What It Takes To Be An Air Traffic Controller At The World's Busiest Airport

Business Insider

5 Nov 202009:48

Summary

TLDRThe video script offers an in-depth look at the high-pressure world of air traffic control at Atlanta Hartsfield Airport, the world's busiest airport. It details the rigorous training and specialized roles of controllers, the importance of efficiency and safety, and how they manage up to 30 planes simultaneously. The script also highlights the impact of weather and technological advancements that have improved air traffic control, emphasizing the controllers' critical role in maintaining the smooth operation of air travel.

Takeaways

🌐 Atlanta Hartsfield Airport is the world's busiest airport, with air traffic controllers overseeing a complex operation.
🕒 Controllers manage approximately 2,600 landings and departures daily, under various weather conditions.
🛫 The control tower is the tallest in the country, symbolizing the scale of operations at the airport.
👥 A team of 58 controllers is required to keep the airport running smoothly.
🚫 The importance of safety is paramount, with efficiency being a key goal without compromising safety.
📈 The job requires dynamic decision-making, especially in situations like unstable approaches or poor weather.
🏢 Becoming a fully qualified controller involves up to five years of training, including classroom, simulator, and on-the-job experience.
💼 The average controller in Georgia earns $145,000 a year, making it a highly sought-after profession.
📢 Controllers must remember and monitor up to 30 planes at once, which is a significant cognitive challenge.
⏱ The job is mentally demanding, with controllers allowed to work for only two hours before a break is required.
🔄 Controllers use a system of strips to track and sequence planes for takeoff and landing to maximize efficiency.

Q & A

How high above Atlanta Hartsfield Airport is the control tower?
-The control tower is 400 feet above Atlanta Hartsfield Airport.
How many landings and departures does the airport handle daily?
-The airport handles 2,600 landings and departures a day.
What is the significance of Atlanta Hartsfield Airport for air travel in the US and the world?
-Disruptions in Atlanta can affect air travel throughout the country and parts of the world due to its role as a major hub.
How many runways does Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport have?
-The airport has five runways.
What is the role of air traffic controllers at Atlanta Hartsfield's airspace?
-Controllers are responsible for any planes inside Atlanta Hartsfield's airspace, five miles out and 4,000 feet above the airport.
How many air traffic controllers are required to keep the airport running?
-It takes a rotating staff of 58 traffic controllers to keep the airport running.
What is the average salary of an air traffic controller in Georgia?
-The average controller in Georgia makes $145,000 a year.
What is the training process like for a new air traffic controller?
-It can take up to five years of classroom, simulator, and on-the-job training to become a fully qualified controller.
How many planes can a controller monitor at once?
-Controllers have to remember and monitor up to 30 planes at once.
What is the maximum arrival rate of planes at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport?
-The maximum arrival rate is 132 planes per hour.
How does technology help air traffic controllers in their job?
-Technology such as ASDE-X radar, GPS positioning, and automation of flight strips helps controllers track planes and manage air traffic more efficiently.