TCC to launch air traffic training

BY JIM STAFFORD

Published: October 4, 2008

Tulsa Community College is one of eight schools recently added to the Federal Aviation Administration’s Air Traffic Collegiate Training Initiative program.

The program prepares students aspiring to a career as an air traffic controller. Graduates who are selected by the FAA for air traffic jobs must then attend the FAA Academy in Oklahoma City. The eight new schools will bring the number of colleges providing air traffic controller training to 31.

The program will probably launch on the Tulsa Community College campus next fall, said David Sollars, associate dean of science, math and technology at the college.

The FAA plans to recruit and hire more than 17,000 air traffic controllers over the next decade. The agency has hired more than 5,000 controllers over the past three years and plans to hire more than 2,000 in fiscal 2009.

Other colleges added to the list of FAA certified training schools are: Aims Community College (Colorado); Broward Community College (Florida); Eastern New Mexico-Roswell; Embry Riddle-Prescott (Arizona); Jacksonville University (Florida); LeTourneau University (Texas); and St. Cloud University (Montana).

"These schools are an excellent jump start for a job in air traffic control,” said Robert A. Sturgell, the FAA’s acting administrator. "These institutions will give thousands of future controllers an inside track on a great career.”

Comments