Norcal Approach NCT
Norcal Approach (NCT) is the approach and departure control facility that public NASR records list as the primary approach control for 52 airports, 19 of them with a control tower. Pilots call it "Norcal Approach".
Airports it serves (52)
| Airport | City | Tower |
|---|---|---|
| Beale Air Force Base (KBAB) | Marysville, CA | Tower (page) |
| Castle Airport (KMER) | Atwater, CA | Tower (page) |
| Hayward Executive Airport (KHWD) | Hayward, CA | Tower (page) |
| Livermore Municipal Airport (KLVK) | Livermore, CA | Tower (page) |
| Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport (KSJC) | San Jose, CA | Tower (page) |
| Modesto City Co-Harry Sham Field (KMOD) | Modesto, CA | Tower (page) |
| Moffett Federal Airfield (KNUQ) | Mountain View, CA | Tower (page) |
| Monterey Regional Airport (KMRY) | Monterey, CA | Tower (page) |
| Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport (KOAK) | Oakland, CA | Tower (page) |
| Palo Alto Airport (KPAO) | Palo Alto, CA | Tower (page) |
| Reid-Hillview Airport of Santa Clara County (KRHV) | San Jose, CA | Tower (page) |
| Reno Tahoe International Airport (KRNO) | Reno, NV | Tower (page) |
| Sacramento Executive Airport (KSAC) | Sacramento, CA | Tower (page) |
| Sacramento International Airport (KSMF) | Sacramento, CA | Tower (page) |
| Sacramento Mather Airport (KMHR) | Sacramento, CA | Tower (page) |
| Salinas Municipal Airport (KSNS) | Salinas, CA | Tower (page) |
| San Carlos Airport (KSQL) | San Carlos, CA | Tower (page) |
| San Francisco International Airport (KSFO) | San Francisco, CA | Tower (page) |
| Stockton Metropolitan Airport (KSCK) | Stockton, CA | Tower (page) |
| Auburn Municipal Airport (KAUN) | Auburn, CA | No tower |
| Byron (C83) | Byron, CA | No tower |
| Calaveras Co Maury Rasmussen Field (KCPU) | San Andreas, CA | No tower |
| Carson Airport (KCXP) | Carson City, NV | No tower |
| Columbia (O22) | Columbia, CA | No tower |
| Dominican Hospital (CA37) | Santa Cruz, CA | No tower |
| Firebaugh (F34) | Firebaugh, CA | No tower |
| Half Moon Bay Airport (KHAF) | Half Moon Bay, CA | No tower |
| Hollister Municipal Airport (KCVH) | Hollister, CA | No tower |
| Lincoln Regional Karl Harder Field (KLHM) | Lincoln, CA | No tower |
| Lodi (1O3) | Lodi, CA | No tower |
| Los Banos Municipal Airport (KLSN) | Los Banos, CA | No tower |
| Marina Municipal Airport (KOAR) | Marina, CA | No tower |
| McClellan Airfield (KMCC) | Sacramento, CA | No tower |
| Merced Regional Macready Field (KMCE) | Merced, CA | No tower |
| Minden-Tahoe Airport (KMEV) | Minden, NV | No tower |
| Nervino (O02) | Beckwourth, CA | No tower |
| Nevada County Airport (KGOO) | Grass Valley, CA | No tower |
| Oakdale (O27) | Oakdale, CA | No tower |
| Oroville Hospital (CN52) | Oroville, CA | No tower |
| Oroville Municipal Airport (KOVE) | Oroville, CA | No tower |
| Placerville Airport (KPVF) | Placerville, CA | No tower |
| Reno-Stead Airport (KRTS) | Reno, NV | No tower |
| San Martin (E16) | San Martin, CA | No tower |
| Sierra Nevada Meml Hospital (CA15) | Grass Valley, CA | No tower |
| St Joseph's Medical Center (CN48) | Stockton, CA | No tower |
| Sutter Roseville Medical Center (CN49) | Roseville, CA | No tower |
| Tracy Municipal Airport (KTCY) | Tracy, CA | No tower |
| Uc Davis Medical Center Tower Ii (3CL0) | Sacramento, CA | No tower |
| Ucsf Benioff Childrens Hospital Oakland (7CL1) | Oakland, CA | No tower |
| Watsonville Municipal Airport (KWVI) | Watsonville, CA | No tower |
| Westover Field Amador County Airport (KJAQ) | Jackson, CA | No tower |
| Yuba County Airport (KMYV) | Marysville, CA | No tower |
Pay level
The FAA rates this facility level 12 on its scale of 4 to 12. Busier, more complex facilities get higher levels, and higher levels pay more. A fully certified controller at a level 12 facility was paid between $130,212 and $175,785 a year in 2025, before the local cost-of-living addition. Overtime, night and Sunday pay come on top.
Level: National Academies (2025), The Air Traffic Controller Workforce Imperative, Appendix C, Table C-2, which reproduces FAA data with staffing as of September 23, 2023; the FAA may have changed the level since. Pay range: FAA pay band table effective January 12, 2025, as posted by NATCA.
Source
FAA National Airspace System Resource (NASR) data, 28-day cycle effective 2026-10-01 (FAA NASR subscription). Facility data changes every 28 days; check current FAA publications before flight.
Public records, summarized in plain language. Not for navigation or operational use. Privacy: no cookies, no tracking.