Lithia 18-year-old could become youngest certified air traffic controller in the US

18-year-old air traffic controller

An 18-year-old from Polk County is ready to work as a certified controller and may be the youngest in the United States amid a nationwide staffing shortage. FOX 13’s Carla Bayron reports

BARTOW, Fla. - An 18-year-old from Lithia is ready to work as a certified air traffic controller, potentially making her the youngest in the United States.

The backstory:

For Tiffany Farmer, being an air traffic controller is a lot of fun.

"It's a good mix of procedures, organization and repetitiveness, but there's also a little bit of creativity," Farmer said. "Whenever something chaotic happens or out of the ordinary, you're able to fix it." 

Making history

After earning her air traffic controller certification last week from Traviss Technical College at Bartow Executive Airport, Farmer may be the youngest certified controller in the country. 

Most don't get into the field until they are in their early to mid-20s after going through the military.

"Tiffany has the right demeanor for it," Jeremy McArthur, the air traffic manager at Bartow Executive Airport, said. "Not everybody can do this job, but her [Farmer] in particular, it's a personality thing as much as it [is] an intelligence thing. She has the drive for it." 

Dig deeper:

The biggest challenge facing the industry right now is staffing. McArthur says everybody is working overtime, which leads to exhaustion.

"That need is everywhere, so the more controllers we can put out there, the more we can help this career field and make sure it's still a safe environment for more pilots to operate in," McArthur said.

Traviss Technical College aims to have students CTO-certified in six months and proficient in a year, so they can be ready to work at any airport in the country.

What's next:

Farmer says she hopes to be working next month someplace in the Northwest. And after working at smaller facilities, she may do her FAA training at a larger airport.

"I'm excited to move and get started in a career this early," Farmer said. "If I can do it, I think anyone can do it at such a young age." 

Farmer is the fifth controller to have graduated since the academy launched in March 2025. They currently have 21 students.