Air Traffic Controller

Control air traffic on and within vicinity of airport, and movement of air traffic between altitude sectors and control centers, according to established procedures and policies. Authorize, regulate, and control commercial airline flights according to government or company regulations to expedite and ensure flight safety.

O*NET reports this occupation under titles such as: ATCS (Air Traffic Control Specialist); Center ATC (Center Air Traffic Controller); Certified Professional Controller (CPC); Developmental Air Traffic Controller; Developmental ATCS (Developmental Air Traffic Control Specialist); Enroute ATCS (Enroute Air Traffic Control Specialist); Radar Air Traffic Controller; Terminal ATC Specialist (Terminal Air Traffic Control Specialist); Terminal Radar Approach Controller; Tower ATC (Tower Air Traffic Controller)

Tasks

• Inform pilots about nearby planes or potentially hazardous conditions, such as weather, speed and direction of wind, or visibility problems.
• Monitor aircraft within a specific airspace, using radar, computer equipment, or visual references.
• Monitor, direct, or sequence the movement of aircraft within an assigned air space or on the ground at airports to minimize delays and maximize safety.
• Alert airport emergency services in cases of emergency or when aircraft are experiencing difficulties.
• Maintain radio or telephone contact with adjacent control towers, terminal control units, or other area control centers to coordinate aircraft movement.
• Transfer control of departing flights to traffic control centers and accept control of arriving flights.
• Provide flight path changes or directions to emergency landing fields for pilots traveling in bad weather or in emergency situations.
• Direct pilots to runways when space is available or direct them to maintain a traffic pattern until there is space for them to land.
• Contact pilots by radio to provide meteorological, navigational, or other information.
• Determine the timing or procedures for flight vector changes.
• Issue landing and take-off authorizations or instructions.
• Check conditions and traffic at different altitudes in response to pilots' requests for altitude changes.
• Initiate or coordinate searches for missing aircraft.
• Provide on-the-job training to new air traffic controllers.
• Organize flight plans or traffic management plans to prepare for planes about to enter assigned airspace.

Knowledge

• Transportation
• English Language
• Education and Training
• Public Safety and Security
• Customer and Personal Service
• Geography
• Telecommunications
• Mathematics

Skills

• Active Listening
• Speaking
• Critical Thinking
• Monitoring
• Reading Comprehension
• Active Learning
• Writing
• Learning Strategies

Abilities

• Problem Sensitivity
• Oral Comprehension
• Oral Expression
• Selective Attention
• Deductive Reasoning
• Inductive Reasoning
• Speed of Closure
• Flexibility of Closure
• Perceptual Speed
• Time Sharing
• Near Vision
• Far Vision
• Speech Clarity
• Information Ordering
• Speech Recognition
• Written Comprehension
• Category Flexibility
• Visualization
• Auditory Attention
• Written Expression
• Fluency of Ideas
• Originality
• Mathematical Reasoning
• Number Facility
• Memorization
• Visual Color Discrimination