{"slug": "vatsim", "name": "VATSIM", "category": "networking", "category_name": "Networking and VPN", "description": "", "recommenders": 5, "commenters": 6, "warners": 0, "score": 4.873, "rising": 2.35, "first": "2026-04-11", "latest": "2026-08-11", "why": "I used VATSIM which is a worldwide network where volunteer hobbyists actually act as virtual air traffic controllers", "why_is_quote": true, "has_verdict": false, "sentiment": {"recommend": 5, "neutral": 1, "compare": 0, "warn": 0}, "spark": [0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 2, 0, 0, 0, 3, 0, 0], "listed": true, "loved": [], "caveat": "", "short_quote": "I used VATSIM which is a worldwide network where volunteer hobbyists actually act as virtual air traffic controllers", "kind": "", "icon": false, "domain": "vatsim.net", "github_repo": null, "official_url": "https://vatsim.net", "pricing": "", "aliases": ["VATSIM"], "verdict": null, "praise": [{"label": "", "summary": "", "quotes": [{"id": 788273088, "item_id": 49267068, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49267068", "by": "vunderba", "date": "2026-08-11", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I used VATSIM which is a worldwide network where volunteer hobbyists actually act as virtual air traffic controllers", "excerpt": "When I was working on my PPL, I used VATSIM which is a worldwide network where volunteer hobbyists actually act as virtual air traffic controllers, so you can practice traffic patterns, instructions, and just get more comfortable when you are operating real-life radio comms. https://docs.xpilot-project.org/", "context": "working on private pilot license", "use_case": "flight training radio practice", "switched_from": "", "story": "US hires over 2k video gamers as air traffic controllers"}, {"id": 788262816, "item_id": 49266426, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49266426", "by": "mwambua", "date": "2026-08-11", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I know there's a really serious community of folks who do ATC virtually on VATSIM: https://vatsim.net", "excerpt": "Not sure - but I know there's a really serious community of folks who do ATC virtually on VATSIM: https://vatsim.net I feel like those folks would already have been candidates for air traffic controller jobs though.", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "US hires over 2k video gamers as air traffic controllers"}, {"id": 788262080, "item_id": 49266380, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49266380", "by": "scrapcode", "date": "2026-08-11", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "When I got interested in flying I took to flight simulators and the VATSIM network", "excerpt": "When I got interested in flying I took to flight simulators and the VATSIM network[0], as I had seen mentioned multiple times that the radio work can be a difficult aspect of flying to pick up on when flying out of a towered/busy field. By the time I started, I was comfortable on the radio and pre-flight checks, and this seemed to gained quite a bit of favor from my CFI. I'm not saying it made me a well-versed pilot,", "context": "", "use_case": "Online flight sim ATC network", "switched_from": "", "story": "US hires over 2k video gamers as air traffic controllers"}, {"id": 763658608, "item_id": 47728663, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47728663", "by": "seabass-labrax", "date": "2026-04-11", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I've spent many hours in VATSIM and loved it", "excerpt": "Another useful tip: don't immediately register with the division local to you in the 'real world', but instead take a look at a variety to see how different divisions conduct themselves. Some divisions have very long waiting lists, and standards of service do differ between ARTCCs/FIRs. It's also worth just checking to see whether the software a given division uses is actually compatible with your computer, because t", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Great at gaming? US air traffic control wants you to apply"}, {"id": 763657568, "item_id": 47728598, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47728598", "by": "CaliforniaKarl", "date": "2026-04-11", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "It does, and it's called VATSIM[0].", "excerpt": "It does, and it's called VATSIM[0]. VATSIM Radar[3] will show you what's going on right now. As a pilot, you connect using either Microsoft Flight Simulator or X-Plane. Your flight simulator will include graphics (hopefully up-to-date) for your chosen area. Pick a starting airport, spawn at a ramp location (a gate, cargo area, etc.), connect to the network, file a flight plan (or go VFR), call up (or announce intenti", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Great at gaming? US air traffic control wants you to apply"}]}], "caveats": [], "who": [{"by": "vunderba", "context": "working on private pilot license", "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49267068", "date": "2026-08-11"}], "tags": [], "use_cases": ["flight training radio practice", "online flight sim atc network"], "compared": [], "makers": [], "threads": [{"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49265879", "title": "US