Comparison

Sector 33 Classroom Edition vs Hello Tower

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Sector 33 Classroom Edition

Manage air traffic in a simulated San Francisco Bay Area airspace. Guide planes safely and efficiently through your sector, ensuring proper spacing and timely arrivals during a busy evening rush. Test your air traffic control skills.

Highlights
  • 42 air traffic control problems
  • Control 2 to 5 airplanes simultaneously
  • Adjust airplane speed and routes
  • Navigate weather obstacles
  • Receive performance feedback
  • Strategy review and custom problem modes
Features
Read full description

It’s a stormy Friday evening in Northern California as the evening rush of air traffic quickly descends upon the San Francisco Bay Area. All flights approaching San Francisco International Airport from the east pass through “Sector 33” – your sector of airspace. As the lead air traffic controller for Sector 33, you must merge the arriving planes into a single stream of traffic as they pass over Modesto, CA and line up for their final approach to San Francisco. Safety and efficiency are of greatest importance. The planes must be properly separated 3 nautical miles apart as they exit the western edge of your sector, and they must never violate the minimum spacing requirements. Yet time is of the essence! During the evening rush, planes must pass through your sector as quickly as possible as delaying one plane will cause a delay for all other planes trailing behind it. Can YOU handle Sector 33? The “Sector 33 Classroom” air traffic control simulator mobile app is part of the greater NASA Smart Skies LineUp With Math educational product. Student workbooks and other supporting teacher materials are housed on the Smart Skies website at www.smartskies.nasa.gov. Features: - 42 problems - 2 to 5 airplanes - Speed and route controls - Weather obstacles - End-of-problem performance feedback - Strategy review mode - Create your own problem mode - Extras: introduction, help, and videos

About

Hello Tower

Experience realistic airport ground control with this simulation app. Manage aircraft movements, issue clearances, and handle emergencies across over 40 diverse airports. Progress from simple single-runway operations to complex hub airports.

Highlights
  • Airport ground maneuvering simulation
  • Over 40 different airports
  • Simplified and real-size airport versions
  • Pushback, taxi, and take-off clearances
  • Emergency handling
  • Level-based progression
Features
Read full description

Airport ground maneuvering simulation of more than 40 different airports including  London Heathrow LHR, Philadelphia PHL, Miami Intl. MIA, Singapore, New York JFK, Las Vegas LAS, São Paulo GRU, Montreal YUL, Boston BOS, and many more.  Different versions of airports included: - Play the simplified version, where the airport is scaled down to an easy playable experience. - Play the real thing. Here the whole airport is in real size displayed, where all your skills are required. Features - Give pushback, taxi, holding and take-off clearances.  - Handle emergencies and try to release all flights on time in order to release the next level. From an easy single-runway operation at the beginning to demanding hub airports with multiple active runways where all your skills are required.

Screenshots

Sector 33 Classroom Edition2 screens
Hello Tower4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Sector 33 Classroom Edition at Free against Hello Tower's $2.99. Sector 33 Classroom Edition also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 5) and review sentiment (100% vs 71%). Hello Tower's advantage is rating (4.4 vs 4.0) and ratings volume (66 vs 10). On ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Sector 33 Classroom Edition is free to download; Hello Tower costs $2.99 up front. Hello Tower sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Sector 33 Classroom Edition asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Hello Tower holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Hello Tower has 66 ratings behind it against 10, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 100% of Sector 33 Classroom Edition's written reviews are positive against 71% of Hello Tower's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Sector 33 Classroom Edition versus Hello Tower: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSector 33 Classroom EditionHello Tower
PriceFree — better$2.99
Rating4.0 (10 ratings)4.4 (66 ratings) — better
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews — better70.7% of reviews
Number of ratings1066 — better
Update frequency—Every 9 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS6.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size20 MB412 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNASASascha Trachsel

Customer experience

Sector 33 Classroom Edition

All ratings10 ratings
Positive70.0%
Neutral10.0%
Negative20.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Hello Tower

All ratings65 ratings
Positive86.2%
Neutral3.1%
Negative10.8%
Written reviews123 reviews
Positive70.7%
Neutral14.6%
Negative14.6%

Bugs and requests

Sector 33 Classroom Edition

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Hello Tower

Reported bugs

37 issues
  • Flight freezing on runway holding and turns
  • Aircraft getting stuck and blocking routes
  • 30-second departure timer disappearing
  • Aircraft crashing with held aircraft on taxiway
  • Levels not unlocking
Show 32 more
  • Game freezes/crashes, especially at Heathrow
  • Separation logic errors
  • Aircraft not selectable
  • Game hangs/freezes after updates
  • New UI is confusing and unreadable
  • Sounds missing after update
  • Focus on aircraft and readability worsened
  • Aircraft symbols obscured by labels
  • Tapping messages only selects aircraft once
  • Parking spots shown as available when occupied
  • Planes crossing paths and getting stuck
  • Aircraft becoming 'ghosts' blocking routes
  • Runway timer resets to zero before 30 seconds
  • Departure separation timer sometimes fails to appear
  • Recent updates have made the game fiddly and difficult
  • UI is worse after recent updates
  • Levels changed after recent updates
  • Game becomes unplayable after updates
  • Aircraft roll with extreme speed
  • UI for iPhones is terrible
  • Previous version was better
  • Custom game mode is buggy
  • Some airport orientations are off
  • Ground radars not oriented to true north
  • Cannot make aircraft move
  • Cannot park landed aircraft
  • Game ends with blocked runway when it's not
  • Impossible timings leading to penalties
  • Aircraft launching in both directions on the same runway simultaneously
  • Departure slot timer bug
  • Aircraft on final approach not being able to be directed away
  • Aircraft on runway preventing others from crossing

Requested features

23 requests
  • Add more airports (US, European, Asian, Indian cities)
  • Add an endless/sandbox mode
  • Add AI voice recognition and ATC dialogues
  • Implement a tutorial or walk-through
  • Add a 'continue game' or save progress option
Show 18 more
  • Add more realistic separation rules and traffic patterns
  • Improve UI and controls (smaller buttons, better organization)
  • Add option to designate departure/arrival runways
  • Add rejected takeoffs, emergency vehicles, emergency inbounds
  • Add ability to call a go-around
  • Allow custom stop points
  • Add more sounds for aircraft
  • Add a smaller tutorial airport
  • Add day/night environment switching
  • Add towing/pushback option for stuck aircraft
  • Add Chinese language support
  • Add more content/levels, possibly a sequel
  • Improve graphics and aircraft dynamics
  • Add music and better menu
  • Add indication when flights actually depart
  • Add beacon lights to taxiway hotspots
  • Add more realistic taxi speeds and turnaround times
  • Add runway vacation instructions

In-app purchases

None

Sector 33 Classroom Edition

No in-app purchases

4 purchases

Hello Tower

One-time4
  • Hello Tower Test$0.99
  • Airport Pack$0.99
  • Sandbox test2 variants$0.99
Show 1 more
  • Airport Pack$1.99

Questions

Is Sector 33 Classroom Edition free?
Sector 33 Classroom Edition is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Hello Tower free?
Hello Tower costs $2.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Sector 33 Classroom Edition or Hello Tower?
Hello Tower is rated higher. Sector 33 Classroom Edition averages 4.0 out of 5 from 10 ratings, while Hello Tower averages 4.4 from 66 ratings.
Do Sector 33 Classroom Edition or Hello Tower have ads?
Neither Sector 33 Classroom Edition nor Hello Tower shows ads.

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