KC aviation alum is well grounded

Bryce Lough came to Kishwaukee College already knowing what he wanted. “I knew I wanted to be an air traffic controller from the time I was 16 because my best friend’s Dad works in Chicago and exposed me to it at a young age,” he said. “Once I explored it more, I knew this is what I wanted to do. It is fast- paced, rewarding, and a steady career. Plus, I could be around my hobby of aviation everyday and still get to be home every night.”

Bryce has a degree in Aviation Flight from Kishwaukee College and a B.S. degree in Air Traffic Management from Lewis University. He now works as an Air Traffic Controller (ATC) at Ft. Worth Air Traffic Control Command Center in the Dallas/Fort Worth Center.

Hailing from Orion near the Quad Cities, Bryce found an affordable way to pursue his dream by enrolling in Kishwaukee College. He explained, “I was responsible for myself financially after high school so I did not want to pay for four years at a university. When I looked into Kish, it was a no brainer for me to go there. Not only could I complete all of my general education classes, but I was also able to complete a good amount of aviation classes at Kish.”

Bryce graduated from Kishwaukee in May 2010 and transferred to Lewis University. “I got ahead by doing all my General Education classes and then some basic aviation classes that transferred,” he said. “I was concerned with the transfer process when I was starting out, however it was a breeze.”

After completing his B.S. degree, he applied to the Federal Aviation Agency (FAA) and was selected to be an ATC at Ft. Worth Air Traffic Control Command Center and entered a four-month training program at the FAA Academy in Oklahoma City. The Academy is set up to be a rigorous program that tests the students not only for all the FAA information they need and the practical ATC skills, but also to make certain the students have the internal mettle to make it in one of the most stress-filled careers around. Bryce said, “The most challenging part of this training was definitely the Academy. They test you pretty hard there and want to make sure you are fit for the job before they send you to your facility.”

Bryce has enjoyed his position at Ft. Worth Air Traffic Control Command Center and is quick to point out that being an ATC is not what you see in movies: controllers in towers. “The most common misconception about an air traffic controller is that most people think we are the ones at the tower.

Although, that career is employed by the FAA as well and pays the same at some towers, there are other positions as a controller,” he explained. “ For example, a TraCon controller is a radar controller mostly located near a metropolitan area that works a 50 mile radius. Chicago’s TraCon is in Elgin and controls airspace 17,000 ft and below around the Chicago area, sequencing departures and arrivals at Midway, O’Hare, and all airports in a 50 mile radius. Chicago Center is located in Aurora and controls the airspace keeping en route flights separated and will begin sequencing into the busy airports 100 miles away from their final destination.”

Bryce is grateful for the well-grounded education he received at Kishwaukee College. “I owe a big thank you to Kish and especially (Aviation instructor) Steve Durin. He took me under his wing from day one, sat down with me figured out my goals, advised me of the best options and regularly checked in and made sure I was taking the right classes to transfer to Lewis,” he said. “Having met a guy like Steve at Kish is the main reason for my success. He genuinely cared about his students and looked out for the best in their career.”

Bryce Lough highly recommends his career to anyone interested in an exciting and intense job that pays well. He said, “It is extremely rewarding to be working a busy push of arrivals or departures from DFW, or military flights like the F-16 flights or aerial refueling missions, or working a secret mission including presidential movement on Air Force 1 or when there is an emergency and you help a pilot land safely. Being an Air Traffic Controller is challenging and that challenge is what makes being an ATC extremely rewarding and exciting!”