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612 

14 CFR Ch. I (1–1–24 Edition) 

§ 65.31 

(b) [Reserved] 

[Docket No. FAA–2021–0237; Amdt. No. 65–63, 
87 FR 31414, May 24, 2022] 

Subpart B—Air Traffic Control 

Tower Operators 

S

OURCE

: Docket No. 10193, 35 FR 12326, Aug. 

1, 1970, unless otherwise noted. 

§ 65.31

Required credentials, certifi-

cates, and ratings or qualifications. 

No person may act as an air traffic 

control tower operator at an air traffic 
control tower in connection with civil 
aircraft unless he or she— 

(a) Holds an FAA Credential with a 

tower rating or an air traffic control 
tower operator certificate issued under 
this subpart; 

(b) Holds a facility rating for that 

control tower issued under this sub-
part, or has qualified for the operating 
position at which he or she acts and is 
under the supervision of the holder of a 
facility rating for that control tower; 
and 

(c) Except for a person employed by 

the FAA or employed by, or on active 
duty with, the Department of the Air 
Force, Army, or Navy or the Coast 
Guard, holds at least a second-class 
medical certificate issued under part 67 
of this chapter. 

[Doc. No. 10193, 35 FR 12326, Aug. 1, 1970, as 
amended by Amdt. 65–25, 45 FR 18911, Mar. 24, 
1980; Amdt. 65–31, 52 FR 17518, May 8, 1987; 
Amdt. 65–56, 79 FR 74611, Dec. 16, 2014] 

§ 65.33

Eligibility requirements: Gen-

eral. 

To be eligible for an air traffic con-

trol tower operator certificate a person 
must— 

(a) Be at least 18 years of age; 
(b) Be of good moral character; 
(c) Be able to read, write, and under-

stand the English language and speak 
it without accent or impediment of 
speech that would interfere with two- 
way radio conversation; 

(d) Except for a person employed by 

the FAA or employed by, or on active 
duty with, the Department of the Air 
Force, Army, or Navy or the Coast 
Guard, hold at least a second-class 
medical certificate issued under part 67 
of this chapter within the 12 months 

before the date application is made; 
and 

(e) Comply with § 65.35. 

[Doc. No. 10193, 35 FR 12326, Aug. 1, 1970, as 
amended by Amdt. 65–25, 45 FR 18911, Mar. 24, 
1980; Amdt. 65–31, 52 FR 17518, May 8, 1987] 

§ 65.35

Knowledge requirements. 

Each applicant for an air traffic con-

trol tower operator certificate must 
pass a written test on— 

(a) The flight rules in part 91 of this 

chapter: 

(b) Airport traffic control procedures, 

and this subpart: 

(c) En route traffic control proce-

dures; 

(d) Communications operating proce-

dures; 

(e) Flight assistance service; 
(f) Air navigation, and aids to air 

navigation; and 

(g) Aviation weather. 

§ 65.37

Skill requirements: Operating 

positions. 

No person may act as an air traffic 

control tower operator at any oper-
ating position unless he has passed a 
practical test on— 

(a) Control tower equipment and its 

use; 

(b) Weather reporting procedures and 

use of reports; 

(c) Notices to Airmen, and use of the 

Airman’s Information Manual; 

(d) Use of operational forms; 
(e) Performance of noncontrol oper-

ational duties; and 

(f) Each of the following procedures 

that is applicable to that operating po-
sition and is required by the person 
performing the examination: 

(1) The airport, including rules, 

equipment, runways, taxiways, and ob-
structions. 

(2) The terrain features, visual check-

points, and obstructions within the lat-
eral boundaries of the surface areas of 
Class B, Class C, Class D, or Class E 
airspace designated for the airport. 

(3) Traffic patterns and associated 

procedures for use of preferential run-
ways and noise abatement. 

(4) Operational agreements. 
(5) The center, alternate airports, 

and those airways, routes, reporting 
points, and air navigation aids used for 
terminal air traffic control. 

