Welcome to Flightinfo.com

  • Register now and join the discussion
  • Friendliest aviation Ccmmunity on the web
  • Modern site for PC's, Phones, Tablets - no 3rd party apps required
  • Ask questions, help others, promote aviation
  • Share the passion for aviation
  • Invite everyone to Flightinfo.com and let's have fun

ATC aptitude?

Welcome to Flightinfo.com

  • Register now and join the discussion
  • Modern secure site, no 3rd party apps required
  • Invite your friends
  • Share the passion of aviation
  • Friendliest aviation community on the web

wrxpilot

The proud, the few
Joined
Jun 26, 2004
Posts
901
Just wondering what it takes to be an air traffic controller... It seems like it could be a pretty good job, but I'm not sure what sort of skills/natural abilities you need. Do you need a photographic memory? Why do people washout of ATC programs? Is being a pilot a huge advantage or just a minor benefit? Is there any sort of ATC aptitude test available?

Hopefully some of you controllers out there (Vector4Fun?) can point me in the right direction. Thanks!
 
First of all most of the controllers I know (I do know quite a few) all have at least a privates... but that is becuase UND's ATC program required it... I have met an hear from a number of controllers that are not pilots at all.

That being Said.. there are only 2 ways to be an Air Traffic Controller the first is to be a controller in the Military and the second way is to go to college spefically in an ATC program... There are not a lot of schools that do this, the ones I know are UND, ERAU, Daniel Webster, Beaver Community College (not kidding).. I think Texas Southern and Averett University in Virginia have programs but I really dont know any specifics.


As for what it really takes... basically to get hired you need a fairly decent GPA and you also have to pass a Aptitude test... it used to be called the OPM but I think its been changed in the past few years.

Thats really all I know .... If you want more info try to get in touch with Gary Bartelson at UND... He is the head of the program there and an overall good guy. Hope this helps.
 
flatspin7 said:
As for what it really takes... basically to get hired you need a fairly decent GPA and you also have to pass a Aptitude test... it used to be called the OPM but I think its been changed in the past few years.

Thats really all I know .... If you want more info try to get in touch with Gary Bartelson at UND... He is the head of the program there and an overall good guy. Hope this helps.

That's about the same as I've heard too. It's not something I've really considered until recently, but I figure why not consider all the options. Seems pretty crazy for people to take an aptitude test AFTER they've already signed up for an ATC program (or even graduated).

I will have my inst rating this spring and already have a 4 yr engineering degree w/ a 3.5 gpa. Not sure if that'd make a difference or not though...
 
After those tests, once you are selected you have to get at least a 2nd class Medical, background check, and Psychological Evaluation.
 
Just wondering what it takes to be an air traffic controller

The ability to handle funky schedules, stress, azzhole sups, politics, govt women/minority preference just because, crybaby pilots complaining to the chief, forced OT and......well those are just a couple of nuggets I got from my father over the years.

Great money, we just never saw our father growing up. Holidays, nights, whatever. He was always working.
 
timeoff said:
The ability to handle funky schedules, stress, azzhole sups, politics, govt women/minority preference just because, crybaby pilots complaining to the chief, forced OT and......well those are just a couple of nuggets I got from my father over the years.

Great money, we just never saw our father growing up. Holidays, nights, whatever. He was always working.
So like a pilot, except better money and benefits.
 
Great money, we just never saw our father growing up. Holidays, nights, whatever. He was always working.

Ya that's because they make double or triple pay on the holidays, lol.
 
There are 14 schools that propose the ATC course, it's a 2 years program (AS I think). you have to be below 30 when hired and a US citizen, clean record, no DUI and stuff like that. Go check the ATC association website, you'll find all the infos you're looking for.
http://www.natca.com
 
wrxpilot said:
Why do people washout of ATC programs?

The programs are a joke, it's the OKC academy you should worry about.
Is being a pilot a huge advantage or just a minor benefit? Is there any sort of ATC aptitude test available?

I think that a pilot background is more beneficial during training at OKC than anything else. On the job, it depends on your experience and your job assignment more than anything. For instance, I fly C172's in and out of smaller airports. If I get assigned to a Center (like I did) I'm going to have very little familiarity with high altitude stuff like jets and how jets deal with weather. If I get stuck at a large tracon/tower, I'm going to have to deal with 121 rules (which are completely different than GA stuff). If I get stuck in a small class D tower, I'm going to know everything there is to know about how GA pilots think and operate in my airspace.

Aptitude test? Now a computer based simulation (among other things) known as the AT-SAT. There is no demo version available AFAIK.
 

Latest resources

Back
Top