airborn9_78
10th Jun 2010, 18:36
apart from NATS and Euro control. what other pathways ere there to become an ATC? for example im a 22 year old engineering graduate, what are my options ? if any ?
Glamdring
10th Jun 2010, 19:18
You can pay for a course yourself and apply to a non-nats airport in the UK.
goatface
10th Jun 2010, 19:26
Starting as an ATC Assistant at a regional airport where ATC is not run by NATS is a good way of getting in.
Some airports have training plans where they put their own candidates through ATCO training (following an assessment) on a reasonably regular basis, others adopt a slightly more hap - hazard approach and do it a week after they need a validated ATCO.
The competition is tough and you may have to sit tight for a while before a training opportunity becomes available but it's worth it.
You could pay for itself if you've got lots of money / wealthy parents / a bottomless wallet or recently robbed a bank, but there are huge financial risks involved.
Alternatively, you could join the RAF (or Navy), but its service life, go what you are told, you do what you are told and you're an Officer first / ATCO second. Equally, when you come out, the licence is not transferable to a civilian one i.e you have to do it all again.
Do a bit of research on non NATS ATC at regional UK airports, find out who the General Manager of ATC is and write to them with a (hand written) covering letter and very best CV.
Follow it up a couple of weeks later with a phone call requesting to spend a half day with the ATC unit.
Finally, it's likely that you'll get a job offer at a place you'd rather not go to but, if there is any likelyhood of ATCO training in the near future, I'd take it.
You can always move on after a few years.
All the best.
HEATHROW DIRECTOR
10th Jun 2010, 19:47
<<what other pathways ere there to become an ATC?>>
First lesson: No such thing as "an ATC". ATC is the service - Air Traffic Control. The people who provide the services are ATCOs - Air Traffic Control Officers. If you write to an ATC provider and say you want to be an ATC I suspect you may not be lucky.
Goatface has offered a lot of good ideas.
Good luck.