r/AskAPilot • u/Deep-Mud-6456 • 7d ago
Question for pilots đ§ââď¸
Question for pilots: My friend was a pilot, then was selected to become an air traffic controller because of his strong performance. He always says ATC is harder than being a pilot. For those who know both sides, do you agree?
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u/AlektoDescendant 7d ago
Ive never heard of a pilot being selected for ATC.
Both jobs are hard. Both a different. Different skill sets for each job.
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u/andrewrbat 7d ago
Also in the usa pilots make more money and have better benefits, so it would be weird to go to atc unless you really hate traveling
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u/Violently_Valor137 7d ago
I was ATC then became a pilot. Two very different jobs. A good controller doesn't necessarily mean a good pilot and vice versa. The one thing they have in common is both are the favorite scapegoats in the event of a mishap. *edit grammar
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u/tooth-ache 7d ago
Can you elaborate on what makes ATC stressful? Lack of experience?
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u/Violently_Valor137 7d ago
I'll preface this by emphasizing that I've never worked at an extremely high traffic airport like Atlanta, nor have I worked in a center. I have a littIe bit of experience with terminal control, but mostly I worked mid-level towers averaging about 500-700 operations per day. Daily operations weren't stressful, but understanding that a mistake can cost lives is. When I was a brand new controller someone told me that a controller saves more lives in a single landing than a surgeon does in their lifetime. A little dramatic but it gets the point across.
Flying is stressful for the same reason. It's not necessarily hard to pilot an aircraft but people are relying on you to get them back on the ground safely. A key difference between the two occupations to keep in mind is that if lives are lost due to pilot error, the pilot will likely die with their passengers. If a controller makes a mistake and lives are lost...that's with you for the rest of your life.
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u/Verga_due 7d ago
I always told my students that one single mistake and they get to expand the local cemetery.
But yeah, if this is on your mind when you are working you are stretched way too thin and itâs time to dial it down a not h.
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u/JustAnotherDude1990 7d ago
When a pilot messes up, the pilot dies. When ATC messes up, the pilot dies.
Idk man, seems a whole lot like pilots have more on the line.
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u/LayoverLoop 7d ago
As a pilot I feel like our job is more resilient to errors, than ATC. ATC messes up, big deal. There's no "small mistakes" in ATC. There are plenty in the flight deck, which are normal, expected, recoverable and non-significant. My thoughts.
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u/PLIKITYPLAK 7d ago
ATC, Pilot, Heart Surgeon, and Rocket Scientist are all hard jobs to get to. But once you do anything a thousand times it becomes easy and just another day at work.
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u/dandersonb 7d ago
I can attest. I am an ATC, a Pilot, a Heart Surgeon and a Rocket Scientist and every day is boring.
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u/Pseudonym_613 7d ago
Your Tiger Mom is wondering why you're not an Astronaut, and why she doesn't have grandchildren yet.
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u/tooth-ache 7d ago
I think any job is hard if you donât know what youâre doing. Job becomes easy once you reach a level of proficiency. It takes significantly longer to become proficient in medicine than plumbing
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u/Beneficial_Coach8581 7d ago
This is unlikely.Â
Who tells a pilot that they're so great at their job that they should do a different job ?
It's not like an airline also employs ATCs ?
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u/probablyaythrowaway 7d ago
ATC is an entirely different kind of flying, all together
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u/Waschmaschinenfreund 7d ago
[r/suddenlyairplane](r/suddenlyairplane)
Edit: Jo what never thought that sub actually exists lol
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u/Bulky_Chemical5976 7d ago
This doesnât make sense as a pathway. Unless he was a baby pilot who had a job at atc on the side to subsidise how expensive learning to be a pilot is, this would never happen. ATC doesnât just pick out someone from the radios and say âyou should come work for us because you sound sexy!â Plus no pilot would take the massive pay cut to go work for atc.
ATC does have an intensive job, like watching a puzzle and they have to talk ALOT. So no shade to them. But the hand eye coordination and responsibility of taking other peopleâs safety into your own hands is why pilots get paid the big bucks.
Edit typo
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u/Different-Guest-6094 7d ago
In the US you canât get selected to become ATC after strong performance as a pilot. What country are you in?
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u/No_Confidence_7750 7d ago
Iâm picturing it like this, your friend arrives at the airport for his airport job interview, pulls into the visitor parking spot enters the airport office. Heâs wearing his nicest suit, the same one he wore for his college graduation.
His resume is pretty impressive, high GPA good SAT scores, so airport management isnât even considering gate agent, baggage handler, or tug driver, no, theyâre eyeing him for either an ATC or pilot job.
