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US Hires Over 2,000 Video Gamers As Air Traffic Controllers (cbsnews.com) 120

The FAA says its push to recruit video gamers as air traffic controllers has helped it hire more than 2,000 trainees, reaching 94% of its hiring goal. Another 2,000-plus candidates are in the pipeline. CBS News reports: U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy said in a recent social media post that the federal agency's recruitment campaign to recruit gamers as air traffic controllers has been a "game changer" for the Federal Aviation Administration. [...] When Duffy announced the initiative in April, he acknowledged that the Transportation Department needed to extend its reach to recruit prospective air traffic controllers.

"A lot of what they do playing games ... is what they do ... controlling traffic in the air," Duffy told CBS News senior transportation correspondent Kris Van Cleave in an interview on Tuesday at New Jersey's Newark Liberty International Airport. Duffy added that many current trainees started out as gamers. Only about 25% of controllers hold a traditional college degree, while former controllers note that gaming requires many of the same skills that air traffic controllers use on the job, such as thinking quickly, staying focused and managing multiple sources of information as they guide more than 80,000 flights to their destinations daily.

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US Hires Over 2,000 Video Gamers As Air Traffic Controllers

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  • I am supposed to quit the country. Now i will have to leave by boat ! Well, at least less risk of TSA or ICE.

  • by Sowelu ( 713889 ) on Wednesday August 12, 2026 @11:17AM (#66285506)

    No? Just me?

    https://dosgames.com/game/air-... [dosgames.com]

  • Yeah I can see that. The skill they're referring to is called ubermicro. If you have ubermicro you can definitely manage an ATC board.

  • by marcle ( 1575627 ) on Wednesday August 12, 2026 @11:40AM (#66285530)

    But it actually seems like a good idea. Like a stopped clock, this administration is accidentally correct every once in a while, but it's definitely a lot less than twice a day.

    • When it comes to safety in air travel, the current administration has nowhere to go but up. [therevolvi...roject.org]

      Re the current plan to hire gamers to control air-traffic, I could say "let's wait and see" but I think that's reckless. These new candidates need to show they're fit for the job, perhaps more so than those who have been recruited hitherto using legacy criteria.

      In short, I don't share your optimism: I'm not yet convinced it's a good idea.

  • I hope someone is letting them know this game is stuck in permadeath mode.

  • Will it work? Perhaps. Needs to be tested.

    The job is well paid hell. Too much stress. But part of that is excess overtime. If we can hire enough people the job could become better, if less paid due to less overtime.

    • Will it work? Perhaps. Needs to be tested.

      The job is well paid hell. Too much stress. But part of that is excess overtime. If we can hire enough people the job could become better, if less paid due to less overtime.

      The stress thing. Yeah, but reading /., many appear stressed doing any work. Not trying to be snarky here, just noting facts.

      In the job I'm doing now, several people before me washed out with stress. I walked in and I enjoy the work. It has its moments, but I just fix the problem and move on.

      I often think about what makes the difference. I don't need the work, I don't need the money, but the work I find rewarding causes others to mentally disintegrate.

  • "The graphics suck, and I can't eat Cheetohs at my desk. I'm going back to work at Best Buy."
    • You've hinted at the bigger problem. The US air control system is obsolete. Every time an upgrade has been funded, it has failed. And a sizable chunk (15%+) of the money became campaign contributions to members of Congress.

      Over in "communist" Canada, their ATC is an run by an NGO, which is funded by the airlines and private pilots.

      Maybe the USA should do the same.

       

      • Yep, the IRS upgrades and ATC ones allocated money always seems to get redirected. I just saw trump redirected almost a bil for WH renovations. Congress didn't fund it so the king opted to move other monies for some gold plating. https://www.yahoo.com/news/pol... [yahoo.com] Its almost like he thinks he is staying.
      • by tlhIngan ( 30335 )

        You've hinted at the bigger problem. The US air control system is obsolete. Every time an upgrade has been funded, it has failed. And a sizable chunk (15%+) of the money became campaign contributions to members of Congress.

        Over in "communist" Canada, their ATC is an run by an NGO, which is funded by the airlines and private pilots.

        Maybe the USA should do the same.

        What do you mean? The greatest change in aviation history is happening right now - ADS-B. Granted, it's around 30 years old by now (it was trialed

        • As a Canadian I have to say, I would much rather ATC be paid for through my taxes rather than having to empty my wallet every time I have to fly. That's probably a reason why flying is so expensive here compared to the US.
  • Do you get to verbally abuse your opponents, err I mean passengers like they do on the net games ?

    • Of course not, ATC doesn't talk to passengers. They'll be telling pilots to suck them off.
      • by Archfeld ( 6757 )

        All your jets are belong to US !!!!

      • Of course not, ATC doesn't talk to passengers. They'll be telling pilots to suck them off.

        On Youtube, they have some spirited discussions between ATC and Pilots. Note to pilot wannabe's. If ATC tells you to copy a telephone number, your day is going to be troublesome.

        • Really?! Well, that's interesting...

          Any fights? I'm finding that I'm amused by the idea of a disagreement between a pilot and a controller descending into fisticuffs. Plus, I had an excuse to say, "descending into fisticuffs".

          • Really?! Well, that's interesting...