hires over 2k video gamers as air traffic controllers", "mentions": 3}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47727575", "title": "Great at gaming? US air traffic control wants you to apply", "mentions": 3}], "sentiment_by_month": {"2025-11": {}, "2025-12": {}, "2026-01": {}, "2026-02": {}, "2026-03": {}, "2026-04": {"neutral": 1, "recommend": 2}, "2026-05": {}, "2026-06": {}, "2026-07": {}, "2026-08": {"recommend": 3}, "2026-09": {}, "2026-10": {}}, "versions": [], "version_unnamed": 0, "quotes": [{"id": 788273088, "item_id": 49267068, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49267068", "by": "vunderba", "date": "2026-08-11", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I used VATSIM which is a worldwide network where volunteer hobbyists actually act as virtual air traffic controllers", "excerpt": "When I was working on my PPL, I used VATSIM which is a worldwide network where volunteer hobbyists actually act as virtual air traffic controllers, so you can practice traffic patterns, instructions, and just get more comfortable when you are operating real-life radio comms. https://docs.xpilot-project.org/", "context": "working on private pilot license", "use_case": "flight training radio practice", "switched_from": "", "story": "US hires over 2k video gamers as air traffic controllers"}, {"id": 788262816, "item_id": 49266426, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49266426", "by": "mwambua", "date": "2026-08-11", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I know there's a really serious community of folks who do ATC virtually on VATSIM: https://vatsim.net", "excerpt": "Not sure - but I know there's a really serious community of folks who do ATC virtually on VATSIM: https://vatsim.net I feel like those folks would already have been candidates for air traffic controller jobs though.", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "US hires over 2k video gamers as air traffic controllers"}, {"id": 788262080, "item_id": 49266380, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49266380", "by": "scrapcode", "date": "2026-08-11", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "When I got interested in flying I took to flight simulators and the VATSIM network", "excerpt": "When I got interested in flying I took to flight simulators and the VATSIM network[0], as I had seen mentioned multiple times that the radio work can be a difficult aspect of flying to pick up on when flying out of a towered/busy field. By the time I started, I was comfortable on the radio and pre-flight checks, and this seemed to gained quite a bit of favor from my CFI. I'm not saying it made me a well-versed pilot,", "context": "", "use_case": "Online flight sim ATC network", "switched_from": "", "story": "US hires over 2k video gamers as air traffic controllers"}, {"id": 763658608, "item_id": 47728663, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47728663", "by": "seabass-labrax", "date": "2026-04-11", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I've spent many hours in VATSIM and loved it", "excerpt": "Another useful tip: don't immediately register with the division local to you in the 'real world', but instead take a look at a variety to see how different divisions conduct themselves. Some divisions have very long waiting lists, and standards of service do differ between ARTCCs/FIRs. It's also worth just checking to see whether the software a given division uses is actually compatible with your computer, because t", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Great at gaming? US air traffic control wants you to apply"}, {"id": 763657568, "item_id": 47728598, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47728598", "by": "CaliforniaKarl", "date": "2026-04-11", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "It does, and it's called VATSIM[0].", "excerpt": "It does, and it's called VATSIM[0]. VATSIM Radar[3] will show you what's going on right now. As a pilot, you connect using either Microsoft Flight Simulator or X-Plane. Your flight simulator will include graphics (hopefully up-to-date) for your chosen area. Pick a starting airport, spawn at a ramp location (a gate, cargo area, etc.), connect to the network, file a flight plan (or go VFR), call up (or announce intenti", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Great at gaming? US air traffic control wants you to apply"}, {"id": 763654641, "item_id": 47728415, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47728415", "by": "saithound", "date": "2026-04-11", "version": null, "stance": "neutral", "quote": "Anti-griefing works by keeping the barriers to entry very high", "excerpt": "MS Flight Simulator w/ VATSIM [1] l has this, in the sense thar you can participate as a pilot or a controller, although you are not assigned these roles at game start. Anti-griefing works by keeping the barriers to entry very high, so chances are you won't try VATSIM, even though MSFS is technically available on Steam. [1] https://vatsim.net/docs/basics/becoming-a-controller", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Great at gaming? US air traffic control wants you to apply"}]}