Back in the early 1980’s air conrollers went on strike and were fired by then President Ronald Reagan.  It was a shocking move and left air travel in turmoil.  The result was a demographic blip that for years relieved the F.A.A. of doing much hiring and training — only a few hundred a year for most of the last decade. In one recent 12-month period, only 13 were hired.

“As a result, the agency now must hire and train some 1,700 controllers a year for the next decade, a task the Government Accountability Office described as a major challenge.  Experts say that having a high proportion of trainees and rookies in towers and radar rooms may reduce safety. To meet the challenges, the agency is turning to electronic tower simulators, which one instructor described as “a big Xbox.””

“Officials say they are hoping that the use of the simulators will cut training time 20 percent to 60 percent. Training costs average $74,000 a controller but vary widely, being higher for the busiest, most complex airports.”
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