Child directing Air Traffic at JFK? This could be interesting ...

[Snuffy]

FAA reports ... The sounds of a voice of a child directing traffic at JFK!

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,587801,00.html

[Thoe6969]

Yeh just saw this on the news this morning,the kid sounded very profesional,and the pilots seemed to get a kick out of it but I don't think It was a real smart thing to do.

[Chacha]

The child is shadowing Air Traffic Control...

We do that in our job as well, where we invite kids from the local school and handle our busy day at work...

(does not concern air traffic though....) :isadizzy:

And kids are smart now a days, I am sure he was supervised....

And his presence in the Tower Control was approved by the superiors...

... I know it is a delicate issue, having a child direct traffic control, but....

... just my 2 cents...

[cheezyflier]

sensationalism rears it's ugly head. the kid wasn't directing airborne traffic, or arrivals, he was repeating take-off instructions given to him by the tower. the implied safety risk is not even worth mentioning except for the ratings it will garner news agencies. i am willing to be that if it wasn't for the newspeople being involved, it would be a non-issue.



***hey thoe6969, cool avatar :applause:

[fsafranek]

And the FAA has to say they're looking into it because otherwise the media would be all over them -- an even bigger story.
:ernae:

[paiken]

Leave it to fox news to over dramatise and sensationalize every story that comes their way. That's what happens when the boss comes from a background of "yellow" journalism.

[Snuffy]

Leave it to fox news to over dramatise and sensationalize every story that comes their way. That's what happens when the boss comes from a background of "yellow" journalism.


Sorry Paiken ... for all your virtol against FOX News, IT isn't the only reporting angency and also PLEASE note the feed line comes from the AP so its not a FOX News originating story. Man all you people who get yer shorts in a knot over the mention of FOX News really need to sit back and relax a little more.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/TRAVEL/03/03/air.traffic.child/
http://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights/item.aspx?type=blog&ak=81587.blog
http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9E774E80.htm
http://www.whas11.com/news/national/Kid-Controller-Controversy-Boy-directs-JFK-air-traffic--86213512.html

[Snuffy]

Latest reports on this is that two air traffic controllers have been suspended. Ooops.

[n147yt]

IMO

This young man was NOT directing taffic BUT just repeating words his DAD (the real controller) told him to say.
He sounds very professional.

Was there a safety risk.........NO

Must be a slow news day.
Making something out of nothing.

:a1451:

[Henry]

i have been reading and watching the news
safety issue hearing a child on the airwaves could lead to issues
is it a hoax?etc
its a rather dangerous job being ATC
it seems Dad and the supervisor have been suspended
to me it should be a slap on the hand
and a reprimand, dont do it again
just my thoughts
H

[Curtis P40]

I don't think flying or anything to do with aviation is suppose to be fun anymore.
Curt:kilroy:

[N2056]

Here is how it must be looked at. He felt that this was "ok". Frankly it was a bad call. What will his next bad call be?
It's not likely that he will be out of a job, as he is a civil service employee. What could happen (I hope) is that he will get an unpaid vacation to think about it. I highly doubt he will get the sack.

[Snuffy]

Don't know if any of you have heard the audio from this ... there are a couple links in this story.

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/queens/out_of_control_abwevV0A4dRPBkKnVJC26K

[6297J]

He sounds like Macaulay Culkin in 'Home Alone'. I love the 'adios amigo' :icon_lol:

[Kiwikat]

It most definitely wasn't just Fox News (this time at least).

I've seen the story on FOX, CBS, and ABC and they all sensationalised it to the point it made me want to throw up. I cannot believe what the media is doing in our country.

ABC acted like the whole airport and airspace was being controlled by some random kid. Just pathetic.

Every article I've read online has also been pathetic.


Yes the ATC controller should be punished. No, he should not lose his job. The situation was under control the whole time.

The media needs to stop &(@^#%@#ing up reality. These are the retarded events that lead to even more retarded laws. Oh no, I used the "r" word. Twice!

[Trans_23]

I watched the story on NBC local news last night. The media did sensationalize it yet everyone at the airport they interviewed thought it was a non event. Just the politicians were outraged (go figure).

