ATC Perks

[Sisson2011]

I am in college at The University of Oklahoma. For the longest time I thought I wanted to be an ATC. Here recently my thoughts have shifted to more a professional pilot as I have started flight school at the university. I still have ATC chosen as my minor.

I was wondering though what would u say the advantages are of being an ATC over a pilot? What's a typical ATC life like? Can I even get up into towers anymore to visit?

Thanks
-Matt

[Fox Xray]

I have only been a controller... I hold a PPL/IFR rating but haven't flown in many years and never flew professionally.

I would say not being on the road is a big thing over pilots if you don't like to travel. One perk used to be pay but under the IWR's that has gone away. I would say that one big thing is the Gov't benefits package... it may not be the best you can find but it is damn good.

You should still be able to get a tour of a tower. Contact the tower, explain who you are (student, pilot, etc.) and ask about a tour.

[knaschru]

Originally Posted by Sisson2011

I am in college at The University of Oklahoma. For the longest time I thought I wanted to be an ATC. Here recently my thoughts have shifted to more a professional pilot as I have started flight school at the university. I still have ATC chosen as my minor.

I was wondering though what would u say the advantages are of being an ATC over a pilot? What's a typical ATC life like? Can I even get up into towers anymore to visit?

Thanks
-Matt

as far as im concerned, id say being a pilot is better than being an ATC, the advantage i can see is, being a controller is less risky than being a pilot. the pay to a pilot is way better than a controller. atleast where i work, that is the fact & i believe in most places too. & from what ive heard, a lot of people go from air traffic controllers to pilots, but hardly from a pilot to a controller

ATC life depends on the amount of traffic at that particular airport. Here, there have been very busy days (especially now) so busy that we have to deal with a full strip bay & over 10-15 aircrafts in a 20 mile control zone. i know its not much compared to the busiest airports, but believe me, it IS stressful especially when we use proceedural control with IFR & VFR traffic. & gettin into towers differs from place to place. you can get up the tower where i work with a few security checks & cordination with ground operations & the ATC management. But while i was studying in dubai for my aerodrome rating it didnt prove to be too easy. i guess that would be the case after 9/11. so theres bound to be security issues from country to country.

hope that helped

[SwimAway]

I would say controller over pilot. I hold a CFI/CFII in Fixed Wing and Rotorcraft and have around 500 hrs in a citation II. I love flying, but I love being home.
I can tell you that with my salary as a corporate pilot and my soon to be salary as an ATC, they are pretty close to each other.

The ATC perks.

Benefits - great medical, great retirement
Retirement - Mandatory age 56
Travel - Little to none.

On top of that, you still can fly on the side. My very close friend is a controller at a pretty well known airport, and he manages 3 citations on the side, and is the chief pilot.

My goal is to instruct on the side, since I love instructing. I can just use that as extra $$$$


The Pilot Perks

Benefits - errg... You might get lucky... my flight job has none
Retirement - Social Security at some point when you can't renew your medical
Travel - A whole lot

Just my $0.02

[PilotChip]

I tell people i'm an air traffic controller and they just don't believe it.

Then i tell them i'm a pilot and they say "right."

So that keeps me going back to the tower for now ;P