Congressman Jack Kingston took the controls Tuesday to help guide airplanes in to land at San Antonio International Airport.

Fortunately the planes awaiting Kingston’s signal were of the digital variety used in the simulator that helps instruct students that are enrolled at Advanced Air Traffic Control (ATC) housed at Wiregrass Georgia Technical College.

Kingston spent most of the day traveling around South Georgia and wrapped his trip up at the technical college.

He praised the program which is run through a private-public partnership between Advanced ATC and Wiregrass Georgia Technical College.

“It saves the government a lot of money and is a very effective training system for the FAA,” Kingston said. “It’s a great success story to have a one of a kind facility right here in South Georgia.”

The simulator, which projects the view air traffic controllers would experience from an actual tower, was impressive, Kingston said.  “It’s so life-like,” he said.

Before putting on a head-set, Kingston watched as Advanced ATC students navigated planes in calm weather, then through snow, calmly relaying information through headsets and getting an electronic response back.

Advanced ATC provides great on the job training for future controllers, Kingston said.

Students train not only in the simulator but at the Valdosta Lowndes County Regional Airport tower, which Kingston visited following the simulator presentation.

John Fisher, Vice President of Business Development for Advanced ATC, took Kingston on the tour of the simulator.

Instructor Paul Nesbitt said he and everyone else at Advanced ATC anticipated the students doing well in the program but had no idea they would do such an exceptional job.

“I missed this,” Nesbitt said. “The chance to come back and teach is unbelievable.”

Earlier this summer, Advanced ATC held a graduation ceremony for its first two graduates. Currently there are four students awaiting testing by the Federal Aviation Administration so that they may receive certification and begin applying for jobs.

Advanced ATC currently has more than 20 students employed in the program.

Nesbitt said his 19 year-old son will soon join the program as a student, a prospect he is excited about, though he said there will be no breaks for his son.

“If anything, there will be higher expectations,” he said.