic Control Employment | Air Traffic Controller Jobs | Traffic Control Careers
Air Traffic Controller Jobs - What is the Job of Air Traffic Control? What does a Air Traffic Control Job Involve?
Air traffic control is responsible for ensuring the safety of commercial airplanes, so that they do not collide with other planes during mid flight. Air traffic controllers are responsible for coordinating plane sufficiently in order to minimize delays and accidents.
Air terminal control workers will watch over all the planes that are arriving and departing from an airport, and air traffic control will mostly rely on radar in order to monitor planes to ensure that they stay a safe distance apart. When a aeroplane arrives at an airport, an air traffic controller will direct and give permission to the pilot to land, in addition to handling any changes in gates or runways.
When a plane is departing an airport, an air traffic control worker will direct it to the proper runway and make sure that the aircraft has a clear flight path. Air traffic control jobs will also keep pilots informed about changes in wind patterns and storms that may affect flight paths.
After an airport control worker ensures the safe departure of an airplane, an enroute controller will then take control of flight paths. There are 21 air route control centers around the country, which are major hubs which each employ about 500 control workers each. Enroute control workers are responsible for directing a specific portion of the nation’s airspace, responsible for planes that are flying between 6,000 and 18,000 thousand feet in the air.
Radar control workers will make sure to reroute a plane if two aircraft are entering the same flight path, readjusting their location and altitude, in order to prevent collision. The senior controller of an enroute control center is the radar controller, who will supervise other radar controllers and handle any potential hazards in inclement weather conditions.
Aircraft control workers will usually handle many planes at the same time, and the Federal aviation Administration has now created an automated air traffic control system which is appropriately named the National Airspace System Architecture. The NAS architecture will now allow aircraft controllers to more efficiently deal with heavy airspace traffic.
Besides working in aircraft control towers and enroute centers, air traffic control workers will also work in flight service stations, which will provide pilots with preflight weather information and suggested course adjustments. Flight service specialists will also assist pilots who are in emergency situations and coordinate searches for missing aircraft.
The Federal Aviation Administration has an aircraft control systems command center in Virginia which oversees the entire National Airspace System. The FAA command center will notice any potential bottlenecks or problems with the air traffic control system on a national scale.
Working Conditions for Traffic Control Jobs - How is the Working Environment for Traffic Controller Jobs?
Air traffic control employment is high stress and involves a lot of concentration in order to be able to direct planes effectively and to make fast course adjustments. Being responsible for the lives of thousands of passengers can be stressful, and traffic controllers will rarely be able to see the planes, relying instead on radar screens.
Aircraft control workers usually will work a 40 hour workweek, with overtime and additional hours being common. Most air traffic control towers operate 24 hours a day 365 days a year in order to route planes efficiently and to service the needs of airline passengers.
Air Traffic Control Education - How to Become a Air Traffic Controller - How to Receive Your Air Traffic Control Training
In order to become an air traffic control worker, it is necessary to complete an FAA education program and to pass a pre-employment test. The preemployment test will take about 8 hours to finish, and to apply for this test, one must submit an application when an air traffic control position is advertised, in addition to being chosen.
Competition in order to enter an air traffic control training program is stiff, and individuals must have three years of experience in four years of college in order to enter into a air traffic control program certified by the Federal Aviation Administration. After completing this examination, an aspiring air traffic control official will attend training in the Federal Aviation Administration academy in Oklahoma City for three months of training, or individuals will learn FAA regulations and how to work the airway system.
After graduation from an approved FAA academy, air traffic control candidates will then be assigned to a specific air traffic control center with the designation of a developmental controller, until they gain additional responsibilities over time.
Initial developmental control training at a air traffic control school will take 2 to 4 years upon which point an individual can become fully certified as an air traffic controller. Air traffic control school graduates must pass a physical exam every year and a job performance exam two times a year.
Air Traffic Control Employment Requirements - How to Become a Air Traffic Controller
Other skills that air traffic control jobs include an ability to give clear directions to pilots and a good memory in order to interpret and analyze flight paths. Decisive judgment is essential for an air traffic control job in order to clear flight paths, while dealing with a high number of noise in the background.
Advancement opportunities in air traffic control jobs will usually start out as ground controllers, then local controllers, followed by departure aircraft controllers, and lastly by arrival controllers. Further advancement opportunities for aircraft arrival controllers involve administrative positions in the FAA.
Air Traffic Control Careers - What Are the Future of Air Traffic Controller Job?
Employment of air traffic controllers should grow by about 10% over the next decade, but computerized systems will slow growth as more aircraft controllers are able to handle additional workloads. Federal budget limitations will also limit the employment opportunities of air traffic controllers.
Job competition for air traffic control positions is tight and applicants should have excellent academic performance in addition to a good memory and attention to detail. Over the next decade, a number of aircraft control workers will be retiring opening up a number of employment opportunities in airline jobs.
Air Traffic Control Salaries Pay Scale - How Much Do Air Traffic Controller Jobs Earn?
In 2006, air traffic control jobs had median annual salaries of $117,240, with those working in the Federal government earning more than $122,220. The air traffic control system varies depending on the particular traffic facility and there are eight different pay scales. An air traffic controller salary will usually be determined by the individual rating of the air trafficking facility.
Air traffic controllers can receive almost a month of paid vacation and sick leave, in addition to excellent health and life insurance benefits. Air traffic controler jobs allow an individual to retire at 50, if they have 20 years of service as an air traffic controller.