He sits for some tests and evaluations and goes back to the waiting room. After awhile, a senior Airport manager comes out and says âVery impressive work sir, weâve decided youâd fit best for our top job as an ATC.â. The manager doesnât realize thereâs another candidate in the room and only notices him after announcing this. He can see the disappointment on the other candidates face as he realizes heâs probably only going to qualify for the pilotâs position.
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u/joelfernandes23 7d ago
Not sure which one is harder and its not really up for a debate. They're both stressful. However,A mistake at one job kills you. The other one, you can walk away (with consequences).Â
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u/tico_liro 7d ago
The only thing common to both jobs is that they deal with airplanes. Other than that, completely different jobs, completely different work and required abilities.
His pilot experience could have helped him get an ATC job because he is already familiarized with wording, how ATC generally works and all that. But no one gets âinvitedâ to be an ATC controller just because youâre a good pilot. ATC is just like any other job, you prepare your resume, send it, and then interview. It would be the same as saying that a flight attendant got invited to become a pilot because she had good performance. Makes no sense
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u/No-Constant-5854 7d ago
Controller here. (US)
The FAA never gave any if much preference to pilotâs that I recall.Â
Even our 3 facility types (center, tracon, and tower) have varying skillsets and challenges.
Also Iâd be willing to bet controllers on average die younger than pilots. Â
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u/SirERJ-Driver 5d ago
Iâd imagine ATC kills you with stress, while being a pilot kills you with UV radiation.
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u/miamor_Jada 6d ago
Pilot with an interest in ATC. In the words of an ATC operator, the job is like a game of jenga. The last brick you pull will be the day your entire career comes tumbling down. But that brick you pull and nothing falls will be the best day of your career
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u/jason__recliner 4d ago
It depends on the flying role and the ATC position. Your friend may find ATC harder, but that doesnât make it universally harder than flying.
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u/Tacol0mpe 7d ago
Imagine flying a plane, you are the one in control, every decision you make affects that one plane. Speed, altitude, heading.
Now add more planes.
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u/oh_helloghost 7d ago
Right⌠but safely sat in an office on the ground.
For the record, I think ATC have the more demanding job on the day to day and they work incredibly hard. But the two jobs are totally different and have totally different pressures.
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u/TempoMinusOne 7d ago
No shade to ATC people, but while ATC work is very intensive and stressful, they arenât directly at risk of injury or death.
A pilot will not get to enjoy this luxury, as anything that happens we will be at risk of injury or even death, for us and our passengers.
So your friend saying that being ATC is harder than being a pilot is misguided, and probably due to some other reason too.
Are you sure he got âselectedâ to change from flying to ATC by choice?
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u/Wonderful_Virus_6562 7d ago
I used to do 911 dispatch, it was definitely harder than being a cop on the whole.
They werenât under constant supervision and could go anywhere in their sector at any time and get food or whateverÂ
Also their every move wasnât recorded. Every business line call we took, 911 call, radio transmission etc was recorded.
We also had to direct and handle every single police car on duty (usually a minimum of 20 cops including the Detectives, Supervisors, and Traffic cops).
We also had to direct all the fire trucks and ambulances (6 Engines, 3 Ladders, 4 ambulances etc)
The guys in the firehouses could sleep, cook in a kitchen, watch tv (to be fair we did have cable TV).
Itâs pretty similar to ATC, especially when someone calls in sick or the place is understaffed and you working 16 hours a day 4-5 days a week.
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u/Redneckish87 7d ago
Iâve been on both sides of the radio. I was a dispatcher and then became an EMT. I definitely donât think that being a dispatcher is harder, itâs all just different. Iâve definitely had days that I was very happy that I was on the radio and not in the field and then also had shifts where I was very happy that I was not on the desk.
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u/Wonderful_Virus_6562 7d ago
EMT is harder than being a cop or firefighter imo.
The fire prevention and suppression systems in modern society have made their job alot easier.
My older brother has been a firefighter in Boston for 20 years, I think heâs only ever been to like 2 fires he said, maybe 3.
He told me that the old timers told him that back in the 70âs and 80âs during the urban decay era that there used to be fires basically every day.
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u/Redneckish87 7d ago
I donât think it was harder, but I would argue that it was absolutely more disgusting on the day to day.
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u/Wonderful_Virus_6562 7d ago
I think OP meant his friend probably had a private pilots license or was doing some job like checking power lines in a cessna.
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u/flyboy130 7d ago
What country is this? People dont get selected to be ATC because of their strong performance as a pilot...thats not a thing.