new CTI programs

SkyPatrol-1

Well-Known Member
October 3, 2008

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has selected eight additional colleges or universities to participate in the Air Traffic Collegiate Training Initiative (CTI) program. The new schools are:

Aims Community College (Colorado)
Broward Community College (Florida)
Eastern New Mexico University-Roswell (New Mexico)
Embry Riddle-Prescott (Arizona)
Jacksonville University (Florida)
LeTourneau University (Texas)
St. Cloud State University (Minnesota)
Tulsa Community College (Oklahoma)
 
Im just getting into this career path and im planning on attending broward community college starting this spring
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I personally would not go to college to get a degree in Air Traffic Control when someone can be hired off the streets doing the exact same thing. Since you'll be attending area-specific classes at OKC regardless of which route you take, you're probably better off majoring in something besides Air Traffic Management or the like.

I majored in Information Technology and I'll be getting my bachelor's degree before I start the Academy next year. That way I'll have something to fall back on should I not be able to find employment with the FAA.
 
I personally would not go to college to get a degree in Air Traffic Control when someone can be hired off the streets doing the exact same thing. Since you'll be attending area-specific classes at OKC regardless of which route you take, you're probably better off majoring in something besides Air Traffic Management or the like.

I majored in Information Technology and I'll be getting my bachelor's degree before I start the Academy next year. That way I'll have something to fall back on should I not be able to find employment with the FAA.

Congrats on getting FSM. I was seriously looking there during my application process for PUBNAT1. It would have been a beautiful area to live in.
 
Congrats on getting FSM. I was seriously looking there during my application process for PUBNAT1. It would have been a beautiful area to live in.

Thanks! I've been living here for a few years now and I can't really complain. Just gotta finish college. You have no idea how much self discipline it's taking to finish and not go ahead and go to the Academy...
 
PRSATC, good luck at ORD! I was up there in August and it is amazing, I can't believe they would put a new hire there.


yea all the instructors here at okc chuckle when they see where i'm going. but theres a couple cti guys goin there from what i heard... so pretty much the same thing. itll be fun though
 
In all honesty, what's the point of going CTI right now? Join an Air National Guard ATC unit, get PAID to get trained (not go into debt), and apply under VRA after a year and a half of training, get priority hiring, the facility you want (6 out of 6 people in my unit that finished training in the last year have been hired at the facility they wanted, including me) AND get your facility pay here in OKC. I made double what the others in my class do.

Say you don't end up liking ATC...well now you can your college mostly paid for through the Air National Guard, instead of going into debt finding out you don't like it.

Ask the people that applied in 07. I was in my 3rd month of Air Force Air Traffic Control Tech school when they applied, did a year of seasoning at my base and still got hired faster than many of them. (not bragging) You will have a job offer before you even finish your training at your base. I know from experience.
 
In all honesty, what's the point of going CTI right now? Join an Air National Guard ATC unit, get PAID to get trained (not go into debt), and apply under VRA after a year and a half of training, get priority hiring, the facility you want (6 out of 6 people in my unit that finished training in the last year have been hired at the facility they wanted, including me) AND get your facility pay here in OKC. I made double what the others in my class do.

Say you don't end up liking ATC...well now you can your college mostly paid for through the Air National Guard, instead of going into debt finding out you don't like it.

Ask the people that applied in 07. I was in my 3rd month of Air Force Air Traffic Control Tech school when they applied, did a year of seasoning at my base and still got hired faster than many of them. (not bragging) You will have a job offer before you even finish your training at your base. I know from experience.
if i could go back and do exactly that i would. i didnt get interested in atc till after i started college. one of the few things i regret was not joining when i had the chance. but im still glad i got a degree. (not in atc)
 
In all honesty, what's the point of going CTI right now? Join an Air National Guard ATC unit, get PAID to get trained (not go into debt), and apply under VRA after a year and a half of training, get priority hiring, the facility you want (6 out of 6 people in my unit that finished training in the last year have been hired at the facility they wanted, including me) AND get your facility pay here in OKC. I made double what the others in my class do.

Say you don't end up liking ATC...well now you can your college mostly paid for through the Air National Guard, instead of going into debt finding out you don't like it.

Ask the people that applied in 07. I was in my 3rd month of Air Force Air Traffic Control Tech school when they applied, did a year of seasoning at my base and still got hired faster than many of them. (not bragging) You will have a job offer before you even finish your training at your base. I know from experience.

