What is the mission of the air traffic controller?


What is the mission of the air traffic controller? Monitor and direct the movement of aircraft on the ground and in the air. Control all ground traffic at airport runways and taxiways. Issue takeoff and landing instructions to pilots. Transfer control of departing flights to other traffic control centers and accept control of arriving flights.


Is ATC harder than pilot?

Piloting, especially on large, complex aircraft, is largely a matter of training and practice. Talent is required, of course, but mostly you just have to put your hours in. In that sense, training and qualifying to be an airline pilot is more rigorous than becoming an ATC at a busy facility.


What language do air traffic controllers use?

When we fly, our personal safety and the safety of other people on the plane is always of paramount importance. That is precisely why pilots and air traffic controllers speak one common language worldwide – English. It makes perfect sense that pilots and controllers throughout the world speak the same language.


What is the best part of being an air traffic controller?

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. This is because you literally control the skies, guiding hundreds of people to safety and keeping the aviation industry on schedule.


Do air traffic controllers fly free?

Although air traffic controllers may not get free flights like flight attendants do, they still have attractive employee benefits. For example, their employers often give them permanent discounts which they can use to buy tickets and other products that the airport or a specific airline carries.


What personality type is an air traffic controller?

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


Is ATC a stressful job?

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.