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613 

Federal Aviation Administration, DOT 

§ 65.49 

(6) Search and rescue procedures. 
(7) Terminal air traffic control proce-

dures and phraseology. 

(8) Holding procedures, prescribed in-

strument approach, and departure pro-
cedures. 

(9) Radar alignment and technical op-

eration. 

(10) The application of the prescribed 

radar and nonradar separation stand-
ard, as appropriate. 

[Doc. No. 10193, 35 FR 12326, Aug. 1, 1991, as 
amended by Amdt. 65–36, 56 FR 65653, Dec. 17, 
1991] 

§ 65.39

Practical experience require-

ments: Facility rating. 

Each applicant for a facility rating 

at any air traffic control tower must 
have satisfactorily served— 

(a) As an air traffic control tower op-

erator at that control tower without a 
facility rating for at least 6 months; or 

(b) As an air traffic control tower op-

erator with a facility rating at a dif-
ferent control tower for at least 6 
months before the date he applies for 
the rating. 

However, an applicant who is a member 
of an Armed Force of the United States 
meets the requirements of this section 
if he has satisfactorily served as an air 
traffic control tower operator for at 
least 6 months. 

[Doc. No. 1179, 27 FR 7973, Aug. 10, 1962, as 
amended by Amdt. 65–19, 36 FR 21280, Nov. 5, 
1971] 

§ 65.41

Skill requirements: Facility rat-

ings. 

Each applicant for a facility rating 

at an air traffic control tower must 
have passed a practical test on each 
item listed in § 65.37 of this part that is 
applicable to each operating position 
at the control tower at which the rat-
ing is sought. 

§ 65.43

[Reserved] 

§ 65.45

Performance of duties. 

(a) An air traffic control tower oper-

ator shall perform his duties in accord-
ance with the limitations on his cer-
tificate and the procedures and prac-
tices prescribed in air traffic control 
manuals of the FAA, to provide for the 
safe, orderly, and expeditious flow of 
air traffic. 

(b) An operator with a facility rating 

may control traffic at any operating 
position at the control tower at which 
he holds a facility rating. However, he 
may not issue an air traffic clearance 
for IFR flight without authorization 
from the appropriate facility exer-
cising IFR control at that location. 

(c) An operator who does not hold a 

facility rating for a particular control 
tower may act at each operating posi-
tion for which he has qualified, under 
the supervision of an operator holding 
a facility rating for that control tower. 

[Doc. No. 10193, 35 FR 12326, Aug. 1, 1970, as 
amended by Amdt. 65–16, 35 FR 14075, Sept. 4, 
1970] 

§§ 65.46–65.46b

[Reserved] 

§ 65.47

Maximum hours. 

Except in an emergency, a certifi-

cated air traffic control tower operator 
must be relieved of all duties for at 
least 24 consecutive hours at least once 
during each 7 consecutive days. Such 
an operator may not serve or be re-
quired to serve— 

(a) For more than 10 consecutive 

hours; or 

(b) For more than 10 hours during a 

period of 24 consecutive hours, unless 
he has had a rest period of at least 8 
hours at or before the end of the 10 
hours of duty. 

§ 65.49

General operating rules. 

(a) Except for a person employed by 

the FAA or employed by, or on active 
duty with, the Department of the Air 
Force, Army, or Navy, or the Coast 
Guard, no person may act as an air 
traffic control tower operator under a 
certificate issued to him or her under 
this part unless he or she has in his or 
her personal possession an appropriate 
current medical certificate issued 
under part 67 of this chapter. 

(b) Each person holding an air traffic 

control tower operator certificate shall 
keep it readily available when per-
forming duties in an air traffic control 
tower, and shall present that certifi-
cate or his medical certificate or both 
for inspection upon the request of the 
Administrator or an authorized rep-
resentative of the National Transpor-
tation Safety Board, or of any Federal, 
State, or local law enforcement officer. 

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