FAA vs ICAO

[Btrbill]

I do not want to try and start a debate, just asking a simple question...

What is the difference in an FAA ATC Certification and an ICAO ATCO Certification?

[Vector361]

OR.....an FAA certification allows you to work "live" traffic on the individual positions you are certified on without an OJTI. (No licenses are issued in the FAA for radar controllers, tower only.) At the ICAO compliant facility I worked at you had an OJTI with you until you passed ALL your position checks and you actually had possession of youf license. Sometimes this could take a week or more. An FAA certified controller can technically continue right on position and work without an OJTI as soon as the supervisor giving the check puts an X in the box "certified" and signs the form. The ATCO receiving the check does not have to even sign the form.

It can mean other things too. I have seen several "certified" ATCO looking for their first ATC job. (Meaning they have completed their ATC school.)

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

So what qualification does an FAA radar controller have?

[cvg2iln]

So what qualification does an FAA radar controller have?

Just guessing here - taking a wild punt at it - something which meets the mandatory standard as required by the FAA?

I've been one of their customers for decades. They do an excellent job.

[Vector361]

HD - the funny thing is we can go on all day because we use the same terms but they mean different things. Qualified to the FAA is the same as certified which is synonymous with licensed in most of the rest of the world.


If you are asking about ATC school, every ATCO in the FAA has been to the FAA academy for ATC training, with the exception of a very few that were hired directly from the military or DOD. They were all prior controllers that went thru the military schools. Even the college graduates with ATC academics and simulator training have to go thru the FAA academy and pass a very tough program.

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

Thanks Vector361. In that respect it's similar to over here in the UK. However, every civil ATCO here holds a licence and ratings maybe added after appropriate training and exams.

[Plazbot]

How is that different?

[Vector361]

It's different only in licensing. As I see it, most licenses are issued thru a government agency to either a private/semi-private/or government owned but not run ATC service provider. The FAA is the regulating government agency for ATC in the US AND by far the largest service provider therefore, it doesn't need to issue licenses for its employees. The military branches & DOD in the US are like the FAA in they don't issue licenses for the same reason, they are government run ATC. The only ATC licenses issued are for towers, many of which are contracted out and not being run by the FAA. And just to muddy the water, the FAA licenses to a few military run towers. My best guess it that just about every military tower works civil aviation at some point because we have so few restrictions on VFR traffic.

[vector4fun]

(No licenses are issued in the FAA for radar controllers, tower only.)

Ummmm, I'm not sure if we're discussing semantics here but;

While I'm now retired, I have, in my wallet, a genuine FAA issued plastic license with a magnetic strip on back that says:

Vector4fun
(address)

HAS BEEN FOUND TO BE PROPERLY QUALIFIED TO EXERCISE THE PRIVILAGES OF AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL SPECIALIST

CREDENDIAL NUMBER XXXXXXXXX
DATE OF ISSUE 08 APR 2008


RATINGS

RADAR APPROACH CONTROL AUS TOWER




This is completely separate from my CTO, or Control Tower Operators Certificate. The card is identical to the ones for my Commercial Pilot and Instructor's certificates, with the exception the background photos are different.

[N90-EWR]

I have a similar card as Vector4fun.

Ratings

Radar approach control New York Tracon

It list the 2 areas I've been fully certified in (though I'm only current in the EWR area)

[mike1711]

Is anyone aware of any controllers that have successfully converted to a US FAA licence from a uk licence? (without starting from scratch and going through their college system)

[Vector361]

V4F - I was waiting for that. I too am retired from FAA 6+ years and I was 1 of 2 that issued those at my facility and stiil have mine. And yes, they pass as a license most places outside the US like the old "pink card", however I was advised that their intended purpose was to give the FAA AOV branch (oversight) a tracking mechanism to be able to more easily look into who was having errors & deviations and were they being properly retrained, and should they be allowed to continue to work traffic. I have no idea what has happened with this program since 2008. I seems the FAA tried to move away from the facility alone determining what, if any, training was needed and if the controller should be given the opportunity to re-certified.

And the CREDENTIAL was issued to a US controllers after their FIRST position certification/validation. I believe most ICAO licenses are only issued after all positions are satisfied.

But yes, the CREDENTIAL will pass as a license if you have fully certified/validated and have a verifiable work history.

[Lon More]

.... and you're priviledged