ATC traing, ETC.

[MolaKule]

"What does it take to become an Air Traffic Controller (ATC)?​

Individuals must meet the following minimum qualifications in order to be eligible for an Air Traffic Controller position:

• Be a United States citizen
• Be under the age of 31
• Pass a medical examination
• Pass a security investigation
• Pass the FAA air traffic pre-employment tests, including the Air Traffic Controller Specialists Skills Assessment Battery (ATSA)
• Speak English clearly enough to be understood over communications equipment
• Have three years of progressively responsible work experience, or a Bachelor's degree, or a combination of post-secondary education and work experience that totals three years..."

Less than 10% of all applicants meet these requirements and are accepted into the training program.

https://www.faa.gov/air-traffic-controller-qualifications

I have never looked at the quals until now; interesting.

 

[Rand]

"What does it take to become an Air Traffic Controller (ATC)?​

Individuals must meet the following minimum qualifications in order to be eligible for an Air Traffic Controller position:

• Be a United States citizen
• Be under the age of 31
• Pass a medical examination
• Pass a security investigation
• Pass the FAA air traffic pre-employment tests, including the Air Traffic Controller Specialists Skills Assessment Battery (ATSA)
• Speak English clearly enough to be understood over communications equipment
• Have three years of progressively responsible work experience, or a Bachelor's degree, or a combination of post-secondary education and work experience that totals three years..."

Less than 10% of all applicants meet these requirements and are accepted into the training program.

https://www.faa.gov/air-traffic-controller-qualifications

I have never looked at the quals until now; interesting.

I'm guessing this is the big kicker

• Pass the FAA air traffic pre-employment tests, including the Air Traffic Controller Specialists Skills Assessment Battery (ATSA)

because most of the other stuff you would know before you applied.

 

[Dave Hess]

Great career if you can handle lots of stress.

My brother was trying to persuade his daughter to become an ATC.
Unfortunately she has the attention span of a 10 year old and would quickly wash out of ATC training.

 

[97prizm]

I looked at it a few years ago. The biggest issue I hear, is that you get one shot at the test. If you fail you can't re-take it. This was told to me by two ATC controllers who served on the local airport advisory board with me. I've read but never confirmed that certain conditions like ADD and hearing loss are an automatic disqualification.

 

[MolaKule]

I'm guessing this is the big kicker

• Pass the FAA air traffic pre-employment tests, including the Air Traffic Controller Specialists Skills Assessment Battery (ATSA)

because most of the other stuff you would know before you applied.

I suspected there would be something like this:

https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/air-t...r-traffic-control-exams/9447620/item/9061784/

 

[Just a civilian pilot]

Surprised they get away with the age limit of 31.

 

[Rand]

Surprised they get away with the age limit of 31.

That does seem odd.
I mean who wants to start at 65
but 31?

 

[Just a civilian pilot]

That does seem odd.
I mean who wants to start at 65
but 31?

Airlines wouldn’t get away with that.

 

[97prizm]

That does seem odd.
I mean who wants to start at 65
but 31?

I was thinking about it but then remembered hearing all of the stories of stress and meeting a number of ATC controllers. I occasionally listen to liveatc.net and it amazes me when they start rattling off Aircraft numbers so you'd better be ready. I did get to hear a China Airlines crew that was apparently lost not understanding where to go with the ground controllers barking orders. I can only imagine the passengers on the plane look of confusion as they circled on the tarmac.

 

[JohnnyG]

I can scratch that off my list!

 

[Astro14]

I'm guessing this is the big kicker

• Pass the FAA air traffic pre-employment tests, including the Air Traffic Controller Specialists Skills Assessment Battery (ATSA)

because most of the other stuff you would know before you applied.

That part is actually very difficult. It’s like saying, “get an 800 on the SAT Math”…

Then, there is a mandatory retirement age of 55.

 

[MolaKule]

So if one starts his ATC career at age 25 he could get 30 years time with the FAA before mandatory retirement.

 

[nomas]

My brother in law was an ATC in the Air Force . When he got out he got into the FAA school in Oklahoma . He didn't stay in . Changed his mind about making it a career .

 

[walterjay]

Good friend of mine took ATC job after Regan fired a bunch. Did it for about 20 years. One day he'd had it with the stress. Walked up to his supervisor and said this was his last day.

 

[y_p_w]

I was thinking about it but then remembered hearing all of the stories of stress and meeting a number of ATC controllers. I occasionally listen to liveatc.net and it amazes me when they start rattling off Aircraft numbers so you'd better be ready. I did get to hear a China Airlines crew that was apparently lost not understanding where to go with the ground controllers barking orders. I can only imagine the passengers on the plane look of confusion as they circled on the tarmac.

That was Air China 981 at JFK back in 2006. Not China Airlines.

 

[burbguy82]

Have three years of progressively responsible work experience, or a Bachelor's degree, or a combination of post-secondary education and work experience that totals three years..."

Be under the age of 31

Then, there is a mandatory retirement age of 55.

Makes sense, the mesh between these......why retire at 55 though. Going postal?

 

[supton]

Makes sense, the mesh between these......why retire at 55 though. Going postal?

Friend of mine said it was because people had a tendency to drop dead if they didn't. Maybe he was jaded?

He also said at a Christmas party once "if you work long enough, eventually you lose one". I didn't press him for details. He got the chance to retire early, I think before 55, and he took it.

 

[zuluplus30]

Age 31 limit is because of age 56 mandatory retirement. Allows for 25 years of service for retirement purposes

Very few people make it to 56. There are some spectacular controllers at that age, but most are on the downhill side of control judgement and decision making skills. And the medical qualifications get harder and harder to maintain as the years of sedentary job conditions pile on. Most controllers become burned out by 25 years of shift work and being a government employee. Thats generally what forces them out the door. And the anecdotal controller that drops dead right after retirement. It happens, so most guys aim to get out as soon as possible to re-acclimate to normal life and normal sleep patterns.

 

[Just a civilian pilot]

If there judgement and decision making skills fall apart approaching 56, why don’t we see that with airline pilots? They increased their retirement age but I never hear younger pilots saying they notice anything when flying with Captains well past 56.

They sit a lot and also do shift work.

Surely ATC is seniority driven which allows older controllers to avoid night shifts to the point where they don’t do them all the time?

I can see the burnout part for ATC.

 

[zuluplus30]

Shift work and stress would be guess. We do a reverse 2-2-1 schedule which maximizes time off but quite literally minimizes lifespan.