BY KATHLEEN MOORE, The Times Union

GLENVILLE, N.Y. — Want to become an air traffic controller? There are only two colleges in the nation that offer that certification, and SUNY Schenectady County Community College is one of them.

While many colleges offer aviation programs, it’s much harder to offer an air traffic control program because it requires a real control tower.  Schenectady County owns one.

Students first learn in a classroom and then spend up to a year working in the tower at Schenectady County Airport. They earn a degree and a Control Tower Operator certificate, which is all they need to work in a private tower. With a year of experience, they can also apply to the Federal Aviation Agency and work at a federal tower, such as the one at Albany International Airport.

To read the complete article on The Times Union’s website, click here.

PHOTO: The control tower of the Schenectady County Airport in Glenville, NY. (Jim Franco/Times Union)