What pilots should know about ATC, with Marcus Miller

What pilots should know about ATC, with Marcus Miller

From Pilot's Discretion from Sporty's by Sporty's Pilot Shop

March 24, 2026 · 47 min · Season 1 · Episode 126

About this episode

Marcus Miller discusses the relationship between pilots and air traffic controllers, sharing insights on training, misconceptions, and career paths in ATC.

Air traffic controllers and pilots are on the same team, they just have different perspectives. Marcus Miller, a center controller and the creator of the PropHatCat TikTok channel, explains those differences and much more in this fast-paced episode, including: when to fly a piston airplane into an airline airport, how to ask for help as a student pilot, and what he thinks of all the jokes on guard frequency. He also talks about pursuing ATC as a career, including the role of simulators and the benefits of musical theater training. In the Ready to Copy segment, Marcus shares the number one misconception about ATC, his favorite Broadway show, and tips for pulling off magic tricks. SHOW LINKS: * PropHatCat on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@prophatcat * PropHatCat t-shirts: https://www.etsy.com/listing/4449530402/prophatcat-shirt * Pilot’s Tip of the Week: https://pilotworkshop.com/tip

People in this episode

Guest: Marcus Miller

Topics covered

  • air traffic control
  • pilot training
  • aviation careers
  • student pilot advice
  • musical theater in aviation

Keywords

  • air traffic control
  • pilot advice
  • aviation
  • student pilot
  • career in ATC
  • PropHatCat
  • musical theater

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: PropHatCat, Sporty's Pilot Shop, Pilot’s Tip of the Week

Products: PropHatCat t-shirts

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