What Is a Control Tower Operator and How to Become One

By ZipRecruiter Marketplace Research Team

As a control tower operator or air traffic controller, you coordinate a variety of land and air vehicles in the air, on taxiways, and on runways. In this career, you spend the majority of your work day in the control tower, where you oversee the airplanes and other traffic you control. You are responsible for verifying flight plans, as well as giving takeoff and landing clearance orders to pilots. Control tower operators are regulated and managed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), as you are responsible for the safety of commercial and private aircraft within the United States and international airspace under U.S. control.

To qualify to become a control tower operator, you must be at least 18 years old and able to speak clearly during a two-way radio conversation. You must also pass a medical and background check and a series of exams and courses at the FAA academy. The most important qualifications for this position are communication skills and the ability to keep calm under pressure. You must be able to handle high levels of stress and have the ability to maintain maximum concentration at all times during the shift.