Scouting Careers in Air Traffic Control
Controllers in Fairbanks helped a group of Scouts earn their merit badges with a tour of the tower and an introduction to this fulfilling career.
By C. Troxell, FAA
For Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts in Alaska, learning how to survive in the wilderness is essential. Perhaps just as important is learning about flying in a state where about 82 percent of communities are accessible only by aircraft.
That’s why FAA air traffic controllers at the Fairbanks tower collaborated with the Fairbanks International Airport Operators’ Council to help 20 Alaska Scouts, ages 6–11, achieve their aviation merit badge. The aviation STEM event at the airport immersed the Scouts into the world of controllers and pilots.
Operations Supervisor Matt Collins, with controllers Ryan Seelig, Jaden Myers and Young Mak, provided Scouts an overview of air traffic control and its careers. The Scouts took turns acting out simulations as controllers and pilots, communicating with one another and getting takeoff clearances from “Funbanks Tower.”
“I’m glad that we were able to bring them in and show them around, maybe pique their interest or passion for an aviation career, whether it’s pilot or air traffic controller,” Collins said. “It keeps them engaged, and they’re learning some stuff. That’s a victory in my book.”
Collins first led the Scouts in a class focused on the role of controllers and how they help pilots get from point A to point B safely. Controllers also showed the Scouts the workings of the tower, and explained how they keep flights separated and aid pilots in safe flight.
“We put the audio through the speakers so they could listen to what the pilots were saying,” said Myers, who is early in his air traffic control career, with about a year and a half of service at Fairbanks. “They were all having a good time with that.”
“This is one of those jobs that high school students don’t necessarily know about when doing their decision making on what they want to do when they grow up,” he added. “Air traffic control isn’t well known unless they have a family member involved. A lot of people want to be pilots, but this is a great career.”
Myers became inspired to pursue a career as a controller when a family-friend took him to the Oshkosh fly-in in his home state of Wisconsin.
Collins, who did not consider a career in air traffic control until he was a young adult, also sees the value in introducing children to aviation careers.
“I didn’t know anything about air traffic control until a friend of a friend told me about it,” he said. “He was an operations supervisor at Kansas City Center. He gave me a tour; I liked the passion, intelligence and sharpness [they] had. I thought, I want to be part of this.”
Two years later, Collins applied for an open bid and completed the FAA Academy program.
“I lived in Oklahoma or Kansas most of my life, so I thought, let’s get out and see the world. So I picked Alaska.” Collins became an operations supervisor this past March.
Some of the Scouts, Myers said, had parents that were either pilots or were involved in aviation some other way — not uncommon in Alaska.
“They had some very specific questions, like about separation requirements, and a few of them were able to identify types of planes,” he said. “Some asked what we do when an emergency happens, and we showed them the tools we use to get pilots to the closest landing surfaces.”
In addition to learning about air traffic control, the Scouts performed an aircraft preflight inspection before taking flight in a twin-engine Piper PA-31 flown by a Warbelow’s Air charter pilot.
Finally, they built gliders and held a competition to test the precision of flight and landing.
“It was engaging for the kids,” Myers said, “and they got to see our unique operation with parallel runways and float pond in between. It feels good to inspire the next generation.”
