Gaining the respect from peers in the air traffic control profession and users of the service is pretty much premised on the same principles as any other profession. Respect has to be earned above and beyond the mystique that comes with the profession. In my book, respect is given when there is a display of honesty, knowledge of your role, acceptance of responsibility, acceptance of limitation, embracing conventional wisdom, and the good old desire to do the right thing.

Over the years that I’ve been in the air traffic control profession, I’ve seen all sorts of characters with various attitudes being displayed in an attempt to gain respect. But inadvertently, perhaps through ignorance, they achieve the opposite. Here are some points to consider: read more