CTI going to a FCT?

jarhead0863 Trusted Member Grand Forks, ND

Hey guys. Right now I am a CTI student and am not going to graduate for a few more years. I know how the whole CTI process works with going to the academy after you graduate and then going to a FAA facility afterwards. Is it possible that someone, like a CTI student, could go right to a FCT without their CTO, earn it there at the FCT, then transfer eventually to a FAA tower?

atcguruaf Rico Suave AZ

To answer your question directly:

No.

meadelz Senior Member

You need to have your CTO in hand and a minimum of 6 months experience with your CTO at the facility where you got it.

polo708 Epic Member tower

FCTs dont train people to be controllers... they pay people who are already controllers to work their towers. Many have a requirement to be fully certified in about a month. There is no way to train someone from ground zero in a month.

Contract towers are paying you to work, not train. There is no profit to be made by training someone who isnt usable.

jarhead0863 Trusted Member Grand Forks, ND

Thanks guys. I didn't think it would be possible, but it was worth a shot. I am friends with the ATM at a local FCT and am going to meet up with him soon to view ops at his airport and to talk about ATC. Do you guys have any questions that you may want to know about FCT? I have a list of questions, but if you guys have any I can ask him those for you too. By the way he works for Midwest.

polo708 Epic Member tower

Unfortunately there is nothing your "friend" can do to get you hired unless you hold a magic CTO card, manager or not.

And as for questions im sure you or anyone else can ask one of the 100+ FCT controllers here on this forum. I hope this post doesnt come off as rude. Im not trying to sound that way but its often mis taken over the internet.

jarhead0863 Trusted Member Grand Forks, ND

Not rude at all. I respect someone that is not afraid to speak the truth to someone else. I don't plan on working at a FCT, but if I have the chance to go out to a tower for an hour or so to sit around and talk, I am sure most people would not pass up that opportunity!