Air Traffic Control: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)

10 hour days, 6 days a week? yes, that's a safety issue...no way people can stay sharp and concentrated for that amount of time. And air traffic control pretty much requires that I imagine.

Anyone else thinking of Nathan Fielder while watching this?

How am I supposed to forgive you guys not even referencing The Rehearsal S2😭

Get an AI system trained on putting all air traffic for a country available (save for military airspace) on a singular overseen software. Have a team of 8, one Overseer, and 7 Seer's. Each of the seven Seers manages 1/7 of the country. The AI coordinates take-off and landing oversight and basic navigation trajectories. The overseers then bundle fibers of groupings in ways that creates 4-to-8 streams of cardinality (some areas, 4 might be sufficient). Each Seer gets assigned a Squire to assist and learn. If they are in a very dense zone, you give them a Squire and a Navigator. The Navigators will be assigned from applicants who have an observed knack for uncosciously knowing where to go and essentially understood latent Psychic Gifts. That should create enough coordination and structure that any other adjustments can be made retroactively, or spontaneously.

That's terrifying (Googling Amtrak to Denver right now)

Dear Mr. Trump... LOW odds means HIGH probability...
HIGH odds means LOW probability.

My Kabbala teacher told me there is no such thing as a burn-out. He said that via video call, as he had missed his flight, and was coughing incessantly.

So, I'm going to the US with my family by the end of summer, and my Gf is really concerned about Air Safety. I just sent her this video to calm her down

Also there are new systems to track the ground traffic in addition to the controllers but again there is not enough support.

It would be helpful to note the differences of the systems between the various airports as they do not all have the same safety levels.

We're screwed.

I am not ATC. But, since sim piloting, my respect and knowledge is so high for ALL ATC workers. I knew there was a shortage but, I didn't know it went all the way back to Reagan!!!! WOW!!!! As well as, I knew the gig was hard but that testing - that seems like trying to become Special Forces in the military!!!! I don't know of anyone doing such a piece on all the issues as John Oliver has just done. I know, as a passenger, I'm grateful!

I love that the sketch at the end had so many familiar faces. From the voice of Archer to a member of the cast from, The Studio to a comedian/actor, Lil Rel Howery. That's why it was so good. Professionals all over the place. And that script was on point! Show the absurdity of how this nation is basically forcing people have people's lives in their hands in horrendous conditions!

When your live is written on a paper strip.
But you can read it, even when the screen is dark.

I used to work in a regional airline headquarters soc. The job was toxic and stressful. A few people were alcoholics with duis cause it was so stressful, including myself. I am not surprised someone got punched. There is a lot of pressure to keep the airline flying. Think about the stress customers go through when their flight is canceled. I’m the background people are scrambling to either fix the plane, get a replacement or get another crew. It takes multiple departments that butt heads to keep the flight schedule going. This leads to lots of fighting and animosity. The benefits of free flying was cool but I’m done with stressful jobs

OMG ! I hope DOGE does not know about these guys...

Funny, I'm almost 30 and I guess I must be geeky enough to know what a floppy disk is. and that there are bigger ones too that put the floppy in floppy disk

if the marvel team weren't cowards, we'd have a scene where storm explodes an e-meter and drops a devastating one-liner

Hey, RM and TB! Thank you for making the skies safer in Chicago+++ BZ

Ah, Ronald Reagan. Truly the Kevin Bacon of modern america's problems

The "bat tower" in Florida is hilarious!!!!

Are flight traffic controllers smoke Ganga.. 🤔🧐 almost doesn't count.

to john oliver, when people has $ on the stake care less than those gov officers who has no $ on the stake.

And also, please NEVER call KDCA "reagan" airport.
It is Washington National Airport, never should be called after that effing "president".

Airline pilot here, now retired. 39+ years experience. ATC and pilots are a collaboration.

Geez, one reason the air traffic controllers went on strike during Reagan's presidency was to highlight the same problems John described here: outdated equipment, stress, too long hours, not enough employees, the need for continuing education courses, etc. And, most controllers, at least back then, were veterans who started learning their jobs while serving in the military -- Reagan fired many vets, and made it so they could never have another (federal) gov't job during their lifetimes.

