What disqualifies you from being an ATC?

The applicant must have no established medical history or clinical diagnosis of any of the following: (1) A psychosis; (2) A neurosis; (3) Any personality disorder or mental disorder that the Federal Air Surgeon determines clearly indicates a potential hazard to safety in the Air Traffic Control System.



People Also Ask

Moreover, the position of the air traffic controller requires some of the strictest medical and mental requirements for any profession in the world; conditions such as diabetes, epilepsy, heart disease, and many psychiatric disorders (e.g., clinical depression, ADHD, bipolar disorder, a history of drug abuse) almost ...

MORE DETAILS

To meet the FAA's requirements to become an air traffic controller, you must: Be a U.S. citizen. Be 30 years old or younger. Pass a medical examination — and continue to pass it annually once you're hired.

MORE DETAILS

0.5% of applicants are successful.

MORE DETAILS

The highly logical and organized Introverted-Sensing-Thinking-Judging (ISTJ) Myers-Briggs test type is often a good fit for this career.

MORE DETAILS

Applicants to air traffic controller positions who are maintaining 52 weeks of ATC experience involving the full-time active separation of air traffic after receiving an air traffic certification or ATC facility rating, must be age 35 or below on closing date of the announcement.

MORE DETAILS

On top of contollers' rocky history, federal law requires that they retire at 56, in part because controllers have to stay current on advancing technology. The Federal Aviation Administration argues burnout gets more acute for workers by their mid 50s.

MORE DETAILS

Air traffic controllers receive 13 to 26 days of paid vacation and 13 days of paid sick leave each year. They are eligible to retire at age 50 with 20 years of service as an active air traffic controller or after 25 years of active service at any age.

MORE DETAILS

Being an air traffic controller is an extremely high-stress job, with workers responsible for the movement and direction of thousands of lives onboard commercial and general aviation aircraft every day.

MORE DETAILS

Benefit from rewarding work. While working as an air traffic controller is undoubtedly stressful, those with the right mentality for the role often find their career choice incredibly satisfying.

MORE DETAILS

There are typically three different kinds of air traffic controllers: tower, approach and departure, and en route controllers.

MORE DETAILS

The primary responsibility of Atlanta Center is sequencing and separation of over-flights, arrivals, and departures in order to provide safe, orderly, and expeditious flow of aircraft. Atlanta Center is the busiest air traffic control facility in the world.

MORE DETAILS

Most often, developmental controllers who fail field qualification training are terminated from employment. However, in some cases, field-training failures may request reassignment to a lower volume and less complex ATC facility.

MORE DETAILS