Air traffic controllers disciplined after allowing child to talk to pilots

[Jenna]

A supervisor and an air traffic controller at New York's John F. Kennedy Airport are on administrative leave after one apparently brought his young child to work and the child communicated with planes on an air traffic control frequency, the Federal Aviation Administration said Wednesday.

More here: FAA: Child in air traffic tower talking to pilots 'not acceptable' - CNN.com

[NC Bullseye]

Heard the tapes, and I see no where was there any threat to safety. It was obvious that the father was right there telling the kid what to say. It was all ground control not air traffic. Smart maybe not, but what a deal for the kid.

I've dealt with ATC personnel that made that kid sound like a 20 year veteran controller.

One of my favorite memories was getting to go into a restricted area around B52s that were on the ready line when I was 5. When your little those things are huge.

[sgtbear111]

Those "supervisors" who sanctioned these contollers forgot what 'fun' is, Their kids will probably grow up to become ACLU lawyers or politicians.

My dad was an airline pilot, Going to to "the airport" on an errand day is one of my best memoires of time with my dad. I got to look at the teletypes, flight dispatch, go up into the control tower, the weather office, the hangar floor amd look thru the planes in the hangar. Back then they were Boeing 377 Stratocurisers and DC-7C. Another airiline was in the neighboring hangar, One day, the guys turning wrenches over there invited us over for lunch in their canteen/cafeteria and a tour of their big triple tail Lockheed Super Constellations. There was a sense of "'family" at Sea-Tac back then.

I remember (thru the eyes of a 5-7 year old) the Seattle PD officers patrollling my neighborhood. They would stop, get out of the car, and tallk to us kids. Some had brown-bag lunches, and occasionally took their lunch breaks on our dead-end street. Some were the fathers of my grade school classmates.

When I was considering what to do with my life, the airport trips and the police officer experiences were an important factor.

The airlines used to be a proud and efficient industry, and a haopy place to work. The police agency I worked for is no longer a nice place, or friendly place to work. The governmment, political correctness, and risk management has ruined all that. People are carrying huge chips on their shoulders, waiting for the lawsuit money when someone knocks that chip off.

The kids on the air with the controllers and pilots was out of our past. It points out what we are missing as a society. Today belongs to the people who do not smile, petty people and their dreary 'process', the negative pre-dispositoin, and what's in it for me.....

[MacLean]

Reps for this ^

[lewisipso]

I take my kids on rides around the block in my patrol car. I let my grandchild play with the steering wheel and lights. I don't take them on patrol and they are not in the back seat when I'm dealing with a suspect. A person has to know what you can and can't do.
I think I'll let my kid put me in service on the radio next time.

[NC Bullseye]

I take my kids on rides around the block in my patrol car. I let my grandchild play with the steering wheel and lights. I don't take them on patrol and they are not in the back seat when I'm dealing with a suspect. A person has to know what you can and can't do.
I think I'll let my kid put me in service on the radio next time.

Now THAT would be rich.

Better yet how about out of service.

"Daddys too wasted to find the unit so he told me to come out here where he parked the car in the ditch with the pretty lights on and say 10-42 in the microphone."