# Another time waster fun online game -- air traffic controller **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [November 26, 2010, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-time-waster-fun-online-game-air-traffic-controller/561956 "2010-11-26T05:30:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2010, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-time-waster-fun-online-game-air-traffic-controller/561956/21 "2010-12-13T03:43:07Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > I found that one too. I like it a lot, but it’s really more of a ground traffic control game rather than air traffic. Are you referring to the advertisement for “Airport Madness 3”? Because that is essentially a ground control game but the actual game in the link is an approach control game. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2010, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-time-waster-fun-online-game-air-traffic-controller/561956/22 "2010-12-13T04:04:57Z")
> [@Richard\_Pearse](#): > > Are you referring to the advertisement for “Airport Madness 3”? Because that is essentially a ground control game but the actual game in the link is an approach control game. You are correct. I saw that “airport madness” title, which I was familiar with, and didn’t see that the linked game was actually something else. Thanks to you, I have another game to waste time with now! ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2010, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-time-waster-fun-online-game-air-traffic-controller/561956/23 "2010-12-13T05:33:20Z")
I’ve always been interested in ATC games and have never found one that is just right. Some are a bit simplistic like the one in the OP, some suffer from a clunky interface (clicking buttons and dragging heading pointers will never be as intuitive and easy as saying “turn right heading 270 descend and maintain 3000’”, but I think it can be improved upon), and many of them involve too much micromanagement, I’d like to see one with SIDs (standard instrument departures), STARs (standard arrival routes), holding patterns, and the ability to give an instruction to “intercept track” on a particular heading or to “resume own navigation direct to [waypoint].” ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2010, 10:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-time-waster-fun-online-game-air-traffic-controller/561956/25 "2010-12-13T10:35:38Z")
What? ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2010, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-time-waster-fun-online-game-air-traffic-controller/561956/26 "2010-12-13T11:52:49Z")
I deleted an apparent spam post made before **Richard Pearse** ’s last post. It looked like this: > [@](#): > > Very interesting game, but I could be a helicopter landing aircraft must not be longer. I do ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2010, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-time-waster-fun-online-game-air-traffic-controller/561956/27 "2010-12-13T15:02:15Z")
I had some kind of breakthrough last night. My high score is 91, and I’m starting to routinely get into the 70s and 80s. ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2010, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-time-waster-fun-online-game-air-traffic-controller/561956/28 "2010-12-13T16:58:59Z")
> [@Little\_Plastic\_Ninja](#): > > Crap, I accidentally killed the President. :eek: Yeah…“accidentally”. That’s what they _all_ say. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2010, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-time-waster-fun-online-game-air-traffic-controller/561956/29 "2010-12-13T17:26:08Z")
Yeah, just like Dick Cheney “accidentally” shot that guy in the head. ---
**Author:** ![abel29a](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ebca7d/32.png) [@abel29a](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/abel29a)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2010, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-time-waster-fun-online-game-air-traffic-controller/561956/30 "2010-12-13T21:22:30Z")
Inspired by the two games linked previously, I searched around and found this take on the life of a ATC controller. [http://www.atc-sim.com/](http://www.atc-sim.com/) Let me tell you, controlling traffic at O’Hare is no joke 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Bearflag70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2010, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-time-waster-fun-online-game-air-traffic-controller/561956/31 "2010-12-13T21:31:42Z")
> [@Bearflag70](#): > > Current high: 92 > > Goal: 100 97 :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2010, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-time-waster-fun-online-game-air-traffic-controller/561956/32 "2010-12-13T22:56:04Z")
It’s a fun game, but the “hit boxes” for the planes are annoying. Both times I’ve played, I lost because I tried to click on on the plane that could avert the collision and the game thought I was clicking on the one that couldn’t. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2010, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-time-waster-fun-online-game-air-traffic-controller/561956/33 "2010-12-13T23:27:03Z")
> [@abel29a](#): > > Inspired by the two games linked previously, I searched around and found this take on the life of a ATC controller. [http://www.atc-sim.com/](http://www.atc-sim.com/) > > Let me tell you, controlling traffic at O’Hare is no joke 🙂 That one’s not bad, though some sound would be nice. ---
**Author:** ![Bearflag70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2010, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-time-waster-fun-online-game-air-traffic-controller/561956/34 "2010-12-16T01:29:35Z")
> [@bearflag70](#): > > current high: 92 > > goal: 100 > [@bearflag70](#): > > 97 :mad: 104 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Bearflag70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2010, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-time-waster-fun-online-game-air-traffic-controller/561956/35 "2010-12-17T03:31:17Z")
> [@Bearflag70](#): > > 104 🙂 108 :)🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Labtrash](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/labtrash/32/528_2.png) [@Labtrash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labtrash)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2010, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-time-waster-fun-online-game-air-traffic-controller/561956/36 "2010-12-17T11:44:21Z")
after many, MANY tries - 111 The game had TWO Air force Ones on the screen at one time ---
**Author:** ![dotchan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9d8465/32.png) [@dotchan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dotchan)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2010, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-time-waster-fun-online-game-air-traffic-controller/561956/37 "2010-12-25T23:56:10Z")
Let’s just hope this isn’t an America’s Army/The Last Starfighter type thing where the highest scoring player actually has to do this in real life. …or worse, that this isn’t an Ender’s Game scenario where you really ARE directing planes to land, remote-wise. ---
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2010, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-time-waster-fun-online-game-air-traffic-controller/561956/38 "2010-12-27T14:42:15Z")
> [@Grumman](#): > > It’s a fun game, but the “hit boxes” for the planes are annoying. Both times I’ve played, I lost because I tried to click on on the plane that could avert the collision and the game thought I was clicking on the one that couldn’t. Yeah, I think I have worked out that in cases where a click is ambiguous, the plane that appeared first gets the click. It should be the plane that is nearer to the click. Simple coding change, I would have thought, if they’re reading this. Great game, nonetheless. I’ve played the iPad original briefly, and I think this version is just as good. Still trying to crack the 100 mark, though ---
**Author:** ![Bearflag70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2011, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-time-waster-fun-online-game-air-traffic-controller/561956/39 "2011-01-10T23:02:49Z")
w00t … 119 after employing a slightly different strategy. My high scores 119 108 104 102 ---
**Author:** ![Bearflag70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2011, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-time-waster-fun-online-game-air-traffic-controller/561956/40 "2011-01-12T06:28:26Z")
My high scores 137 \<—New 119 109 \<—New 108 104 102 ---
**Author:** ![Bearflag70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2011, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-time-waster-fun-online-game-air-traffic-controller/561956/41 "2011-01-12T20:24:39Z")
My high scores 151 \<—New 137 119 109 108 104 102 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-time-waster-fun-online-game-air-traffic-controller/561956.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-time-waster-fun-online-game-air-traffic-controller/561956.md?page=3)