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BriefCollar4@reddit

You can’t be serious! Someone give this one their crazy pills.

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Old_Flan_6548@reddit

Yeah! Get outta here with your logic and reason!

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Dexcerides@reddit

That wouldn’t solve the problem that is brought up in the article though?

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ForsakenRacism@reddit

Paying better we’ll get more well qualified people to apply. It’s simple. And it will stop some people from quitting.

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Dexcerides@reddit

From my understanding there are more than enough applicants just a slow training pipeline and mandatory retirement. All ears to be enlightened this is based off real data I could find online.

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fishead36x@reddit

The trainees pipeline is trash and they're not beeing weeded out befor they get to thr facilities like they used to. The gen z folks cant talk let alone comprehend what's at stake.

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ForsakenRacism@reddit

The applicants aren’t good cus they keep hiring people with no experience doing anything

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Soft_Walrus_3605@reddit

there are more than enough applicants

Well, sure, but it's about applicant quality, isn't it? You have to make the salary look attractive enough to people already working competently in other professions

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Dexcerides@reddit

Yeah I guess that makes sense when the barrier to simply apply is so low but the ability to make it through the training is much higher

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ForsakenRacism@reddit

All you need is 1 year of McDonald’s. It’s insane

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Edward_highmore@reddit

No I think we should pay a bunch of gamers to do it, then when that inevitably fails, we’ll just go back to not paying you

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2plus2_equals_5@reddit

They could just pay them a living wage? Offer a higher salary to fill the need.

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twohands58@reddit

Controllers make twice as much as I do and I'm living comfortably. The fuck you talking about?

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Snoo-48575@reddit

The ad also highlights the salary on offer to controllers, saying it is $155,000 (£115,000) after three years of work.

$155,000 after 3 years is a lot of money

[-]

This is funny because when I first got into aviation, I thought how neat a ATC video game would be. And I was kind of surprised that I couldn't find any (though a quick search shows maybe this has changed). The idea may be niche but it seems like the type of challenge that could be represented well as a video game. Based on this article also could then serve as a gateway into it as a career.

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Express_Ad2962@reddit

VATSIM is widely used for flight sims. Not really a game, but plugin for msfs and xplane where you talk to actual people, and has a whole training course behind it. It's been a while since I did my pilots training, but it was a huge help.

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a-rooster-illusion@reddit

A lot of the VATSIM guys are either real pilots or real ATC which blows my mind that they’d come home from their stressful job just to sim it.

I had CitationMax working NY center one day.

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anotherfrud@reddit

DCS also does this if you are into military aviation stuff. They have a supercarrier add-on too that let's you manage takeoffs and guide in landing aircraft.

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LPNTed@reddit

Welcome to the plot of "The Last Starfighter"

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throwawayfromPA1701@reddit

There's quite a few ATC games. They are niche and difficult.

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inaccurateTempedesc@reddit

I have Air Traffic Chaos on my DS, it's fun as hell even though I can't keep up for shit.

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TheBros35@reddit

Air Traffic Greenlight is pretty fun. Seems to be realistic enough without breaking your back. Cheap as well

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TheDrMonocle@reddit

There are a dozen or so of varying quality. I remember a few available back in '08 when I was in a CTI program. They've been around.

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Drachen1065@reddit

I believe there are a few. Including ones that interact with flight sims for for more of a real world simulation.

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SirGranular@reddit

Endless ATC is quite fun. I went so far as to pay for the full game. Still gets updates.

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SlapThatAce@reddit

Don't worry guys, they will respawn.

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MD-80-87@reddit

Where to apply ?

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wateralchemist@reddit

/r:NotTheOnion

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CantAffordzUsername@reddit

We don’t work for free, sorry

~Gamers

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sonnyempireant@reddit

They would teach gamers to communicate properly though.

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huertamatt@reddit

I can’t wait for an approach controller to start talking shit about my mom.

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Stoney3K@reddit

Or threaten to ban you like a disgruntled VATSIM controller.

