Frequently Asked Questions  

Q. Is your College an FAA approved school? 

A. The term " FAA Approved School" is associated with the traditional "College Training Initiative" (CTI) program. AATC offers a "CTO" program. The CTO or Control Tower Operator certification course is a one year technical certificate program. When a student completes this program they will have met all the requirements of FAR Part 65 and satisfactorily passed an FAA facility rating evaluation by an "FAA Designated Examiner".  The FAA Examiner will then issue a "Control Tower Operator" certificate with a Facility Rating. The FAA is the issuing authority for all CTO certificates.

Q. Are your Instructors certified by the FAA?

 A. All of our instructors that are qualified in the Control Tower have a CTO certificate issued by the FAA. Each instructor has ,on average, over 30 years of Air Traffic Control experience.

Q. Is a college degree required for employment as an Air Traffic Controller?

 A. No, the air traffic career field is a technical skill. No amount of education will make you a qualified controller. The skills required are much like a race car driver who has excellent hand/eye coordination with instantaneous decision making abilities. Controllers must be able to communicate precisely while simultaneously typing on a small keyboard and write on small pieces of paper and make split second accurate decisions. This is why AATC developed this program, we take students with no experience and provide a full year of technical training by developing their skill sets to work in a variety of control towers throughout the nation.

Q.  Am I required to complete any flight training before entering your program?

 A. No, it is not necessary to have any flight training before beginning our ATC program. We do not require students to spend up to $10,000 dollars on unnecessary pilot training.

Q. How much does this Air Traffic Training program cost?

A. The tuition cost of the program is $50,000.  This may seem like a lot, but if you put it in perspective, you will spend this much money just in room and board if you were to attend a four year college program.  Additionally, your first year earnings as a qualified Air Traffic Controller will be in the low $40's.

Q. Do you have any financing options?

A. Our preferred lending institution offer a private student loan, which will requre a qualified co-signer. the borrrower may choose an option of fixed payments of $25.00 month through to graduation.

 Q. What is the difference in a CTI program and a CTO program? 

A. A CTI school agrees to teach a course titled Air Traffic Control Basics.  This is accomplished by adding the lesson objectives to various academic courses taught at that institution. In the CTO program the focus is on technical training. We teach the Air Traffic Control Basics objectives the FAA requires of CTI programs as well, but we accomplish this in the first 5 weeks of the CTO program.  Additionally, with a CTO program when you successfully complete the program you are a fully qualified "Air Traffic Controller" with a CTO certificate issued by a FAA Designated Examiner.

Q. Why do you require a campus visit/tour of your facility before someone can be accepted into your program?

A. Our expectation is to have a 100% graduation rate.  It is important that we make sure an applicant meets certain qualifications and skill sets to become an air traffic controller.  Also, we need to make sure an applicant is "hirable" by the FAA once they have completed the program.  We do this by pre-qualifying all applicants, meaning, all prospective students complete an FAA Class II Medical Exam and completing a background screening. While touring a prospective student will enjoy receiving a complimentary introductory lesson in the Tower Simulator.  This serves two purposes. One, it will tell the individual if this is the right career for them and two, it gives our Instructor an idea of the students entry level skill set. A personal interview with one or more members of our Executive Team, will be required. AATC's program is not for everyone.  We want to make certain the potential student understands the commitment they are making by deciding to attend AATC. Once all pre-requisites are successfully achieved, then a letter of acceptance for enrollment will be issued.