The Side by Side ATC Podcast

Giving a clearance is one of the most basic Tools an air traffic controller uses—but a good clearance starts before you ever key the microphone. In this episode, we begin moving from the General Tools into the Specific Tools controllers use to work traffic. We look at FRAHE — Fix, Route, Altitude, Holding, and Everything Else/EFC as a framework for organizing and delivering a clearance. FRAHE give...

“Stay committed to your decisions, but stay flexible in your approach.” — Tony Robbins In air traffic control, the Picture is always changing. Traffic changes. Weather changes. Pilots make unexpected requests. And sometimes the Plan that worked a minute ago no longer works. In this episode, we add the Adaptability Tool to your ATC Tool Belt. We'll look at recognizing change, adjusting your Plan, m...

“In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing. The worst thing you can do is nothing.” — Theodore Roosevelt Scanning helps you see what's happening. Planning gives you options. Prioritizing determines what needs your attention first. Eventually, though, you have to make a decision. In this episode, we add the Decision Making Tool to your ATC Tool Belt. We'll look at maki...

“Things which matter most must never be at the mercy of things which matter least.” — Johann Wolfgang von Goethe You may have several things that need to be done, but you can't do all of them first. In this episode, we add the Prioritizing Tool to your ATC Tool Belt. We'll look at determining what needs your attention now, what can safely wait, and why your priorities must continually change as th...

“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” — Benjamin Franklin Last week, we talked about using the Scanning Tool to continually update your Picture. But knowing what is happening isn't enough. You also need to know what you're going to do next. In this episode, we add the Planning Tool to your ATC Tool Belt. We'll look at staying ahead of the traffic, thinking beyond your next move, havi...

Scanning isn't just looking at traffic. It's continually updating your Picture. As an air traffic controller, your eyes need to keep moving even while you're talking, listening, writing, and planning. Fixating on one aircraft or one problem can cause you to miss what's changing somewhere else. In this episode, we add the Scanning Tool to your ATC Tool Belt and look at developing a scan pattern, av...

“Fast is slow. Slow is smooth. Smooth is fast.” — Academy classroom saying When traffic starts getting busy, it can be tempting to start talking faster. But faster speech doesn't always make you faster. The faster you talk, the greater the chance of hearing “Say again.” Now you have to repeat the transmission, you've used more frequency time, and you've fallen even further behind. In this episode,...

One of the biggest concerns I hear from Academy students is, "How am I ever going to talk, write, listen, think, and build the picture all at the same time?" The answer may surprise you. Great air traffic controllers don't start by mastering everything at once. They master one skill at a time until those individual skills become automatic. As each tool requires less mental effort, they gain the ca...

Most people think phraseology is about saying the right words. Great air traffic controllers know it's much more than that. Phraseology teaches precision. It teaches consistency. It teaches discipline. Most importantly, it teaches you that the details matter . In this episode, we continue building your ATC Tool Belt by exploring why phraseology is much more than communication. From learning the ph...

Great air traffic controllers aren't known for talking more. They're known for listening better. In this episode, we continue building your ATC Tool Belt by focusing on one of the most overlooked—and most valuable—skills in aviation: listening . Listening is much more than hearing words on a frequency. It's building the picture, recognizing patterns, verifying readbacks, anticipating what's coming...

Every air traffic controller starts with an empty tool belt. Some fill that tool belt faster than others—not because they're smarter, but because they've learned how to learn . In this episode, we begin building the first tool in the Learning Toolbox : The Learning Tool . While many students focus on what they need to study, successful controllers also develop how they learn. That skill becomes th...

This is a replay of a previous episode. I am still dealing with a herniated disk and will be out of commission this week. I hope to be back next week to start discussing Tools You Need for Your ATC Tool Belt. On today's episode, I talk about what I have seen as the hardest thing for students at the FAA Academy. I talk about the amount of information you, as students, will be required to absorb and...

