It is a fact, as anyone in the aviation industry will tell you, that aviation gets into your blood. Many flight attendants during their careers will look at other options in the industry and may train as a pilot, move to corporate aviation or airline training but is air traffic control an option?
What is needed to work in air traffic control?
You have to be over 18 years of age and eligible to work in the country of choice. Five GSCEs (or equivalent), grades A-C including Maths and English (UK and Europe). An aviation authority medical in required. Stage one consists of online tests. Stage two is based on situational judgment skills and a personalty test. If these are passed successfully, there is an assessment day to attend and if all goes well, training can start.
What is it like to work in air traffic control?
It is shift work and is demanding and known to be one of the most stressful jobs in the world. The air traffic controller tests are known to be difficult and training can be intense. The job involves tracking and routing aircraft and the safe flow of traffic in the airspace.
Skills needed
It involves complexity, attention to detail and switching easily from one task to another. Calmness, control and resilience are crucial. You have to be very responsive, a strong decision maker and be hugely responsible for the task in hand, from the aircraft engines starting through to their shut-down. The controller is instructing which safety instrument should be used, the routing, altitude and procedure to the pilots.
Photo: National Air Traffic Services (NATS, UK)
Training
Many theory subjects are studied including aviation law, meteorology, human factors, air traffic management, navigation equipment, phraseology and aircraft characteristics. Simulator training can then be added, in order to practice procedures with a few aircraft building up to many more within a set time frame. Normal and abnormal situations are practiced. The final exams are written and practical simulation. Training can take between 1 year and 18 months to complete.
After training
Before taking a job in air traffic control, an intern or apprenticeship role will be offered. The individual aviation authorities also have ATC exams to pass as well as having ICAO English level 4 and a class 3 medical, before obtaining a full ATC license. You can work as an aerodrome controller (monitoring the airfield), an area controller (observing the aircraft at a higher altitude) and an approach controller (preparing the sequence for landing and departures of aircraft).
Flight attendant to ATC?
It is certainly possible! Some of the skills needed by cabin crew are similar to that of being an air traffic controller. Being resilient, calm under pressure and having strong decision-making skills and also how you approach problems, how you handle them and adapt to change. Experience gained flying may give some knowledge of procedures and terminology that are useful to the role. Although, a very different role to that of flight attendant, it is certainly something to be considered. Age may be of importance in some countries as they ask for training to be completed before the age of 30.
