A Charlotte County man is combating the air traffic controller shortage crisis, working to train the next generation for one of the country’s most high-stakes jobs.
As planes soar overhead, their smooth takeoffs and landings are often credited to skilled pilots. But behind the scenes, it’s air traffic controllers who quietly guide every move, often under intense pressure.
“It’s the best job in the world, if you ask me,” said Bruce Bivins, a retired air traffic controller who spent nearly four decades in the field. “There’s nothing else I’d rather do.”
Bivins began his career in 1985 with the U.S. Navy and stayed in the profession ever since. Now retired, he’s working to train the next generation of controllers through a first-of-its-kind accredited program at Travis Technical College in Polk County, Florida.
“You don’t just get a degree and become an air traffic controller,” Bivins said. “It takes hundreds of hours of testing, training and simulation.”
The Federal Aviation Administration says the country urgently needs more people like Bivins. In February, the agency said it needs 1,300 new controllers. The union representing air traffic controllers puts that number closer to 3,500.
“There are more openings than they have towers right now in the United States,” Bivins said.
Bivins says at smaller towers like the one in Punta Gorda, there are typically four to six staff members managing operations each day. Larger FAA facilities may have 20 to 40 personnel, depending on air traffic volume.
Controllers often undergo intensive training at the FAA Air Traffic Control Academy in Oklahoma City. Bivins’ program offers a more hands-on approach, with real-world tower experience and simulations customized for the specific facilities where graduates will work.
“We’re going to customize our training. So where you're going to get placed, you're going to know that facility before you even get there,” he said.
The work is high-stakes. Controllers don’t get second chances.
“We don’t get to practice,” Bivins said. “If we make a mistake, people die.”
Despite the stress, Bivins says many thrive in the environment.
“Whenever I’ve been in a tower or in front of a radar screen… I’m in my comfort zone,” he said.
Now, Bivins is focused on spreading the word about the career. He’s hoping to bring his program to the Gulf Coast.
“We need them,” he said.
Air traffic controllers may not be in the cockpit, but without them, the nation’s aviation system couldn’t get off the ground.
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