The job profile of an air traffic controller is viral. The earnings are good, and you have a lot of responsibility. Thousands of people apply for an apprenticeship every year. But how do you become an air traffic controller? What kind of skills should one have? What are the options?
The job description
Before we answer the question “How do you become an air traffic controller? “, We first come to the job description of an air traffic controller. Air traffic controllers have a great responsibility, regardless of the area in which they work. Air traffic controllers work closely with the pilots because they are dependent on the instructions of the controllers. This means that they have to make decisions in various situations and pass them on to the pilots. To be able to make these decisions, air traffic controllers work with complex radar and computer systems. The profession is one in which a lot of responsibility has to be assumed. In return, the pilots and passengers also trust that the controllers do not make any mistakes.
In general, there are tower and center pilots. Both forms monitor the arrival and departure of aircraft. The tower controllers have direct visual contact with the respective plane. So you take care of the airspace around the airport. Center pilots, on the other hand, monitor everything via a radar screen. They also watch overflights or take over route control. To do this, they monitor the airspaces that are not near the airport. Teamwork is central in the control center because the radar and coordination controllers have to work well together. The radar controllers take over the contact with the pilots and pass on instructions. The partner is in touch with the neighboring sectors and carries out coordination tasks.
The tasks and activities of an air traffic controller are therefore diverse. But how do you become an air traffic controller?
How do you become an air traffic controller?
You should bring that with you.
If you answer the question, “How do you become an air traffic controller? “If you want to reply, you should first look at the personal requirements that an air traffic controller should have. It is essential a / r Fluglotse / in the job responsibly and to keep in stressful situations track and stay calm. A certain willingness to make decisions is also necessary to be an air traffic controller, spatial imagination, an excellent ability to concentrate, and a slight tendency to be distracted.
Also, team spirit is vital in this profession, as well as solid nerves and good memory. It would help if you also had a thorough understanding of numbers, as well as for computers and technology. But mobility and flexibility are also crucial because exactly where you will be deployed after training is often uncertain. In addition, shift work is typical in this job, and you have to work on public holidays as well.
How do you become an air traffic controller? – the training path
To answer the question “How do you become an air traffic controller? And “To respond in conclusion, it will now be examined which training path there is to achieve this goal. To become an air traffic controller, you must complete German Air Traffic Control (DFS) training. However, far more people apply for this every year than there are apprenticeships. Because the job involves such a great deal of responsibility, there is a strict selection process.
The general requirements for the training are The available university entrance qualification (Abitur) or a bachelor’s degree. The maximum age of 24 years must not be exceeded. It must be possible to start the training within the next 12 months. The language English was taken up to the Abitur, or the knowledge was deepened during the study. Otherwise, language skills can also be proven through a language test. The eyesight must be 100% (can also be achieved through glasses or contact lenses, as long as the dioptre is not higher / lower than +5 or -6). In addition, color vision must be flawless and have full hearing. There should be no other chronic illness.
Anyone who has not yet achieved the specified qualification
Anyone who has not yet achieved the specified qualification, but does so within the next year, can still apply. However, it is an exclusion criterion if you have already passed an aptitude test for training as an air traffic controller in the past and failed it. It also leads to exclusion if training to become an air traffic controller has already started but is not complete.
After the application receive, you will give access to an online test. This is about your career as well as your motivation and the like. If the test is complete, you would invite to a two-day selection process .
This selection process is about the knowledge of English, the ability to concentrate, spatial imagination, affinity to numbers, and stress resistance. If you are convincing here too, you will invite to a new selection process. In this second selection process, among other things, simplified simulations use for testing in the work of an air traffic controller. The aim is to test the multiple load capacity and the ability to make the right decisions quickly, and the ability to work in a team. This stage of the selection process also includes speaking to the selection committee. This consists of air traffic controllers and psychologists. Anyone who is able to convince in this step will invite to a medical examination, which must taken as the last hurdle before the training.
Once you have mastered this
Once you master this, you can expect an apprenticeship that consists of theory and “on the job” training, which usually lasts three years and reimburse. The trainees are in Langen near Frankfurt for the first 12 to 15 months. Here the theoretical basics learn in practical teaching units as well as in simulations. Then the “on the job” training begins, in which the trainees suppose to apply the knowledge they learn in the control center or a tower. Experienced air traffic controllers support them. In the course of this time, exams take repeatedly to acquire licenses. A total of 12 such claims can use as coordination and six as radar pilot. These must refresh again and again after the training at set intervals.
Conclusion – how do you become an air traffic controller?
Do you ask yourself, “How do you become an air traffic controller? “So you have to know that the path to becoming an air traffic controller is not easy because the multi-stage selection process is tough. Anyone who meets the general requirements of DFS will activate for an online test. If you do well here, you will invite to a two-day selection process. If you are also convincing here, a second selection process follows. And If you master this as well, you still have to pass the medical examination.
If you fail at one of these points in the selection process, you cannot apply again for training as an air traffic controller. However, if you master all of these hurdles, you can expect an apprenticeship in which theoretical basics convey and in the “on the job” training is on the program. As an air traffic controller, you take on a lot of responsibility and ensure that everything runs smoothly in the assigned airspace. Therefore you should have an excellent ability to concentrate, as well as a high level of stress resistance, willingness to make decisions, the ability to work in a team, and flexibility.
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