Career Categories: Hardware

Air Traffic Controller

Coordinate movements of air traffic in the air and on the ground to prevent collisions. Air traffic controllers may work in a tower at an airport (Terminal Controller) communicating with individual aircraft on the runway preparing to take off or on approach to land. Other Ground Controllers direct planes which have landed to a particular gate. There are also en-route controller at one of twenty en-route centers across the U.S. In fact a pilot is never out of communication with an air traffic controller. Terminal and en-route air traffic controllers use radar to track location and movement of an aircraft. Ground controllers usually work by sight. Air traffic controllers can also be stationed in one of 100 flight service stations which provide information about weather and terrain.