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The_Gump_AU@reddit

There will be that one that says "cyka blyat, rush R24" just to see what happens.

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MangoAnt5175@reddit

Now JFK has a monopoly on that I think

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poser765@reddit

Shit. The first time NY tries that I’ll call their bluff with an alarming speed. Ban me. Please. I deserve it!

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HandiCAPEable@reddit

You're cleared for takeoff, like I cleared your mom last night. Maintain runway heading, climb and maintain 3,000 and push someone who cares on 121.2

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lostroadrunner22@reddit

https://youtu.be/WAQUhaNT87w?si=BMXI_QizkAY7ZvBf

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2018birdie@reddit

We already do, just not on frequency.

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Creative_Witness7726@reddit

I just spit my coffee on the dog and probably peed a little.

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14Three8@reddit

“Execjet 184 if you go around I’m gonna fuck your mom bro, she’s gonna be begging for it you pussy don’t even think about going missed”

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afriendincanada@reddit

The won’t be able to let the word “heavy” go by without a comment

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Tyraid@reddit

“Your moms heavy”

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Approach_Controller@reddit

I see my time has finally arrived.

How IS Brenda these days anyway?

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elkab0ng@reddit

Instead of “g’day”, all frequency changes will be acknowledged with “your mom”

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binaryfireball@reddit

it can happen if you filter out the chaff. Games just aren't designed to do so

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lostroadrunner22@reddit

I can see it now. ‘Hey asshat you too high!’

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Gadshill@reddit

Or at least turn the vulgarity a smidge.

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PerfectPercentage69@reddit

Turn it up or down?

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Gadshill@reddit

Down. Definitely down.

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Stay-At-Home-Jedi@reddit

Turn down for what?

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El_mochilero@reddit

“Delta heavy 1-5, hold short of runway 24 and GO MAKE ME A SANDWICH BITCH!”

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Cananbaum@reddit

I can just see call signs devolving into “Chode” , “Minge”, or “N***a”

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Skeetronic@reddit

Lawdy can you imagine the COD crowd talking to pilots

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dragonfly47@reddit

LEEEROY JEEENKINS!!!!

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LowReporter6213@reddit

Ill use my soundboard expertly.

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RBR927@reddit

I see you’ve never talked to ATC before…

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runs_with_airplanes@reddit

And not rage quit.

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TenderfootGungi@reddit

They could just hire more of the people that apply. Millions of people try to get those well paying jobs that require nothing beyond a high school diploma, and for some reason almost all of them are not good enough.

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Crazy_Arrival_1052@reddit

Sorry if this is insensitive but a majority of the gamers I know are on SSRI's and seek talk therapy. I understand that air traffic controllers have the same rigorous medical standards as pilots?

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bovinecop@reddit

How long until they get one disgruntled pilot and the slurs start dropping?

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GrthWindNFire@reddit

N towers on CPDLC

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Late-Mathematician55@reddit

Working 24hrs straight like it ain't no thang, running on pizza and Red Bull

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GrthWindNFire@reddit

I'm going to start repackaging pre workout and call it Cfuel

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kind_bros_hate_nazis@reddit

Drinking verification mountain dews so they can get a spot on that runway

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GrthWindNFire@reddit

The last words I hear are "skill issue bro, on god" as the 747 obliterates my Cessna on short final

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zydeco100@reddit

Just make sure you haven't been within 1000 yards of a Ritalin pill in the last decade.

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Either_Lawfulness466@reddit

It was the unpaid student loans that got me.

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Gardimus@reddit

Im going to laugh so hard when I make tower rage quit.

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Conspicuous_Ruse@reddit

"get off Vent or I'll have you bent"

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TheTangoFox@reddit

Hire all you want.

Good luck with retention.

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Gripe@reddit

ATC has rage quit

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TheTurdFerguson6@reddit

Remove color blind restrictions and I’ll sign up

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usmcmech@reddit

The percentage of gamers that can pass an FAA medical are probably less than 5%

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LPNTed@reddit

This is where the metal likely meets the road.

