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In most
cases you must be hired into the FAA prior to age 31. Taking
into consideration that it can sometimes take into
consideration that it can sometimes take 1 to 3 years to be
hired you should be considering this occupation by age 27 or
so. If you are over 31 years of age the FAA will not hire you
as an Air Traffic Control Specialist unless you are an ex
PATCO controller or a military controller eligible under The
"Phoenix Controller 20" Program or you qualify under the VRA
program. The minimum requirement is a High School diploma and
some general work experience. You do not need to be a pilot or
have extensive aviation knowledge.
In the
past few years only six types of individuals have been hired
as Air Traffic Control Specialists:
ex-PATCO
Controllers - these are members of the Professional Air
Traffic Controllers Organization that were fired by President
Reagan in the 1981 controller’s strike. Per President Clinton
fired PATCO controllers are now eligible to be rehired and we
have seen PATCO controllers reentering the work force.
DOD
controllers - these are military controllers or civilian
controllers working at military facilities.
REHIRED
Controllers - a "rehire" is a controller who use to work with
the FAA, then spent time away from the agency (they left FAA.
employment) and now they are returning i.e. "rehired."
CTI’s -
CTI stands for Collegiate Training Initiative, these are
controllers that have attended one of the 13 FAA approved
colleges that have an ATC education program. View the Student
CTI Handbook Supplement.
CONTRACT Controllers - these are controllers that have worked
with one of the several contract ATC companies that provide
privatized ATC services at low level activity Air Traffic
Control Towers. They may or may not be PATCO or CTI.
The
"Phoenix Controller 20" Program - Throughout 1999, the DOD
worked with the FAA to establish a program allowing retiring
military controllers an opportunity of employment with the
FAA. This project is commonly referred to as "Phoenix
Controller 20" or PC-20. The end result of the PC-20 effort is
a change to the FAA’s age policy, detailed in an FAA program
known as the "Employment of Military Air Traffic Controllers
Program". This program now allows retired military air traffic
controllers to apply for controller jobs in the FAA despite
being over age 30.
How do
you get hired if you don’t fit into any of the above
categories? You have three options:
OPTION
A - Wait until the FAA once again offers the civil service
written examination for the position of Air Traffic Controller
(the FAA will occasionally offer these tests in limited
geographical areas. Check jobs.faa.gov for more details).
OPTION
B - Become a CTI by attending and graduating from one of the
13 FAA approved colleges that offer an ATC education program.
OPTION
C – Join the military as an air traffic controller. Apply to
and be accepted by the FAA after you finish your tour of duty.
If you
do not have military experience as a controller, the best way
for a non-military person to enter ATC is through the
collegiate training initiative. Purdue’s program is one of a
dozen spread throughout the country. A list of the other
schools, and general information concerning the CTI program
can be obtained at:
http://www.faa.gov/education/schools.cfm
External Websites
Official FAA employment information
www.faa.gov/careers/employment/atc.htm
Admission and cost information at Purdue University
A
website operated by all of the CTI school is located at
www.atccti.com
Additional information concerning FAA
education and employment programs and the ATC hiring process
can be obtained at http://www.faa.gov/education
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