Every great air traffic controller starts in the same place—with an empty tool belt. The difference isn’t natural talent. It isn’t luck. And it isn’t having all the answers before training begins. The difference is a commitment to continually adding new tools throughout your career. In this episode, we kick off a brand-new series focused on building the tools that help aspiring controllers succeed...

This is a replay of one of the first episodes from September 2024. I am having to do this replay as I am laid up with a pinched nerve and unable to get upstairs to my office. Hopefully, I will be back in time for next week. Until then here are the notes from the original episode with the current contact info. Have a great week! On this episode, I talk about why phraseology is King. I talk about th...

What’s the most important tool an aspiring air traffic controller can develop? It isn’t phraseology. It isn’t radar. It isn’t separation. It’s learning how to learn. Every technical skill you’ll develop at the Academy depends on your ability to learn efficiently, recover from mistakes, and continually improve. In this episode, we explore why learning itself is a skill and introduce the Success Cyc...

Every professional has a tool belt. Mechanics, electricians, carpenters, surgeons—they all rely on a collection of tools they’ve developed over years of experience. Air traffic controllers are no different. In this episode, you’ll discover the philosophy behind the Side by Side ATC ATC Tool Belt and why it will become one of the most valuable concepts throughout your Academy training and career. Y...

Waiting for an FAA Academy class date can be exciting, frustrating, and sometimes overwhelming. Instead of simply counting down the days, what if you used that time to build the habits and foundation that will help you succeed once training begins? In this episode of the Academy Preparation series, we discuss practical ways to prepare while waiting for your class date. From finances and family con...

Many future air traffic controllers believe their journey begins when they arrive at the FAA Academy. In reality, success starts long before Day 1. The habits, mindset, preparation, and discipline you develop before your class date can have a tremendous impact on your Academy experience. In this episode, we launch the new Academy Preparation series by discussing why preparation is about much more...

Over the past few months, I’ve explored two important frameworks on The Side by Side ATC Podcast: The 6 Drivers of ATC Success and The 4 Levels of Air Traffic Control. In this episode, I bring those frameworks together and show how they work hand in hand throughout an air traffic controller’s career. The 4 Levels—Pre-Academy, Academy, First Facility Training, and CPC & Training Others—represen...

Achieving certification as a Certified Professional Controller (CPC) is a major milestone, but it is not the end of the journey. In this final episode of The 4 Levels of Air Traffic Control series, I explore Level 4: CPC & Training Others and discuss how success in ATC evolves from developing yourself to helping develop the next generation of controllers. I examine how the 6 Drivers of ATC Suc...

Graduating from the FAA Academy is a major accomplishment, but it is only the beginning of the next phase of the journey. In this episode of The 4 Levels of Air Traffic Control series, we explore Level 3: First Facility Training and discuss the transition from Academy graduate to developmental controller working toward certification. You’ll learn: Why many trainees are surprised by the challenges...

The FAA Academy is where preparation meets performance. After spending weeks, months, or even years preparing for this opportunity, students quickly discover that success at the Academy requires more than intelligence or determination alone. The pace is fast, the expectations are high, and the pressure to perform is real. In this episode of The 4 Levels of Air Traffic Control series, we explore Le...

Most people think preparation for the FAA Academy starts on Day 1 in Oklahoma City. In reality, the first level of becoming a successful air traffic controller begins long before you ever walk through the Academy doors. In this episode, I talk about “Level 1 – Pre-Academy” and why the habits, mindset, and preparation you build before training can have a major impact on your future success. I also...

Most people think the journey to becoming an air traffic controller is all about getting through the FAA Academy. But the truth is, there are multiple levels of growth in an ATC career — and each level brings new pressure, new expectations, and new opportunities to improve. In this episode, I introduce “The Four Levels of Air Traffic Control”: Pre-Academy Preparation, The Academy, First Facility T...

Driver #6: Performance In this final episode of the “6 Drivers of ATC Success” series, we bring everything together. Success at the FAA Academy isn’t just about knowledge — it’s about performance under pressure. In this episode, we talk about: Why students struggle to perform when evaluations count How confidence is built through repetition The importance of preparation before the pressure hits Wh...