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You're in Good Hands —
With Air Traffic Controllers on the Job

Most passengers riding on airplanes think that the pilot is the one responsible for getting them in the air and back on the ground again safely.

What they don't know is that there are men and women sitting in rooms packed with electronic equipment, guiding the pilot and making sure that there are no accidents.

These people are the air traffic controllers. They are expected to control the actions of every pilot in their area – on the ground and in the air.

On any given day, more than 87,000 flights are in the skies in the United States. The air traffic controller's job is to take care of every person on every plane from the minute that the engines turn on until they are turned off again. Controllers work quietly in the background.

If you aren't a pilot, you may not even know that they exist. That's the way they like it. You only hear about air traffic controllers when something goes wrong.

On September 11th, they were in the news. They were the ones who notified the government about the planes that were off course...on the way to attack the Pentagon and the World Trade Center. When the President cancelled all fights and ordered all planes to land, air traffic controllers got busy clearing the sky and making sure that all of the aircraft landed safely.

Screens of Lines & Dots
There are more than 15,200 air traffic controllers who spend their days in front of computer screens filled with lines and dots. Each dot is an airplane. Some of the smaller private jets may be carrying just a few people but bigger planes are loaded with hundreds of lives. The men and women at the monitoring stations stare at the screens for hours at a time to make sure that none of those dots get too close to each other. If air traffic controllers notice a plane straying from the route, they call the pilot and get it back in place -- long before anyone suspects that there was a problem.

Some controllers work at airports. You may have seen the towers where they work. They not only watch the screens to keep the planes in the air a safe distance apart, they also watch the planes taking off and landing. It's the job of the controllers to make sure every pilot is doing exactly what they should to avoid any chance of accidents. Pilots and crews give the credit to controllers for keeping air travel safe for everyone.

Other air traffic controllers work in Terminal Radar Approach Control facilities (TRACON). Getting assigned to work in a TRACON takes years of experience. Only the top controllers have the personality and skills to handle these positions. Each TRACON is responsible for the air traffic in many airports as well as in the skies between them. Men and women who sit for hours watching the screens in these facilities are the reason that flying is as safe as it is.

Stress Is The Price
Air traffic controllers know that one small mistake, a few seconds of not paying attention during a long shift, can mean that two of those dots might collide and hundreds of innocent people could be hurt. The work of managing planes flying with hundreds of passengers takes steady nerves. It demands attention to the tiniest details, the ability to talk to more than one pilot at a time and split second reaction times. Because of this, air traffic controllers must stop working when they reach the age of 56. The pilots who fly the planes can work until they are 60 before they are forced to retire.

Pride & Satisfaction Are The Rewards
Why would anyone want to take a job so demanding that they are forced to stop working years before most other people? Sitting for hours staring at a computer screen, safeguarding thousands of lives might seem like a very strange way to earn a living, but the people who choose this line of work love what they do. They are willing to work shifts around the clock and on weekends and holidays.

Air traffic controllers may not be home for Thanksgiving dinner or to celebrate New Year's Eve with their families, but they do get to go home after every shift knowing that they spent their work hours protecting thousands of people. Families were reunited, business deals were made and honeymooners are cuddling safely, because air traffic controllers did their job.

A Calm Voice In An Emergency
One of the few times that air traffic controllers become visible to the public is when someone has an emergency in the air. All of the news stories about inexperienced pilots getting "talked" through landing safely are about air traffic controllers stepping up when they are needed. The voice that provides a lifeline on the other end of the radio is an experienced air traffic controller calmly dealing with another emergency situation. They don't need awards.

The satisfaction of another disaster avoided, another life saved, is what keeps them going. If you ask them, they'll tell you that it's just part of the job and what they get paid for doing.

Air Traffic Controllers Earnings
Airline pilots not only get the satisfaction of public appreciation, their pay reflects the importance of the work they do. According to the FAA,

"In 2002, median annual earnings of airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers were $109,580. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $55,800. More than 25 percent earned over $145,000."

Compare that to the figures for air traffic controllers,

"Median annual earnings of air traffic controllers in 2002 were $91,600. The middle 50 percent earned between $65,480 and $112,550. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $46,410, and [only] the highest 10 percent earned more than $131,610."

The air traffic controllers began contract talks with the FAA on July 20, 2005. With contract negotiations underway, a report by Jim Tilman, a pilot and CBS2 Aviation Expert covered the US government's media blitz to inform the American public about the situation. The video is available online. In his comments, Tilman added, from a pilot's point of view, "I want those people to be happy. I don't want... [an air traffic controller] to worry about their mortgage if I've got an engine on fire and I'm coming in on 'short final*' in bad weather."