The air traffic controllers union endorsed Reagan at a time when most unions opposed him. I wonder if they thought he'd at least listen to their complaints and make conditions better for them (and those who fly) considering they supported him for president. Instead, Reagan vilified the union, fired more than 11,000 controllers, and kicked them -- yes, many vets -- out of gov't jobs forever.

Those staff shortages, obsolete equipment, stress, etc., still exist nearly 45 years later. It's no wonder Reagan is the poster child for the beginning of destruction of unions and exploited workers by the Republican party.

Windows 95!? Hopefully they are sharpening their skills on "Space Cadet Pinball" when the planes aren't coming in.

Archer got old

If well designed AI programs can control a flock of drones, why can't human managed AI systems be aware of the positions of all aircraft at once, and have automated warnings to keep accidents from happening? Or is that already what we have, just not enough humans? Sounds like the hardware (processing) and software are inadequate, from the video. Would rather they work on that first than the dumb fantasy of Mars.

The Math Blaster mention these days was wild.

OMG I am stoned, and he unpacked sooooooo much here. BRAVOOOOOOO ✌️☮️🕊️☮️✌️

H. Jon Benjamin FTW!!

Does anyone know where that last ATC hiring skit is from? It’s hilarious 😂

If any job would benefit from being supported by AI, this is definitely it.

Dude! Archer as an Air Traffic Controller! That would be epic!

The down fall of the American Empire started with the Reagan administration. Prove me wrong.

Been rewatching all of Bob's Burgers these last two weeks. I couldnt help but love the end

Why would they have to do 12 - 14 hr days? Why not just hire more people? This makes no sense.

Safe flights might be the kryptonite of this administration- the way DOGE cut FAA …

As a former controller both in the military and with the FAA, the recruiting video is the funniest representation of ATC since the movie 'Airplane'. The facts that are presented are accurate and the overall sentiment should be that something needs to be done. All jokes beside, the fact that ATC is in the discretionary budget is one of the biggest problems that needs resolved. Another is that the system in use today is rooted in the outdated technology of yesteryear. In the eighties, an idea to overhaul the system was advanced that cost the taxpayers billions that never worked and was scrapped. The aircraft of today are way more capable of improving the system but current FAA budget constraints prevent its use.
Also, and I know the attacks will come, but Reagan wasn't the entire reason for lack of controllers. I was in the military soon after 'The Strike', and also worked alongside of some fired controllers who worked for the DOD. I'm not taking sides, as I perhaps benefitted from this to have my career with the FAA. Also, a long time member of the current union that was in its infancy when I joined. Not many agencies within the federal government allow unions, much less institute an action which people walked away from their work of public safety. Now, I'm not saying that I wouldn't have followed, the reasons were valid and similar as we have today. But, when the President of the USA gets on tv and says to get back to work in the next few days or you will be fired, I think I would have rethought my actions and went back to work. Union leadership told them all that he wouldn't do it, and it became what it is. By the way, around 2000, the fired controllers were allowed to get reinstated if they chose, and didn't have to adhere to the age 56 rule. Very few came back. A more bitter bunch of people that I worked with in the military I have never seen.

AI will replace them soon 😢

Deregulation is going to cause more problems jist like this. Or effecting the environment Tha twe have been able to get in a better situation because of the regulations of the EPA & DEQ. Cutting these regs will have to be drastic repercussions to out lives! And decades to being back to what they had been. All so corps get higher profits... That's the important thing obviously 🙄

Seems like the politicans are not interested to improve the ATC, because their corporate overlords wants to privatize it..

I mean, anytime you can get H. John Benjamin's voice into something, its going to be a better experience.

Tom Cruise: "How many ohms did he just say? Get me The Phone!"

bro this commercial was hilarious!

Some of the requirements to become an ATC are ridiculous. I’ve been passionate about aviation all of my life and in emergency dispatch since I was 19 (so I’m inherently equipped with skills that would translate well). However, I’m pushing 40, and therefore ineligible to apply while otherwise meeting all of the requirements. Yet, I can go be an airline pilot and have held the requisite first class medical certificate for 2 years now. So, I guess I’ll go do the cooler, arguably less stressful, and definitely better paying, shit instead. So, dumb.🤦‍♂️

i just hit play, but my stars, there have been SO many air vehicle incidents in the last six months in our country... i'm ready for this episode to come hard. something aint right.