Air Traffic Control: Program Overview, Universities, Careers & Salaries

Program Overview

Prepares students for high-precision roles in aviation safety and operational efficiency by equipping them with the technical expertise needed to manage and direct aircraft movements across complex airspace systems. This rigorous program emphasizes real-world application through hands-on training and integration with the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) flight control infrastructure, often within a cooperative education framework.

• Flight Control Operations: Develops foundational knowledge in managing aircraft trajectories, maintaining safe separation between flights, and coordinating takeoffs, landings, and en route navigation.
• Radar and Electronic Scanning Systems: Provides training in interpreting and utilizing advanced surveillance technologies to monitor aircraft positions and movements in real time.
• Flight Path Plotting and Tracking: Teaches systematic techniques for recording and analyzing flight data to ensure accuracy, compliance, and situational awareness during air traffic management.
• Aviation Radio Communication Protocols: Focuses on standardized communication procedures, phraseology, and clarity essential for safe and effective coordination between controllers and pilots.
• Weather Impact Analysis: Builds the ability to assess meteorological conditions—such as wind shear, visibility, and turbulence—and their implications on flight safety and routing decisions.
• Pilot Flight Instrumentation: Explores the key instruments and systems used by flight crews, enabling controllers to understand pilot inputs and respond appropriately during flight operations.
• Flight-Control Log Maintenance: Instills best practices in documentation, including accurate record-keeping of air traffic activities, incidents, and system status for regulatory compliance and operational review.