Climbing the Mountain

When asking air traffic controllers about their jobs, you might occasionally get the answer, Best job in the world. Its a demanding, technical career thats both very rewarding and-while not glamorous-carries a certain mystique with the general public.

mwatson

Saturday, March 10, 2018 at 12:00 AM ET

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Key Takeaways:

The air traffic control (ATC) training environment often features a challenging, sometimes hostile culture where trainees face dehumanizing treatment, arbitrary standards, and unsupportive instructors, leading to high washout rates.
New controllers frequently encounter significant obstacles beyond technical learning, including deliberate sabotage by trainers, prolonged certification processes, and unfair application of rules, which can prematurely end promising careers.
Despite the systemic difficulties, controllers often demonstrate strong camaraderie and support for colleagues facing personal crises, and there's a growing movement from within the profession to foster a more supportive and equitable training culture for new hires.

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(Editor’s note: In 1981 the Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization, PATCO, illegally struck against the FAA. The controllers were fed up with what many viewed as horrible working conditions that primarily stemmed from an intense adversarial relationship with management. Unfortunately, it’s difficult to cite the reason for striking as “bad management,” so the strike unsuccessfully became mostly about money. Nonetheless, people noticed and many improvements were gradually made. Is it better today? Sometimes and in some places, but not universally. Here’s one veteran controller’s perspective and observations using training to illustrate.)

When asking air traffic controllers about their jobs, you might occasionally get the answer, “Best job in the world.” It’s a demanding, technical career that’s both very rewarding and—while not glamorous—carries a certain mystique with the general public.