Eleanor Joyce Toliver-Williams (December 21, 1936 - April 22, 2011) was the first African-American woman to be certified as a Federal Aviation Administration air traffic controller. [1] [2] [3]
She was born Eleanor Joyce Toliver on December 21, 1936 in College Station, Texas. She graduated as valedictorian from Lincoln High School in College Station in 1955 and married Tollie Williams, Jr. that same year. [1] [4] She received a four year academic scholarship to Prairie View A&M University but only attended one semester since, according to her, having “kids too fast.” [1] She and her husband had seven children and fostered another. [1] [5] [4]
In 1963, Toliver-Williams and her family moved to Anchorage, Alaska to be closer to her sister, Vanee Robinson. [1] Toliver-Williams started working for the FAA as part of their cleaning crew. [1] She applied to the FAA in 1965 and got the job as GS-4 clerk stenographer. [1] [4] In 1971 she was certified as an air traffic controller Anchorage Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC). [4]
In 1994, she achieved another milestone as the first African-American woman to "head up a major en-route facility" at the Cleveland ARTCC in Oberlin, Ohio, the second-busiest en-route air traffic control facility in the United States. She retired in 1997. [1]
She was affiliated with Gamma Phi Delta, Business and Professional Women, the Second Baptist Church, and the NAACP. [5] Toliver-Williams was inducted into the Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals hall of fame in 2012.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the largest transportation agency of the U.S. government and regulates all aspects of civil aviation in the country as well as over surrounding international waters. Its powers include air traffic control, certification of personnel and aircraft, setting standards for airports, and protection of U.S. assets during the launch or re-entry of commercial space vehicles. Powers over neighboring international waters were delegated to the FAA by authority of the International Civil Aviation Organization.
Air traffic control (ATC) is a service provided by ground-based air traffic controllers who direct aircraft on the ground and through a given section of controlled airspace, and can provide advisory services to aircraft in non-controlled airspace. The primary purpose of ATC worldwide is to prevent collisions, organize and expedite the flow of air traffic, and provide information and other support for pilots.
Air traffic control specialists, abbreviated ATCs, are personnel responsible for the safe, orderly, and expeditious flow of air traffic in the global air traffic control system. Usually stationed in air traffic control centers and control towers on the ground, they monitor the position, speed, and altitude of aircraft in their assigned airspace visually and by radar, and give directions to the pilots by radio. The position of air traffic controller is one that requires highly specialized knowledge, skills, and abilities. Controllers apply separation rules to keep aircraft at a safe distance from each other and within proper airspace in their area of responsibility and move all aircraft safely and efficiently through their assigned sector of airspace, as well as on the ground. Because controllers have an incredibly large responsibility while on duty and make countless real-time decisions on a daily basis, the ATC profession is consistently regarded around the world as one of the most mentally challenging careers, and can be notoriously stressful depending on many variables. Many controllers, however, cite high salaries, and a large, unique, and privileged degree of autonomy as major advantages of their jobs.
The IBM 9020 was an IBM System/360 computer adapted into a multiprocessor system for use by the U.S. FAA for Air Traffic Control. Systems were installed in the FAA's 20 en route Air Route Traffic Control Centers (ARTCCs), beginning in the late 1960s. The U.K. CAA also installed a system in its London centre. The IBM 9020A, for example, was based on the S/360-50 and the 9020D used two out of three or four S/360-65 processors for flight and radar data processing with two out of three S/360-50 processors providing input/output capability.
In air traffic control, an area control center (ACC), also known as a center or en-route center, is a facility responsible for controlling aircraft flying in the airspace of a given flight information region (FIR) at high altitudes between airport approaches and departures. In the US, such a center is referred to as an air route traffic control center (ARTCC).
The En Route Automation Modernization (ERAM) system architecture replaces the En Route Host computer system and its backup. ERAM provides all of today's functionality and:
The National Airspace System (NAS) is the airspace, navigation facilities and airports of the United States along with their associated information, services, rules, regulations, policies, procedures, personnel and equipment. It includes components shared jointly with the military. It is one of the most complex aviation systems in the world, and services air travel in the United States and over large portions of the world's oceans.
The Los Angeles Air Route Traffic Control Center is an air traffic control center located in Palmdale, California, United States. Located adjacent to United States Air Force Plant 42 and the Palmdale Regional Airport, it is one of 22 Air Route Traffic Control Centers (ARTCC) operated by the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
Chicago Air Route Traffic Control Center (ZAU) is one of 22 Air Route Traffic Control Centers (ARTCCs) operated by the United States Federal Aviation Administration. It is located at 619 W. New Indian Trail Rd., Aurora, Illinois.
The Air Traffic Organization (ATO) is an air navigation service provider in the United States of America. The ATO is the operational division of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
Anchorage Air Route Traffic Control Center (PAZA/ZAN) is located just outside the main gate of Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson at 700 North Boniface Parkway in Anchorage, Alaska, United States. The Anchorage ARTCC is one of 22 Air Route Traffic Control Centers in the United States.
"Denver Air Route Traffic Control Center (ZDV), is one of 22 US Area Control Centers. It is located at 2211 17th Ave, Longmont, Colorado, United States.
Indianapolis Air Route Traffic Control Center (ZID), is one of 22 established FAA Area Control Centers, and is physically located at 1850 South Sigsbee Street, Indianapolis, Indiana,.
Kansas City Air Route Traffic Control Center, is one of 22 Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Area Control Centers. It is located at 250 S. Rogers Rd. Olathe, Kansas, United States.
Miami Air Route Traffic Control Center is one of 22 United States air route traffic control centers (ARTCs), or area control centers, located at 7500 N.W. 58th st, Miami-Dade County, Florida.
Memphis Air Route Traffic Control Center (ZME) (radio communications, "Memphis Center") is one of 22 United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Area Control Centers and is located at 3229 Democrat Rd, Memphis, Tennessee 38118, United States
Minneapolis Air Route Traffic Control Center (ZMP), (radio communications, "Minneapolis Center") is one of 22 Area Control Centers. It is located at 512 Division Street in Farmington, Minnesota, United States.
Oakland Air Route Traffic Control Center (ZOA), (radio communications, "Oakland Center") is one of 22 Area Control Centers in the United States. It is located at 5125 Central Ave, Fremont, California, roughly 25 miles southeast of downtown Oakland in the East Bay.
The Cape TRACON (K90) is a radar approach facility located at Joint Base Cape Cod, Massachusetts next to the airfield for Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod. It is operated by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
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