            Any fights? I'm finding that I'm amused by the idea of a disagreement between a pilot and a controller descending into fisticuffs. Plus, I had an excuse to say, "descending into fisticuffs".

            Oh, that would be awesome. But no, violence, just snark exchanges.

  • I can't wait for Rockstar Games to do the sound effects.

  • When you hobby becomes your job you might start liking your hobby less.

  • Someone needs to remind our new Federal Employees that rage quitting and throwing
    a tantrum when things don't go your way isn't conducive to a long career as an Air Traffic
    Controller.

  • by newbie_fantod ( 514871 ) on Wednesday August 12, 2026 @02:10PM (#66285816)

    Need to revert to the last save - cant find the button - TIA

  • For decades it seems like FAA has be

    It's pretty crazy to think of all the advancements in aviation technology over the decades are still then at mercy of a guy in a (figurative) tower, shooting off rapid fire directions over a shared radio frequency Radio channels being talked over, static, mistakes in delivery, let alone regional accents and international language. I don't know one thing about this other than as a frequent flyer and sometime viewer of VAS Aviation channel.

    But when I think of say aircra

    • by Angstroman ( 747480 ) on Wednesday August 12, 2026 @03:18PM (#66285956)
      As a retired pilot who keeps up with the industry I certainly agree that ATC needs an upgrade. But you may not recognize that ATC _has_ been receiving a whole host of upgrades over the years. Most of them are "under the hood" where they help the controllers (and thereby the pilots) and reduce some of the load. Even something as simple as automated airfield information (ATIS) is one less thing on a controller's plate. Collision avoidance systems, RNAV, . . . The list is long. There is much more still to be done, but the system is massive and change has to be implemented extremely carefully to avoid breaking things. Hopefully we will continue to improve the system. And it would not hurt to pick up the pace in doing so. As for being at the "mercy" of humans in the tower; as long as there are humans in the cockpit there better be humans in the tower. Weird things do not happen very often. But when they do they will be well outside an AI training set.
      • Appreciate the insight from an aviator. Agreed I still want a human in the tower (and two in the cockpit). In some ways your post reinforces what I am noting, namely that there have been a host of technological improvements in aircraft and ATC like GPS, TCAS, and the ones you listed above. But then those improvements are all pushed through the same bottleneck of one or two controllers managing hectic workload on a few common frequencies.

        A recent example of an 'unforced error' might be the tragedy Air C

  • US Hires Over 2,000 Video Gamers As Air Traffic Controllers

    Aren't many (most?) video games about destroying things? How much of their training will be about *not* crashing or shooting down planes? I guess it could work if scores are based on successful landings and course changes? Not as exciting, but maybe just as satisfying? They will know that there's no save, restore or reset functions - right? :-)

  • I don't see the intersection here. The only thing the gamers have going for them is that they'll pay attention to something for hours/sometimes days before giving up because they like it and they think it's fun. Looking at radar screens and directing traffic over the radio doesn't seem like a similar job.
    What's more likely is they'll get distracted by games they smuggle into the ATC tower. Gamers gonna game.

  • "How did you get hired?"
    "I was top at Fortnite. You?"
    "Combat flight sims."

    "Damn, two Boeings just crashed over an oil refinery on city limits and took out half the city."
    "Did you remember to save your position beforehand?"
    "Yeah."
    "The reload and continue from there. No-one will notice."

    I love computer games. I have XPlane 12 and many scenery packs. I rank well on Elite:Dangerous. From the sounds of it, the FAA would see me as over-qualified. In reality? There's no way in hell I'd be taking those kinds of ris

  • Anyone that plays starcraft or similar, or that plays a healer in any MMORPG, should have NO trouble juggling planes.

  • Another obvious joke would have been from the "What could possibly go wrong?" angle.

    My actual feelings are mixed, but that got me to think of another possible angle for humor. The problem is that I don't know much about the current or even recent generations of video games, so I can't name the names of the games NOT to recruit from. I'm pretty sure there are games that involve lots of mayhem and Captain Chaos, Master of Mayhem, is NOT someone I want in charge of anything involving a plane (or bus or bicycle

  • New idea about how to fix the moderation on Slashdot! Use AI. Can't be worse than the current moderation system, but AI is so trendy that maybe the latest owners (whoever they are, or perhaps incorrectly assuming someone still owns this mess) will eagerly embrace the AI.

    So the idea would be for an AImod (AI moderator) to scan the posts and suggest the most likely moderation. It could even be done as part of the preview process to give posters 'objective feedback' about how their comment sounds. Perhaps even

  • I predict a distinct change in the tone and content of ATC radio instructions. Use of the gamer word will skyrocket.

  • Imagine what will happen when they hit the elimination round. Your usable lives is how many planes are in a holding pattern. The goal is to be the last one with a plane to control. The tournament will be explosively entertaining!

  • Video games teach that one can just start over or revert to a previous save point after a failure. Air traffic control is a bit different. I'm not sure these candidates match the profile characteristics I would seek for such positions.
  • ATC should be completely automated and VHF radios replaced with CPDLC. There is no reason for humans to be manually executing algorithms a computer can do perfectly 100% of the time. Way past time to get rid of the entrenched interests with their blah blah blah.

  • How are they going to handle the wives and girlfriends that come in and destroy the equipment?
  • Remember the kid playing video games with the equipment in the control tower?

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