Hi everyone I'm 25 turning 26 in January and I want to pursue a career as a air traffic controller. I know u have to be in by 31. I have not started in school for it yet. I've heard before that even after school it takes time to get hired and I just wanted to know if I have enough time to start from scratch and get in before I turn 31.

I believe the current "bid" out for controllers includes "Off the Street" candidates. The traditional pool of new hires comes from two sources; military air traffic controllers, known as VRAs, and people who graduated with a degree in ATC, known as CTIs, from one of the FAA approved colleges.

My advice is to look into the requirements for the "Off the Street" bid and apply using that avenue.

The Off-The-Street bid just closed Aug 15. Expect another one sometime around the new year.

Does the selection and hiring process take that long in reference to what the original poster is asking?

@dfwjim1 Yes that is what I'm asking. I applied for the opening that recently closed in August. But I feel like my chances for being selected are low since I have no aviation degree or experience. So I plan on going to school for a degree in ATC I won't be able to start till right before I turn 26 in January so that leaves me 5 years. So my question is, Will 5 years be long enough to earn a degree and get hired as an ATC?

Alex87 wrote:

@dfwjim1 Yes that is what I'm asking. I applied for the opening that recently closed in August. But I feel like my chances for being selected are low since I have no aviation degree or experience. So I plan on going to school for a degree in ATC I won't be able to start till right before I turn 26 in January so that leaves me 5 years. So my question is, Will 5 years be long enough to earn a degree and get hired as an ATC?

Oops - sorry that I misread your original post. I am not in the ATC business so I can't really help you with your specific question unfortunately. Is your application still active with the FAA? If so perhaps you could amend it once you start school to indicate that you are pursuing a degree in ATC and demonstrate to the hiring professionals that you are serious and excited about a career in the ATC field.

Hi! I'm an air traffic controller here in the US. I wouldn't recommend going to a CTI school. As of a few years ago the FAA stopped their support for the program and any student who had not been hired were forced to apply with the off the street masses. This year they mixed it up a bit and allowed CTI graduates to apply to a separate pool that did not have to take the BIo-Q but, they also allowed military Veterans who were not ATC in the service to apply to the same pool. Due to Veterans Preference points in federal hiring I'm not holding my breath for a lot of CTI to get in that way. Off the street hiring is practically a lottery but, it sounds like that is your best option. I wouldn't worry about a lack of aviation experience on the resume, the newest trainee at my facility worked construction prior to applying and getting hired!

I personally would recommend going into the military if you are dead set on being a controller. This is the route I took and am glad I did. I was paid to get my initial ATC schooling and certifications, served my country for 5 years and got to see the world and the benefits I received as a veteran allowed me to bank another $600-$1200/mo during On-The-Job training. I didn't serve in the Air Force but talking to the guys I work with who did they seem to have the most similarl set up to what we have in the FAA. The Navy and Marines both have ATC positions that lead to FAA certifications but p, you will be expected to do things other than ATC at times. The Army also has ATC jobs but, I don't recommend that route. I know plenty of Army controllers who are great controllers but, there is definitely a big learning curve for most of those guys as much of what the Army call Air Traffic is nothing like what we do in the FAA. Also, if you have FAA recognized certifications from the military, you're pretty much a shoe in these days. Now I can't say what hiring will be like in 5-6 years if you go that route but, the current controller shortage is not getting better anytime soon. And lastly, this past year congresses raised the age limit for new hires to 35 for those with military experience.

Some very useful advice here for aspiring ATCs, especially jimmyk's in-depth post on the matter. Best of luck in achieving your goals, Alex!

Not helpful, but I am regularly gratified at the quality of our controllers - I get great service pretty much all the time, and the pace these folks maintain during heavy-traffic periods simply amazes me. Houston Center, sector covering central Texas yesterday, sounded like an auctioneer, never missed a beat.

It's art, and a skilled practitioner is great fun to listen to.

May I suggest inquiring here:

http://www.liveatc.net/forums/pilotcontroller-forum/