Melody Coughenour
Sioux Falls,SD
Summary
Accomplished Air Traffic Controller and Instructor with extensive experience at FAA, SAIC and FTEJerez, demonstrating unparalleled situational awareness and composure under pressure. Expert in radar usage and FAA regulations, I have significantly enhanced training quality and safety protocols, ensuring efficient aircraft management and pilot coordination. Years of instruction to Air Traffic Controller trainees in both school environment and live Radar and Tower.
Overview
29
29
years of professional experience
Work History
Air Traffic Controller Instructor
FTEJerez
Jerez De La Frontera, Spain
03.2019 - 07.2019
- Worked with the international team to provide state of the art training to students from the United Kingdom using radar simulators. I evaluated the students on their performance in running a training problem. Also, Instructed the students on the errors they made and what the correct plan of action should have been to run a successful problem.
- Pointed out the procedures that they used correctly and taught them new techniques to assist them in moving traffic safely and efficiently.
Air Traffic Controller Instructor
SAIC
FAA Academy
03.2016 - 08.2016
- Provided hands on training to students in the Center training program.
- Assisted the student in preforming the D-Side function in the simulator and evaluating their knowledge of the rules and regulations used to move the traffic through the sector.
- Explained the techniques that they used correctly and helped them understand where their errors were occurring and how to correct the mistakes they are making.
Air Traffic Controller
FAA
JAX
08.2013 - 02.2016
- Managed complex situations under pressure, demonstrating exceptional decision-making abilities for the safe management of aircraft.
- Controlled arrivals and departures and transitioned aircraft across airfield and flight line.
- Maintained clear communication with pilots, ground crews, and other controllers to ensure smooth coordination of aircraft
- TRACON: sequencing arrivals and departures for civilian, military and uncontrolled airports
- Ensure the safety of VFR aircraft transitioning airspace and making practice approaches
Air Traffic Controller
FAA
ZDC
06.1995 - 08.2013
- Managed complex situations under pressure, demonstrating exceptional decision-making abilities for the safe management of aircraft.
- Trained Air Traffic Controller Trainees on both the Radar and D-Side. Ensuring they learned the correct procedures and LOA’s to be used for each position
- Controlled aircraft through a sector ensuring that all LOA’s and procedures were adhered to.
- Sequenced aircraft that were landing at the same airport using MIT and metering.
- Held aircraft in multiple holding patterns
- Used the RNAV STARS procedures into EWR and LGA airports
- Maintained clear communication with pilots, and other controllers to ensure smooth coordination of aircraft movements.
- Worked with pilots during sever weather to ensure they were safely transitioned through my sector.
Air Traffic Controller
FAA
ADW
12.1990 - 06.1995
- Clear accurate communication to the Pilots and ground crew
- trained on all Tower and Radar positions, ensuring Trainees were using the proper procedures and LOA’s
- safe handling of the Presidential Fleet and other support Aircraft
- safe handling of aircraft landing and departing on parallel runways, using Visual and IFR rules
- support of special military operations
- ensure the pilots received their clearances to their destination
- made recordings of the current weather
Education
Aviation Technology
Northern Virginia Community College
Manassas, VA12.1985
Skills
- Situational Awareness
- Technical knowledge
- Composure under high pressure
- Air Traffic Regulations
- FAA Regulations
- Radar usage
- Navigation expertise
- Takeoff instructions
- Pilot interactions
- Flight clearance processing
- Aircraft directing
- Assertiveness
- Memory retention
- Ground traffic control
Timeline
Air Traffic Controller Instructor
FTEJerez
03.2019 - 07.2019
Air Traffic Controller Instructor
SAIC
03.2016 - 08.2016
Air Traffic Controller
FAA
08.2013 - 02.2016
Air Traffic Controller
FAA
06.1995 - 08.2013
Air Traffic Controller
FAA
12.1990 - 06.1995
Aviation Technology
Northern Virginia Community College