Air traffic controllers keep aircraft a safe distance apart and sequence them on and off the runway. It's part puzzle, part juggling act — and it makes a surprisingly great game.
Separation — keep every aircraft apart by distance and altitude. Sequencing — order the arrivals into a smooth, evenly-spaced stream. Routing — get departures climbing out to their exit point and on their way.
Arrivals are descended and turned onto final to line up with the runway. Departures climb out to a fix at the edge of the airspace, where they're handed to the next controller. Do it well and the sky flows; fall behind and it knots up fast.
Simple controls, endless decisions, and the quiet satisfaction of an orderly sky. FlatoutATC turns the real job into an accessible browser game — no 200-page manual required.