For those younger than myself and may be fresh out of high school or close to it, this would be the way to go. JT is right in that you don't want to pay the college tuition and find out you don't like ATC later on. But on the other hand, going to school at a CTI school should give you that sense anyway. But I would also likely find it difficult to change career fields in the Air National Guard if I didn't like ATC.

A part of me is regretting spending the money to relocate to Alaska and pay out-of-state tuition and fees, etc., but I also feel ahead of the game over the rest of OTS hires that probably don't have a strong base knowledge of ATC.

I chose to go CTI because I already had 2 undergraduate degrees, and I couldn't justify signing up for military duty when I was trying to keep a long-distance relationship working.

Another thing to consider is that the college degree in ATC will make you a strong candidate for management at a facility if you desire to go that direction with your career.

Every person is different, and I would say just choose the option that best suits your needs and career goals.
 
For those younger than myself and may be fresh out of high school or close to it, this would be the way to go. JT is right in that you don't want to pay the college tuition and find out you don't like ATC later on. But on the other hand, going to school at a CTI school should give you that sense anyway. But I would also likely find it difficult to change career fields in the Air National Guard if I didn't like ATC.

A part of me is regretting spending the money to relocate to Alaska and pay out-of-state tuition and fees, etc., but I also feel ahead of the game over the rest of OTS hires that probably don't have a strong base knowledge of ATC.

I chose to go CTI because I already had 2 undergraduate degrees, and I couldn't justify signing up for military duty when I was trying to keep a long-distance relationship working.

Another thing to consider is that the college degree in ATC will make you a strong candidate for management at a facility if you desire to go that direction with your career.

Every person is different, and I would say just choose the option that best suits your needs and career goals.

You actually control REAL traffic in the ANG, unlike at most CTI schools. Actually, I don't know of any CTI schools that talk on live frequencies. There is a huge difference controlling real traffic and controlling simulators. I was actually surprised with the difference.

Compared to OTS people, I'm miles ahead of them in class right now. But that won't last long. I help them out as much as I can here, plus they will catch up quickly at the facility. Well....most of them at least.

As far as changing careers in the ANG, once you finish your training, you only show up one weekend a month and you pretty much choose your deployments. I believe after 3 or 4 years you can change your career and it's not difficult at all to change careers in the ANG. I did it.

Everyone's situation is different, I understand that. But I just never saw the point of spending soooo much money for a 4 year school when in a year and a half I'm ahead of them and I got paid to do it plus numerous other benfits. My wife has ALOT of student loan debt and it constrains our budget like crazy.

As far as management, I dunno anything about the requirements for being a manager, so I can't really comment on that. I have no desire what so ever to get into management, so Ive never looked into it.
 
You actually control REAL traffic in the ANG, unlike at most CTI schools. Actually, I don't know of any CTI schools that talk on live frequencies. There is a huge difference controlling real traffic and controlling simulators. I was actually surprised with the difference.

Very true. Live training and experience is the best. Can't argue there.

Compared to OTS people, I'm miles ahead of them in class right now. But that won't last long. I help them out as much as I can here, plus they will catch up quickly at the facility. Well....most of them at least.

I'm not surprised to hear that. Many of my classmates at UAA were very competitive. But I'll bet it's a nice feeling to be the "go to person" when people need help. Instructors notice that sort of thing, too.

As far as changing careers in the ANG, once you finish your training, you only show up one weekend a month and you pretty much choose your deployments. I believe after 3 or 4 years you can change your career and it's not difficult at all to change careers in the ANG. I did it.

Cool. But what about those nearing the hiring age limit? A two-year CTI program would be better than the ANG.

My wife has ALOT of student loan debt and it constrains our budget like crazy.

I feel for you there. My fiance and I have a mortgage amount of debt with student loans. Not fun. :panic:

As far as management, I dunno anything about the requirements for being a manager, so I can't really comment on that. I have no desire what so ever to get into management, so Ive never looked into it.

I'm pretty sure you'd need a degree if you wanted to go into management. I'll look into it.
 
You can be in the ANG and work the FAA at the same time. The majority of my guard unit does work for the FAA, including me and 2 other people here at the academy with me. After the year and a half training for the ANG, you can already have a job. All of us were applying for jobs well before our training was up.
 
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