Gamers are flooding air traffic controller applications after the FAA's desperate new campaign -- the agency straight-up begged video game addicts to apply because fast reflexes, spatial awareness, multitasking, and staying chill under pressure are apparently the exact same skills you need to keep planes from turning into fireworks. They opened the window April 17 targeting 8,000 apps and hit over 12,000 in the first 24 hours -- a record since the FAA existed -- with starting pay around 47k during training and certified controllers pulling 155k plus pension. Yeah after years of chronic shortages and mandatory overtime they're finally admitting the basement dwellers grinding ranked matches might actually save the skies better than the old guard.