Video: FAA tape of child directing air traffic at JFK

Air traffic control is a deadly serious business, and there should be absolutely nothing of a distracting nature going on when just recent near misses by jet traffic swerving to miss private jets/planes show how crucial split second timing and decisions and alerts are utterly vital to the safety of all.

And I’m appalled at anyone here who actually thinks it’s “cute”, and doesn’t see anything wrong with dad/mom who are air traffic controllers taking their kids into an actively operating air traffic control room. How would you like it if, on that next flight to somewhere, the pilot took his kid into the cockpit and put the kid in the seat and let him fiddle with the actual flight panel controls during the flight? It’s the same, and the potential for dangerous consequences just as extreme.

There is a real attitude problem these days concerning what is good for kids, and what is acceptable behavior. Parents seem to want to be more like best friends, and reason with the kids and attempt to communicate at their level.

Baloney! Kids are “minors” for a reason: They’re learning what is and isn’t acceptable behavior. And along the way they especially need to learn what is dangerous behavior and how to avoid it so they don’t get hurt by just trying it out, such as putting one’s hand on a hot stovetop burner, or lighting matches, or smoking, or drinking alcohol at too young an age. When a parent and/or adult starts making exceptions, then the kids learn that maybe the parents should be making other exceptions, or they learn to question the parent’s judgment. This could actually cost them their lives if they hesitate at a crucial moment when the parents might be trying to save their lives via split second commands.

How about if the kid wanted to “play at” being a flight attendant? How about if the kid is particularly hefty and tall and strong enough to pull the handle on an emergency exit door during a flight? How would that feel, suddenly having bodies flying everywhere when the airliner goes into a nosedive?

How about if the kid decides to be like his ‘waste management’ dad/mom, and climbs into the dumpster to see what it would be like to be the trash being picked up? Just where do we draw the line on this type of insanity?

First and foremost, protect the kids and teach them that life has untold dangers for which they must learn not only how to protect themselves, but to protect other innocents as well who might get hurt as a result of thoughtless actions.

Taking a kid to work so they can observe what that job or profession entails is a great idea. But they are there strictly as observers, and the adults should be acting like adults in explaining, or perhaps demonstrating, what the job involves. But not if the job has hazards or it could put other people’s lives in jeopardy through a moment’s thoughtless or careless action.

For years I flew a lot, and I loved it. I’ve flown just about every way you can imagine: sailplanes, hot air balloons, helicopters, an old Gooney Bird plane tour of the Grand Canyon, and just about every type of commercial jet made prior to 1995. The only thing I’ve missed out on that is still a dream I hope one day to make a reality is flying in an old bi-plane with a real old fashion barn stormer type pilot.

But after listening to that audio recording I have to say that I thank God that my disability makes it impossible for me to fly commercial planes any longer. Not if the attitude of half our population seems to be that it’s okay for kids to play around in air traffic control rooms! Good grief!

/rant over

KendraWilder on March 3, 2010 at 4:05 PM

bernzright777 on March 3, 2010 at 4:14 PM

HarryStar on March 3, 2010 at 4:15 PM

Narutoboy on March 3, 2010 at 4:18 PM

You-Eh-Vee on March 3, 2010 at 4:31 PM

Okay, I stepped back, took a deep breath, and thought about it even more. And I’m going to calmly and rationally explain what some people seem to not be able to see about the inherent danger in what the kid and his father did.

In order for that child to be talking over the transmitter/radio to the pilot supposedly in on the “play acting”, the child and his father had to be in an active air traffic control room, in what one would assume to be the father’s control cubicle.

First thing wrong is that there are other controllers in the vicinity, if not directly in the next cubicles on either side of that one.

Thank you to: HarryStar on March 3, 2010 at 4:27 PM for posting that link to an actual extremely dangerous control situation that was being dealt with which is a prime example of what the adjacent controllers could have had to deal with while the “play acting” was going on. To have a kid next door trying to play act at being a controller would have been hugely distracting, an in those circumstances might have caused the controller to momentarily lose focus on what that clueless pilot was trying to do. The reason that air traffic control is such a stressful and demanding job is because the controllers must at all times be aware of what is happening with ALL air traffic within the vicinity of their purview.

The fact that there was laughter in the background says to me that other controllers who should have been paying attention to their own radar screens were distracted and watching/listening to what was going on with the play actors. That means that during those crucial moments some planes and/or jets were not being tracked with absolute focus and attention. Anything could have gone wrong in a blink of an eye, and lives could have been lost. And, in fact, if such an accident had occurred not only could there have been lives lost, but if the crafts had crashed on the ground who knows how many lives on the ground could have been lost. And the airline would have been sued for bazillions of dollars, not to mention the father going to jail for involuntary manslaughter. How would you think the child would have felt because his dad had to go to jail for just trying to show him something about his job? That kid would have been on a guilt trip for the rest of his life.

Now consider the pilot who was in radio contact with the child. I’m sure that his plane was stopped, and he had nothing demanding going on which required his attention. That could/would have been prearranged, I’m guessing. But what about all of the other pilots who were listening in to that exchange? What if they were taxiing to the runway? What if they were landing their planes? What if they were taking off?

Do any of you know what pilots must do when actively operating a flying craft? They must watch 360 degrees of space around them if at all possible. Even though there are air traffic controllers watching via radar, that doesn’t guarantee that at some split second some other aircraft wouldn’t suddenly be buffeted by wind sheer, or lose power, or have landing gear lock up, which might cause them to veer suddenly into the path of other aircraft landing or taking off or just taxiing. That’s why it’s crucial for the pilot to have absolute focus on what they’re doing at all times. To be listening in, and let’s not forget the surprise factor in hearing a child’s voice on the radio giving what sounds like orders to another pilot, talk about distracting, …. to be listening in to that exchange would cause the non-involved pilots to be looking at their co-pilots in surprise, and making casual comments about what the heck is going on. All the while the pilots and co-pilots are distracted form the task at hand which should have their complete attention and focus.

That one seemingly innocent interaction involving a dad who was showing his kid what his job involved potentially place thousands of lives in jeopardy. If I’d been a passenger on one of the planes where the pilot was distracted just as we were landing or taking off, and I found out about it, you bet I would have marched at first opportunity to the airliner’s desk to start filing a series of serious complaints, ending with FAA complaints.

That the father/air traffic controller sought permission in advance would seem to be supported by the fact that his supervisor has been suspended as well. If I were the airliner and the FAA, they’d both be canned for unnecessarily jeopardizing so many lives. People like them know every single day they’re at work just how dangerous air traffic control can be and how crucial it is that they be able to have single-minded focus on their work. I hope that the “rules” are tightened up after this incident. There is no excuse for this happening. None.

KendraWilder on March 3, 2010 at 4:59 PM