Meagon Garmon with students at Winter Springs High School
Meet Meagon Garmon Staff Support Specialist at Central Florida TRACON By Vonetta Lawton, Southern Regional Director
Why did you decide to become an air traffic controller? When I was working on my private pilot Instrument rating, my flight instructor took me to CVG (Cinncinati) tower to show me what ATC does. I left saying, “I don't want to be a pilot, I want to be an air traffic controller!”
Where was your first facility? Orlando International MCO Are you still there? No, after about 8 years as a CPC I took a temporary operational supervisor job in the tower and did that for 14 months. Then I transferred to LAS (Las Vegas – Harry Reid) as a staff support specialist, where I stayed for exactly two years. After that, I bid on a support staff specialist position at F11 (Central Florida TRACON), which is where I am now.
Are you from that area? If not where are you from? I was born and raised in Alaska. I moved a lot after high school but have spent most of my time in central Florida.
Have you participated in any other STEM events with students? Yes, I have participated in WAI (Women in Aviation, International) in Las Vegas, several WAI conferences as a speaker and visited high schools and multiple universities when I was the PWC Southern Regional Director.
Do you think you may have inspired some of those kids to become controllers, or seek a career in aviation? For sure. I grew up in the small town of only 800 peopleSkagway, Alaska. My friend Teslyn (ZAN – Anchorage Center) from the same town and I are both air traffic controllers, and now another girl from Skagway is also going through the hiring process!
The WATCH - Summer 2022 | 11