[jetjerry]

This is an interesting topic. This is mostly media hype to sensationalize something that is at best a misdemeanor for the sake of selling airtime/newspapers etc. They have done this many times before. They do not know what they are talking about, so they wing it.
Granted, having your child in the control facility and allowing them to talk to the airplanes may not be a bright idea. It doesn’t do any real harm either as long as Dad (the real controller) told them what to say, watched their every move and, made them get out of the way if things needed attention.
I for one would like to know where all this media coverage was 30 years ago when all the controllers were fired for political reasons. Back then they sat on their collective hands and released to the public what the government told them to say. All but one that is...the Wallstreet Journal was the only entity that tried to tell any of the truth, and nobody listened…this includes most of you here in this forum…if you were even alive then. Yes, you guessed it, I’m a fired controller. I was on approved vacation in the outback of <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Canada</st1:place></st1:country-region> at the time. When I returned to a motel and saw all this on TV…I was already fired, and my pre-signed paperwork for leave had been changed by my superiors to show I was AWOL…because I was a union rep. Our government broke the laws of the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">USA</st1:place></st1:country-region> over 4000 times in order to make these illegal firings stick. That’s right…illegal! Read the laws and federal regulations of our land if you don’t believe me.
I was an Army pilot in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Viet Nam</st1:country-region></st1:place> with many medals…both shot up and shot down. I went to work for the same government that sent me over there. Then, they fired me and 4400 others…for nothing but trying to get the same work rules that all other nations around the world had for their controllers. It is not an easy job. In the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">USA</st1:place></st1:country-region> less that 3% ever retired from the job, this because of the job related stress. The governments answer to this was to put you on the street with nothing.
I returned to flying after this. It was six months after the firings that I was flying “bush” from <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Fort</st1:PlaceType> <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Yukon</st1:PlaceName> to <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Fairbanks</st1:place></st1:City> in a Cessna 207. When I contacted Fairbanks Approach Control, a radar facility, I was beginning to pick up ice. This so called controller that replaced us gave me 5 clearances…all illegal and incorrect. I could not follow any of them. I finally asked if there was any traffic for me and when the answer was ‘no”, I told them what I was going to do. When I informed this person I was going to the tower at the marker, they were crying over the frequency. That’s how good the system was for years after that. Yet then, the media was no where to be found.
I have since retied from flying jets with a major airline in the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">USA</st1:place></st1:country-region>.
<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p> </o:p>
Be careful what you believe from the news media…always! No matter what network says it!
<o:p> </o:p>
I suppose I should be sorry for the rant…but I’m not.
<o:p> </o:p>
Captain Jerry
X – Journeyman ATC; Airline pilot; Chief pilot; bush pilot; Army pilot, and aircraft owner.

[cheezyflier]

reagan's 1st term, 1981 he busted up the atc's union. i remember it. not alot i could do about it, being 15 at the time, and frankly was more concerned with girls. i know that there are usually 3 sides to a story. from the sound of things the way you describe them, it seems like you still managed to do pretty well despite the circumstances.
well done! :applause:

[srgalahad]

Perhaps the FAA has a more 'casual' approach to the subject but if so they may now be contemplating borrowing from the Canadian ATC Manual of Operations :

105 VISITORS
105.1
You may allow NAV CANADA and government officials, pilots, dispatchers, and operational personnel having a direct interest in the functions of ATC, to visit an air traffic control unit provided: (N) (R)

A. a manager authorizes each such visit;
B. Regional Office or Head Office has not issued instructions to the contrary;
C. their presence in no way interferes with the efficient operation of the unit;
D. there is no breach of security regulations; and
E. unit personnel are available to conduct a tour.

105.1 Note:
Visitors to a unit may not perform operational duties or operate ATC equipment unless licensed in accordance with ATSAMM 112 and authorized by the appropriate manager.

Other visitors were allowed (pre- 9/11) but have likely been cut back. We never refused ( although sometimes did object to) school visits but they never got to 'play with the buttons'.

bad judgement? yes; (esp. now with all the people looking for their moment of fame by being 'online reporters')
sanction-able misconduct?.. probably;
firing squad material? ..no - but I sure wouldn't want to be within range of the S**t that's going to hit the fan...:kilroy:

Rob

[n4gix]

This used to be a fairly regular practice at KGYY up until about a year ago. Once a month for years kids in the Young Eagles program would receive a tour of the tower, and at some point those who were interested could "have a turn at the mic."

The chief differences being that KGYY is -despite the grandiose name "Gary-Chicago International"- a very small field with zero commercial traffic, and that the tower is staffed with "contract controllers" who of course are FAA trained and certified, but are employed by KGYY, not the FAA.

Similarly, groups of Boy Scouts would also receive tours of the tower and be treated to a similar experience. The tower staff were always very receptive to "drop in visitors," often inviting GA pilots to taxi up the access road and park their aircraft in the parking area while visiting!

Sadly, directives from Homeland Security about a year ago forced an end to any of the above, and access to the tower is now permanently restricted from any visitors at all.

For over ten years I was invited to a picnic held at the base of the tower during the annual Gary Airshow, as well as the Chicago Airshow. It was a terrific experience, since it provided the best view of the a/c during ground operations, and a totally unobstructed view of the airshow held on Friday evenings during the "private show" given at the airport. Saturday's and Sunday's public shows are held above either Miller Beach for the Gary Airshow, or the Chicago shoreline in the case of the Chicago Airshow. <!--IBF.ATTACHMENT_1728533-->