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hopsnob@reddit

JetBlue 11, you’re following a Super Heavy on final. Speaking of Heavies, tell your mom I’ll be over for the 'bonus round' at 0800 Zulu.

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whycantigetwhatiwant@reddit

Wonder how pilots will feel about ATC fucking their moms

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Wandering_butnotlost@reddit

I mean, that actually seems somewhat not all that crazy.

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Gatt__@reddit

I mean, not really? Like aside from sitting in a chair staring at screens for extended periods there’s next to no overlap.

They’ll still need to be trained to the same high standards or else public trust will be eroded even further, and all the while they’ll be dealing with the poor working conditions, modest pay, long hours, and high stress.

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Gods_Gift_To_ATC@reddit

I tell my trainees to play Overcooked for the chaos management and if they're into FPS's, play a medic class or IGL in BRs to help with situational awareness and focus under pressure. Worked for me.

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Wandering_butnotlost@reddit

The article says it's a two day online course.

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Wendell-Short-Eyes@reddit

I work with someone who was previously was a ATC and he went to school for years before he started

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Im_Balto@reddit

My BIL has been trying to start ATC school for the past 8 months.

He got accepted and everything. The fed has just shat the bed and keeps giving him delays on starting his training

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AdriftSpaceman@reddit

Isn't there just one FAA school to complete ATC training in the US, in Oklahoma, and it's over capacity?

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Tanto63@reddit

Former Air Force ATC here, that's correct but with caveats. There's only one for FAA ATC, but contracted facilities don't require it. There are Associates level programs you can attend to try to start in a contract facility without attending the academy. Military services also have their own FAA accredited schools. FAA owns the busy locations (eg LaGuardia, O'Hare), military branches own theirs, and contracted companies run smaller ones (eg Rapid City Regional).

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AdriftSpaceman@reddit

Thanks for the clarification!

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Im_Balto@reddit

Sounds right. He mentioned moving to OKC for it.

He got his acceptance letter the week before the first big shutdown last year and has been in limbo since.

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AdriftSpaceman@reddit

Yeah, I read a comment here a few weeks back explaining that the school is one of the chokepoints for increasing ATC staff.

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rage420@reddit

No it doesn’t

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Gatt__@reddit

lol, lmao even

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killd1@reddit

I think the idea is that the starting floor is a bit higher than gen pop. Gamers have trained eye/hand coordination, used to tracking multiple areas on screen, those into realtime strategy games are massive multitaskers, etc.

There's some overlap there to at least make it worth exploring. Of course they still go through the same training.

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TicTacKnickKnack@reddit

There's enough overlap that gamers do better on the ATSA. Whether that's enough to justify prioritizing them in any way is up for debate, but I wouldn't say you can just ignore that.

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njsullyalex@reddit

I mean, what if you’re a VATSIM controller?

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Inamanlyfashion@reddit

It's obviously not enough overlap to just hop right in and do stuff, but I used to be a Hawkeye AIC (never an ATC) and it often felt like I was playing a voice-controlled RTS. There's definitely an overlapping skill set but it seems more useful to use that to identify recruiting targets.

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Odd_Advisor855@reddit

Theres a lot of overlap. I tell people my job feels like a video game.

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habichuelacondulce@reddit (OP)

https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/articles/racing-movies/who-is-jann-mardenborough-gran-turismo-gamer-turned-racing-driver/

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euph_22@reddit

Pretty sure they've been doing it for years, though this might be an additional push.

Yup, here's an story from 2021: https://www.nbcnews.com/nightly-news/video/faa-recruiting-gamers-for-next-generation-of-air-traffic-controllers-117617733511

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Substantial_Brain917@reddit

The air traffic will get managed pretty well but some pilots gonna get told that an ATC Controller is fucking their mom.

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Blahkbustuh@reddit

I’ve read that a big part of this is that there is one ATC training center and it’s in Oklahoma and the Oklahoma Congressional delegation prevents a second training center from being opened somewhere else.

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BriefCollar4@reddit

Or, like, pay people?

