It’s an industry that had recruiting issues before Reagan poisoned the well. I don’t know why anyone would want to work as an ATC right now especially with govt shutdown as an ongoing issue.
It is a job that requires no college (they train), comes with government benefits, and pays a decent salary. There is (or the last time I checked) a literal lottery to get an interview. If they are having staff shortages, it is not from a lack of people that want that job.
On a related note, I once plugged in a headset to listen and watch a controller work. This was at a “center”, not an airport. They work for like 30-40 minutes and have a mandatory break. Their screen shows projected location. The real skill appears to be multitasking. I would start daydreaming and let two planes run into each other, but otherwise it did not look that hard.
It’s an industry that had recruiting issues before Reagan poisoned the well. I don’t know why anyone would want to work as an ATC right now especially with govt shutdown as an ongoing issue.
It is a job that requires no college (they train), comes with government benefits, and pays a decent salary. There is (or the last time I checked) a literal lottery to get an interview. If they are having staff shortages, it is not from a lack of people that want that job.
On a related note, I once plugged in a headset to listen and watch a controller work. This was at a “center”, not an airport. They work for like 30-40 minutes and have a mandatory break. Their screen shows projected location. The real skill appears to be multitasking. I would start daydreaming and let two planes run into each other, but otherwise it did not look that hard.