Need info for becoming ATC

gillamonster84 Newcomer

I know really nothing about becoming an atc. I am very interested though. I was thinking of going the army national guard route but I need to know exactly what the process is and how to become a faa atc. I have found info on other threads but I need very specific instructions and once I have completed basic and ait and become a atc in the national guard what do I have to do to become a faa atc. I have read that I need to be deployed so I can use it for experience to get hired through faa but will I still need to cti school or any other accredidation. Thank you very much

SSgt Young StuckMic Marine Corps Liaison California

You won't need a CTI school to be hired by the FAA. The major thing you need to worry about is getting a qualification that the FAA recognizes. That would be a CTO or some approach or enroute experience. I can't speak as an expert for the national guard, but i'm not entirely sure you get those qualifications in that service. I could be wrong. You might want to look into a different branch of service. In the Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force this is the process: Go to bootcamp, go to ATC school, graduate and go to your base, start training. As far as becoming ATC in the FAA, well that's a long drawn out process that you can get from one of a million threads on here. Basically you apply to an announcement and cross your fingers, pray, see a voodoo woman, and hope for the best. The key is getting qualifications recognized by the FAA.

johnnyatc Newcomer

I am an controller in the Minnesota National Guard, yes it is possible to become a controller with the ARNG and the process works similarly to what was posted above. Go to Basic training, go to 15Q ATC school and get your pink card, go to your unit and start training. Most ATC units in the national guard will have a local army airfield that they train at for CTO/ATCS and perhaps PAR radar, but as stated above a recognized FAA qualification like a CTO card is your best bet for advancing to the FAA as your DOT issued "pink card" is little more than worthless to civilians. If you are able and lucky enough, ARAC training and CTO what I would aim for.