[V99]

The first problem is that everybody who wants to do the job needs to go through the FAA academy in Oklahoma, which is seriously limited by physical & instructor capacity. So only a couple thousand people a year can work their way through there, no matter how many are willing to do the job.

So first we need more training capacity, and they already have trouble hiring and retaining instructors. This is a more direct place you can throw more money at now.

A start would be moving some of the primary training to the control centers. There's more than one of them, spread around the country, and they already have their own significant training departments.

A significant fraction of people who get into the academy end up not making the cut. Then another good fraction "wash out" during extensive training for the specific airport/center they end up in.

It's a very difficult job and nothing they've tried before is very good at predicting who's going to be successful at it quickly/cheaply.

[xeonmc]

Would StarCraft ladder rank be a good predictor of suitability?

[daveguy]

So, you're saying the FAA is struggling because we don't fund them enough to hire instructors? Seems like a Republican problem.

[V99]

This has been a snowballing problem since Reagan fired 11,000 controllers for striking in 1981... so sort of, but not the one you're thinking of, and there's been plenty of both sides of the aisle doing nothing to solve the problem in the meantime.

[daveguy]

Only one party has been drooling about cutting taxes for the rich and defunding the government since the 80s. Guess which one.

[vdqtp3]

Realistically, because standing up a new academy isn't fast, and everyone wants fast solutions and won't invest long term. That isn't a party line thing, both parties have that issue.