One runway. Several lives. Every clearance changes what happens next.
Read the radar, prepare instructions while pilots speak, and use SEND FIRST when seconds matter. Choose a shift below.
RECORDED REPLY · APPROACH ACKNOWLEDGED
Fictional airspace and scenarios designed for play.
The sector is paused. Your shift is saved on this device.
1. Read the scope. Green aircraft are normal. Amber means emergency, fuel concern, or predicted conflict. Red means separation has already been lost. Labels show altitude in hundreds of feet and speed in knots. The dashed line is the selected aircraft’s clearance. Messages and controls are below the radar, leaving the map unobstructed. Pinch or use + / − to zoom; drag to pan, FIT to restore the sector, FOCUS to follow your selected aircraft, and STRIPS to show the flight list. On phones, the radar has its own fixed screen area. Use the CALLS, AIRCRAFT and RUNWAY tabs below it; flight controls appear below the radar when you select an aircraft; each panel scrolls without shrinking the radar.
2. Build a sequence. Arrivals fly to the NEST fix, then orbit until cleared. Tap a target or strip. Tap an aircraft to open FLY AIRCRAFT. Left, right, climb and descend are its first row of controls; no scrolling is needed. Tap ANSWER to return to the current radio call. HOLD buys time but burns fuel. TO FIX resumes the arrival route. Turns issue a heading; altitude changes take time. Tap a flight to open AIRCRAFT controls for that callsign. The RADIO tab answers incoming requests; its RESPONDING TO banner names the caller. The aircraft tab has its own COMMANDING banner and choices. These recipients are independent. The CALLS tab and incoming-call buttons show waiting callers and deadlines. Turns and altitude changes cancel automatic approach guidance; a notice explains when you need to re-clear the approach. All aircraft remain your responsibility.
3. Bring them home. An approach clearance routes an aircraft via NEST, or joins final directly when its position and altitude permit. Aircraft follow the extended runway centreline and descend for landing. A missed alignment or unstable descent triggers a named go-around rather than circling the airport. Allow at least 8 NM behind the preceding arrival; heavy jets occupy the runway longer. Tap the persistent runway strip or RUNWAY tab to manage the runway. CLOSE & INSPECT is always available when the runway is not already closed; it takes the inspection window and automatically sends approaches around. The strip names who or what is blocking it, and for how long. A blocked runway forces a go-around; debris can disable a landing aircraft and trigger a longer closure. DIVERT sends a flight to a neighboring airport and counts as a safe diversion when it leaves the sector.
4. Manage pressure. The simulation runs at 2× while the frequency is busy or a received call awaits a reply, and ramps toward 8× when quiet. Movement, fuel, weather and emergency clocks all use this same rate. Reply timers start only after the call has been delivered. STAND BY defers a reply by 30 real seconds without stopping hazards. Prepare commands while listening; they execute once their brief transmission is issued. BREAK IN interrupts for a queued safety instruction, or arms your next instruction. An interrupted incoming call repeats without a missed-call penalty. Fuel is shown in simulated minutes. Radio calls have deadlines: missed requests usually hold the aircraft; urgent calls may escalate. Cell labels show LEVEL 1 moderate, LEVEL 2 severe, and LEVEL 3 extreme. Prolonged exposure damages airframes and can cause a crash. Weather is visible from the first watch. Loss of separation costs safety once per encounter; re-establish separation to recover the situation. A near-direct collision can destroy both aircraft. Fuel exhaustion, uncontained fire, and severe structural weather damage can also cause crashes. Green outcome messages confirm resolved situations; amber means a clearance or risk is still developing; red explains actual harm or an accepted hazard.
5. Finish the watch. New arrivals stop before shift end. Aim for at least 70% safety and safely handle at least three aircraft. Brief the relief controller on traffic still airborne. Clean shifts unlock tougher watches; free play opens after the fourth. Progress and active shifts save locally. Backgrounding pauses automatically.
This game uses simplified routing, weather, landing and separation rules. It is entertainment, not operational training. The recorded smoke-scenario opening is bundled with the game and works offline. Other radio lines use voices installed on your device. The briefing has a recording preview and a dedicated recorded smoke scenario. Radio voice (VOX) controls both recorded and generated calls; SFX controls tones. Pausing or muting stops playback. Recorded calls continue across tabs with an ON AIR label. First watch starts with the Harbor 214 recording; the briefing also has a native audio preview player.