
He is also rewarded with an entry salary of 5000 euros, rising to 8000 towards towards the end of his career for a 32 hours week. His work schedule is offset with three work days, then three days off, all on a cycle of 12 days. In 2013, only forty spots were available, against 200 at the time of our controller.Īfter his graduation, the young controller still had to undergo skills training on the chosen site, between 18 months to two years. That is because to join the profession, one must first pass the selective exam from the ENAC school.Įach year, the school opens positions as needed. "Some candidates in the application process were excellent scientists but did not have a satisfactory language proficiency which is the primary qualification needed" said Kevin Sheehan. It’s also important to be good with numbers while speaking perfect English.

"We can talk with up to 20 pilots at the same time," said Kevin Sheehan.Ī heavy responsibility that does not weigh on the relaxed but studious atmosphere.Ĭontrollers work in pairs, one in contact with the pilots (the radar operator), the other on the phone (for structure) to manage the flight path to other areas.Ī role that they tradeoff every hour before taking an hour break in order to rest their attention.īecause concentration, self-control, and discipline prove to be essential qualities for this job. The one at Athis Mons is the 4th European center with nearly 380 air traffic controllers that particularly manage Roissy, Orly, le Bourget, Beauvais and all traffic to the Belgian border.Īnd unlike the control towers inside airports, they do not have great views on the tarmac.Ĭontrollers manage an average of 1.15 million flights per year, with daily peaks up to 4,000 planes in the summer. There are five centers in France: Reims, Brest, Bordeaux, Aix -en- Provence and Athis Mons, each in charge of a specific geographic area. "Travelers often think that once in the air, the plane is independent, when in fact it constantly keeps in contact with the ground," said Kevin Sheehan. The center is an Area Control Center that guides all the planes that pass over the greater Paris region, flying up to 30,000 feet. Kevin Sheehan is an air traffic controller at the center of Athis Mons, south of Paris, not far from Orly airport. Teri L."When my father came to visit my workplace for the first time, he thought it was a casino, just much quieter!" “Being an air traffic controller is not only important, but it's also an interesting and dynamic career.”
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Entry-level applicants must complete required training courses at the FAA Academy in Oklahoma City and gain on-the-job experience before becoming certified professional controllers.

Initial selection does not guarantee placement into federal civilian service. Jeffrey Vincent, Vice President of Air Traffic Services Trainingīecause of the serious nature of this work and zero margin for error, the training regimen and proficiencies needed to become an air traffic control specialist, are demanding.

“I have the greatest job in the world, and there is absolutely nothing else in the world I would rather be doing.” Smaller facilities have more standard dawn to dusk operating hours. Larger air traffic control facilities operate continuously, and employees may rotate among day, evening, and night shifts, along with weekends and holidays.
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Most air traffic control specialists work full time, and some work additional hours. BenefitsĪs a federal employee, air traffic control specialists receive a benefits package that rivals, if not surpasses, those offered in the private sector, with a variety of insurance, retirement, leave and flexible spending options for employees and their families. The annual salary for more advanced controllers who have completed on-the-job training varies with the location of the facility, the complexity of the airspace, and other factors. The salaries for entry-level air traffic control specialists increase as they complete each new training phase. The median annual wage for air traffic control specialists is $138,556 in 2021.
