Air Traffic Control Has a Diversity Problem, Not a DEI Problem: My Story

There's a lot of misinformation flying around after the DC crash that I need to set straight. (I’m so sorry for the lives lost.)

Wondering how I could do that? Well, At one point in my life, was in the process to try and become an Air Traffic Controller.

I have multiple degrees and certificates, but the one that matters here is my Associate of Science degree in Aviation Administration - Air Traffic Control. This wasn't just any program - it was one of the few colleges that had a direct pipeline with the FAA for hiring controllers. Or at least, that's what we were told.

Here's what actually happened: I studied my heart out as a Hispanic woman, in a family, full of other government employees. So my logical path was to do what they did and go into the government. But there was a big difference between me and my family members who worked for the government. I’m a girl; they are all male. And it became noticeable that I was absolutely going into a male’s world because I was one of only five girls in the program. And it also became evident that, I had to prove while in the program alone, especially with simulation training, that I was good enough. The teachers in this program were mostly former and current air traffic controllers, who focused more on helping us learn the job, not taking any tests.

Image Credit: @thizisruby

But in that program, there is a test. One you have to pass in order to become a controller. Its practically a pass or fail; you get above a certain number, you pass, your qualified, and high enough, your well qualified. Anything below that number. You fail, and no matter how well you did in the program, you’re out.

I passed.

Which meant I should have been called by the FAA to start their training program. Which happens when all the airports (big or small) see the candidates names and if they passed the test. And then they select their people and offer employment, pending that they pass the next training in Oklahoma.

That call never came. Why you ask?

Let me share some numbers that really put this in perspective. When I was going through the program, and even now, Air Traffic Control remains one of the least diverse fields in aviation. We're talking about less than 10% women controllers nationwide.

And when you look at racial diversity? Less than 25% of controllers are people of color - all minority groups combined.

That's significantly below their representation in the general population.

Today, it became very ironic hearing claims that DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) programs are somehow responsible for the recent DC crash.

Let me be crystal clear: I lived this experience, and that's absolutely false. If DEI was really influencing hiring, why wasn't I - a qualified ( I passed that test) Hispanic Woman - hired during a controller shortage?

The reality is, this has always been a male-dominated field, and breaking into it as a woman is incredibly difficult, let alone as a woman of color.

In fact, here's what really happened with my graduating class: Almost all the white male students who passed, got hired.

Only one woman made it in. A white woman who is a fantastic controller, but only one? When it wasn’t just her who passed that test?

From the 5000 airports that needed controllers... and only 5 women total who took the test with most of us passing... in a program that only existed (at that time) in a handful of schools. One women, was hired?

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Want more proof? Well, years later, I was notified about a lawsuit where a Black student was suing for discrimination, and they wanted me to be ready to testify about my experience in case they needed me.

Here's what makes this whole situation even more frustrating - the FAA is a government agency crying about a massive controller shortage. They've been shouting about it from the rooftops for years. "We need more controllers! There's a staffing crisis!" Yet here I am, a qualified Hispanic woman who passed their program, and I never got that call. And I'm not alone. I saw my friends wait for that call and never receive it. Those friends were not White.

And I also saw my classmates who were excitedly posting on Facebook about how they were headed to Oklahoma. Those classmates were white males.

The government can get away with this because... well, they're the government.

They talk about shortages and claim they want diversity, but their actions tell a completely different story. How can you claim to have an inclusive hiring process when you're passing over qualified candidates during a staffing crisis?

Then came today….how can you say DEI is the problem when you're not even hiring the diverse, qualified candidates who already passed your programs?

About that DC crash - they're not talking enough about how the helicopter was "dark" (not visible on radar). Instead, there's all this noise about controllers not being qualified.Which was actually said in a very racist manner by stating common sense is proving that it’s the DEI program leading to bad hires. People of color and women are bad hires? oh ok….

Let me tell you something about ATC training: it's intense. After that college program, if you get hired, you're looking at months of training in Oklahoma, which I already mentioned, but what i didn’t mention is that this is all followed by 3-5 years (yes, YEARS) of supervised training at your airport. You don't control a single plane by yourself until you've proven you can handle it. Every. Single. Controller. Goes. Through. This.

You want to know what it's really like? Every shift, you've got a supervisor watching your every move until you've proven yourself. Some people take five years before they're cleared to work alone. The fastest I've heard about is three years, and that's considered quick.

Let's be real - you can't claim DEI is putting unqualified people in towers when you're not even hiring qualified diverse candidates in the first place.

And you certainly can't blame diversity initiatives for safety issues when the field remains as homogeneous as ever, even during a severe staffing shortage.

The point is, when I hear people spreading these lies about DEI causing accidents or controllers being unqualified, it makes my blood boil.

I've been there. I've seen the real discrimination. I've gone through the training. And I can tell you firsthand - these claims aren't just wrong, they're a dangerous distraction from the reality that we are in a time mirroring the prelude to World War 2,with the Propaganda from the media, leaders, and people eating up the lies and hate.

And I will leave you with this: every controller out there, regardless of their background, has earned their position through years of intense training and evaluation. They are good at what they do because they have to be. And our lives are not forgotten when they go to work. Those people do NOT want to ever make a mistake because they are fully aware what that mistake means. Also….it is not just computer work.

The DC crash is tragic, but we need to get to the bottom of what happened so that it never happens again.

That's the truth.

WHAT DO YOU THINK? COMMENT YOUR THOUGHTS BELOW! 😊

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