Tulsa Community College Expands Air Traffic Control Program

photo credit/ TCC

Tulsa Community College Expands Air Traffic Control Training With New Simulator

Tulsa Community College is expanding its aviation training capabilities with a new air traffic control simulator designed to give students hands-on experience as the nation continues to face a shortage of air traffic controllers.

The simulator is located at the TCC Riverside Community Campus & Aviation Center at Richard L. Jones Jr. Airport. College leaders say the technology will allow TCC to train significantly more students while preparing graduates to move directly into Federal Aviation Administration facilities for on-the-job training.

The expansion builds on more than a decade of air traffic control education at TCC and comes as the college strengthens its role in preparing students for Oklahoma's growing aerospace and aviation workforce.

Tulsa Community College Air Traffic Control Program Expands Training

The Tulsa Community College air traffic control program has operated for more than a decade, but a new agreement with the FAA is changing how quickly qualified graduates can enter the workforce.

TCC now participates in the FAA's Enhanced Air Traffic-Collegiate Training Initiative, which allows approved colleges to provide training that can replace portions of instruction traditionally completed at the FAA Academy in Oklahoma City.

Students complete two years of FAA-approved coursework at TCC before taking an examination administered by FAA examiners. Students who successfully complete the program and meet FAA requirements can then move directly into facility-specific training at an FAA air traffic control facility.

The Federal Aviation Administration identifies air traffic controllers as critical aviation safety professionals responsible for coordinating aircraft movements and maintaining safe distances between aircraft.

Julie Porterfield, dean of TCC's School of Science and Aeronautics, said the program comes at a time when the country is facing a critical shortage of air traffic controllers.

The FAA has been working to increase its controller workforce, with the agency setting aggressive hiring goals as it works to address staffing shortages across the National Airspace System.

New Air Traffic Control Simulator Gives TCC Students Hands-On Experience

The new simulator will allow TCC aviation students to practice directing aircraft in a controlled environment before they begin working in active air traffic control facilities.

Students can experience realistic scenarios, learn how to manage multiple aircraft and practice correcting mistakes without putting aircraft or passengers at risk.

The technology also allows TCC to dramatically expand enrollment.

Before receiving its enhanced FAA designation, the program typically enrolled between 11 and 14 students per class. TCC can now accept 42 air traffic control students each fall.

The investment adds to an aviation campus that already includes significant training resources. The 55,000-square-foot Riverside Community Campus & Aviation Center houses TCC programs in Professional Pilot, Air Traffic Control, Aviation Management and Aviation Logistics.

The facility also includes a full-motion flight training simulator, additional aviation simulators and technically advanced aircraft used by professional pilot students.

More information about the college's aviation degrees and training opportunities is available through Tulsa Community College Aviation Sciences.

TCC Aviation Program Helps Build Oklahoma Aerospace Workforce

The expanded program also provides another pipeline into one of Oklahoma's largest industries.

Aerospace and defense is the state's second-largest industry, with the Oklahoma Department of Commerce reporting more than 1,100 aerospace entities operating in Oklahoma and an annual economic impact exceeding $44 billion.

For students entering air traffic control, TCC officials say the program can provide a relatively affordable route into a specialized aviation career.

Porterfield said 77% of Tulsa Community College graduates leave college debt-free, while the air traffic control program has relatively low textbook costs and fees compared with many other aviation career paths.

TCC's location at Richard L. Jones Jr. Airport also places students in an active aviation environment while they complete classroom and simulator training.

The FAA Enhanced Air Traffic-Collegiate Training Initiative is intended to create additional pathways into the controller workforce by allowing qualified colleges to provide the same fundamental training traditionally offered at the FAA Academy.

For Tulsa Community College, the combination of the new air traffic control simulator, expanded enrollment and enhanced FAA partnership means more Oklahoma students can train for air traffic control careers while helping address a workforce shortage affecting airports and aviation facilities nationwide.

🔴 MORE RADIO NEWS