Once in a while, someone in the nation’s capital has a sudden rush of brains to the head.
This is one of those cases. Not long ago, the Trump administration’s Transportation Secretary, Sean Duffy, announced an initiative to hire new air traffic controllers to make up for what was becoming a serious shortage. The kicker? They were going to recruit gamers, people who already had skill in managing the movement of big, complex things on computer screens.
On Sunday, Secretary Duffy, appearing on Fox News’ Sunday Briefing, announced that it worked — bigly.
Game. Set. Match 🎮 @USDOT @FAANews
Our campaign to recruit GAMERS to apply to become AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS is RECORD BREAKING!
12 THOUSAND applications in 24 hours – the most in one day since the FAA was created 68 YEARS ago!
@PDoocy @SundayBriefFNC 📺⬇️ pic.twitter.com/iBWLZBGihW
— Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) April 19, 2026
Secretary Duffy said:
“We polled a random sampling of our academy students in Oklahoma City for air traffic control. Of the 250 that we polled, only three of them were not gamers. And so we thought, well, listen, if there’s a connection here, uh, they problem solve, they’re spacially aware, they do multiple things at the same time, it’s very reminiscent of what air traffic controllers do, and so we reached out to the community. Listen, we blew the socks off any prior record. We had 12,000 applications, in 24 hours, 11,000 of those were qualified, we’ve already sent 8,000 of them to go get their skills test. Again, looking to find the best and brightest, best qualified, to become an air traffic controller, I think this is a sign that looking at who we attract, who’s great at the job, this made sense for us to reach out to the gaming community and the response has been remarkable.”
The FAA announced the initiative earlier in April.
A video released by the federal Department of Transportation on Friday targeted the video-game enthusiasts as part of the government’s hiring surge aimed at adding close to 9,000 more air-traffic controllers by 2028.
The video asks the gamers whether they’re “up for the challenge” of becoming an ATC but cautions that the job isn’t just a “game” — it’s a “career.
And, finally, here’s the video; it’s slick and cool, clearly aimed at young gamers.
Seems like a pretty good idea.
Read More: Sec Duffy Does Some Heavy Lifting (Literally) to Make Air Travel Better
I’ve dabbled in computer games myself. In some of these games, one has to multitask, to manage not only multiple actions but multiple campaigns. One has to stay focused, to pay attention to detail, and most of all, one has to be able to make quick decisions, make quick plans, and execute them — and to adapt on the fly. Sounds a lot like what air traffic controllers do.
Someone at the FAA clearly had an attack of the smarts in this. The evidence, as Secretary Duffy points out, was already there for all to see, as he mentioned in referring to the Oklahoma study, but someone made a quick decision here, and it appears to have been the right decision. Best of all, this may not bring in the DEI-correct mix of skin tones, plumbing, and sleeping preferences, but it will bring in the best people for the job. And that’s precisely how this should be done.
Also, it’s nice for once to be able to say “your tax dollars at work” and not mean it in a sarcastic way.
Editor’s Note: The mainstream media continues to deflect, gaslight, spin, and lie about President Trump, his administration, and conservatives.
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