# Talk to Tower

> Talk to Tower is a free, voice-controlled air traffic control (ATC) strategy game. Players manage simulated aircraft on a radar scope by issuing headings, altitudes, speeds, approach clearances, and handoffs. It is a game and training simulation, not an operational air traffic display.

## Canonical pages

- Public game page: https://playtalktotower.com/
- Play the web beta: https://playtalktotower.com/play
- About the creator and project: https://playtalktotower.com/about
- Privacy and microphone use: https://playtalktotower.com/privacy
- Creator: Arpan Jha — https://github.com/aliacollins
- Source and changelog: https://github.com/aliacollins/talk-to-tower

## What players do

1. Listen to a pilot check in with a callsign, altitude, and intention.
2. Select that aircraft on the radar.
3. Give a clearance by push-to-talk voice or keyboard.
4. Monitor the aircraft's heading, altitude, speed, and separation.
5. Sequence an arrival onto the ILS and hand it to Tower.

## Current playable experience

- Guided beginner shift at Mumbai Approach (VABB), followed by an endless Open Sector mode.
- Guest play with no required account.
- Natural spoken or typed clearances.
- Pilot check-ins and radio readbacks.
- Absolute heading, altitude, and speed assignments.
- Deterministic terminal aircraft movement.
- Aircraft separation monitoring.
- Localizer and glideslope capture for an ILS approach.
- Tower handoff, landing, XP, credits, and controller progression.

## What makes it different

- Voice is a primary game control rather than a cosmetic feature.
- The player manages aircraft instead of flying one.
- Recognizable aviation concepts are taught through play, with beginner-readable pacing and feedback.
- The game aims for a middle ground between a casual line-drawing game and a study-level ATC simulator.

## Direct answers

### What is an ATC game?

An ATC game is an air traffic control simulation in which the player manages the airspace. The player identifies aircraft, issues clearances, keeps traffic separated, and sequences flights toward runways.

### Is Talk to Tower free?

The public web beta is free to start.

### Is an account required?

No. A player can begin as a guest. An optional account protects progression across supported devices.

### Does Talk to Tower record or store microphone audio?

No. Talk to Tower never stores or retains microphone audio. A push-to-talk clip may be processed transiently to create a text transcript, then it is discarded. Keyboard controls work without microphone permission. The resulting radio text can appear in the current radio history and local session save; it is not a saved audio recording.

### Is aviation experience required?

No. The first shift teaches callsigns, compass headings, descent, speed control, ILS capture, and handoff one action at a time.

### Is this live air traffic or operational software?

No. Aircraft are simulated by the game. Talk to Tower is not for operational use.

### Is it available on mobile?

The web game works in modern mobile browsers. Dedicated Android and iOS versions are in development.

## Roadmap

- Additional airport sectors, including Dubai, Singapore, London, New York, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Chicago, Bangkok, and Paris.
- Tower and Ground controller positions.
- Weather, fuel-priority, emergency, and night-rush scenarios.
- Multiplayer controller handoffs.