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DifferentEvent2998@reddit

Makes senses. I used to coordinate 25man raids in WoW. If I can organize 24 other geeks to all do the right thing at the right time, i think i might be able to do the same thing with some training.

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SnooDogs1340@reddit

This would have been great for me years ago. Now my gamer reflexes have slowed. My eyesight has waned. I'm still Platinum on Overwatch console though if the shortage gets really bad.

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chancey74@reddit

I took the aptitude test and got well qualified with minimal prep. The reason I didn’t take the opportunity was that ATC gets treated kind of awful. The training is in Oklahoma, with rent not paid for (which I also couldn’t afford), and then after 18 months you get assigned somewhere (which, whatever). But the perpetual cutting of staff and then the government shutdowns just make it seem so bad to be one.

Literally all they need to do is staff properly and PAY YOUR PEOPLE what they deserve and this whole thing goes away.

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Yosh145@reddit

With how VATSIM portrays itself maybe not a bad idea

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onlyrelevantlyrics@reddit

PilotEdge is staffed by former and current controllers and pilots and used by flight schools and airlines.

Those dudes are absolutely no nonsense.

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True-Industry-4057@reddit

Guarantee you there’s a VATSIM guy who has been dreaming of this for years.

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Bacon1Waffles0@reddit

Ever heard of a gift article?

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poser765@reddit

Lots of people shitting on this and probably rightly so. But, hear me out, maybe it’s not so crazy. I can see some overlap of skills with some certain subsets of gamers. For instance the ability to process large amounts of rapidly changing data, being able to multitask but maintain precision, and being able makes sense of an abstract space while maintaining situational awareness.

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Internal-Sleep4323@reddit

Next they will hire streamers. "Chat, are we cooked? Runway situation is crazy!"

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FafnerTheBear@reddit

The Flight Sim community: Our time has come!

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SeeMarkFly@reddit

Want to hear some of the NEW slogans they're working on?

The FAA: Where Morse code, leaded fuel, and Nurse Ratchet-style mental illness standards continue well into the 21st century.

We're not happy until you're not happy.

We've upped our standards, up yours!

FAA The H is for happiness.

If it isn’t broken, we'll fix it until it is!

It's not getting certified till the paperwork weighs as much as the air-frame.

Why be proactive when you can be reactive

Don't go to the doctor. We don't know what we don't see.

Building the future of aviation... Fax us your ideas.

Safety: Was our mission

When a company is too big to fail, it’s best to let them certify their own aircraft.

If at first you don't succeed the FAA is hiring.

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747WakeTurbulance@reddit

This is so fucking stupid it hurts. There are thousands of trained military controllers that could jump in and do the job tomorrow. That’s what Reagan did when he fires all the controllers in the 80’s.

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BeefInGR@reddit

That would require them to admit they made a mistake and created a nasty issue.

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Swap_n_bang@reddit

Except they couldn’t. It’s not 80’s traffic anymore, and they’d be too busy telling stories of how they used to do things back in their military tower or licking windows to actually separate traffic.

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rockemsockemcocksock@reddit

People forget there are full on ATC Larpers in Flight Sim so I might actually work

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dotben@reddit

"Ah dammit, one crashed. Can I just restart the game?"

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BeefInGR@reddit

As much fun as this sounds, I feel like they're targeting the people who run ATC in the flight sims.

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RexMundi000@reddit

LEROY JENKINS

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fernst@reddit

Pilots landing through rough weather will now say "gg ez" after landing

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theLogicality@reddit

They targeted gamers.

Gamers.

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CoolupCurt@reddit

Just get those VATSIM Guys an pay them 😄

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sf1sch@reddit

Be cool if they lifted the age restrictions. I get it but I’ve got 3 years ramp control experience working for ups at worldport and would love the opportunity to move to the tower.

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thisiscotty@reddit

lol noob learn to fly

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NotAnotherBlingBlop@reddit

Gonna be a shortage of gamers when they're hired to fly attack drones

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post-explainer@reddit

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