A press release from the FAA, made public a week before the talks began, announced that "in 2005, average controller compensation (including salary, premium pay, and benefits) will be $165,000." The FAA's mention of premium pay refers to the overtime that is required due to a shortage of controllers in most facilities. The air traffic controllers have been warning that overtime is not safe and more controllers need to be hired to avoid having tired eyes watching radar screens. The truth is, even with overtime and benefits included, few air traffic controllers earn anywhere near that amount. Yet most newspapers and radio stations just report the higher figures and the public comes away with the impression that an air traffic controllers salary is $165,000 a year. Many air traffic controllers would be very happy if that were the case.

This is from a current FAA job announcement for an Air Traffic Control Specialist:
Qualification Requirements: Applicants must possess experience in a military or civilian air traffic facility that demonstrated knowledge, skills, and abilities required to perform the level of work of the position. This experience must have provided a comprehensive knowledge of appropriate air traffic control laws, rules, and regulations. Applicants must have received either an air traffic control specialist certification or a facility rating according to FAA standards. Salary Range: $61,309 to $61,310. — A decent salary, but not quite the $165,000 compensation that the FAA press release claims.

Air Traffic Controllers Are Government Employees
In most countries, the air traffic controllers are government employees or members of the military. The US Federal government is considering changing that and moving to private corporations to take over keeping the skies safe.

American air traffic controllers work for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The White House would like to see to private corporations take over. Twice in 2003, Congress voted against privatization, but did eventually agree to replace FAA air traffic controllers in 69 control towers with part-time contract workers and open up the entire system to privatization by 2007.

More recently, legislation has been proposed to prevent automation and outsourcing of air traffic specialist jobs to Lockheed Martin Corp. This amendment to the fiscal 2006 Transportation-Treasury appropriations bill (H.R. 3058) that was introduced in June 2005, won the support of Democrats, Independents and Republicans in the House and was approved by a vote of 238-177. President Bush has threatened to veto the bill unless the amendment is removed, since the contracts have already been awarded to the corporation.

According to one report, "A privatized air traffic control system has been tried elsewhere—and the results for passengers weren’t good. After Great Britain privatized its air traffic control system, the number of serious in-flight incidents involving passenger planes doubled, flight delays jumped drastically and the government had to step back in to bail out the cash-strapped system, according to [National Air Traffic Controllers Association] NATCA."

"The privatisation of the United Kingdom's air traffic control system was a grave mistake, and one that the United States can still avoid making. British Air Traffic Controllers are among the best in the world, and they fought tooth and nail to keep ATC in the public sector. They insisted that the sale of the National Air Traffic Services (NATS) would lead to a collapse in morale, the unwise introduction of inadequate and unreliable equipment, and an increasing danger of catastrophic accidents. The Government did not listen and went ahead. They were wrong and the Air Traffic Controllers were right." -- Gwyneth Dunwoody, MP Chair, Transport Subcommittee British House of Commons

The Bush Administration doesn't expect a fight from the air traffic controllers. John Carr, the president of the National Association of Air Traffic Controllers, said, "We helped to build the safest aviation system in the world. We know how to ensure its safety. ... Our collaboration and cooperation is key to ensuring a safe system." In 1981, a battle over wages and benefits resulted in the air traffic controller's union (PATCO) calling for a strike. Most of the controllers involved were fired and many went to jail. It isn't likely that the current employees have forgotten that lesson.

There isn't expected to be any public concern either. Since most Americans are not aware of the situation and are not expressing any opinions, many elected officials will probably not continue the fight to avoid this outcome.

Cutting government spending should not be done at the risk of endangering lives. Part time contract workers will not have the experience or the pride in their job that keeps full time air traffic controllers glued to their radar screens for hours at a time. Automated systems are wonderful assistants to humans, but cannot make informed split second decisions with the same success as people.

If you are concerned about your safety when flying, contact your Congressional Representatives to let them know that the air traffic controllers, and everyone who depends on their skills, need support when the next round of voting comes up.

The next time you, or someone you know, arrives at your destination and the passengers begin to applaud, remember to give a thought to the air traffic controller who guided the plane in safely.

Happy landings!

*MAKE SHORT APPROACH — Used by ATC to inform a pilot to alter his traffic pattern so as to make a short final approach.

Related Links:

Frommer's Travel Talk - FAA vs NATCA

FAA Careers - Air Traffic Controller

US FAA Seeks Savings From Air Traffic Controllers

FAA and air traffic controllers begin talks on union contract

User fees get cold shoulder in House subcommittee hearing

Air traffic control isn't for sale

In Training: Privatized ATC - Out-of-this-world scenarios about a much-debated topic