[OT] - Air Traffic Controllers at JFK 'kidding' around!

[Camstal]

I heard about this story on Sunrise this morning and thought..."Why would you get your son to direct traffic for one of the most congested airports in the world." There is so many risks involved and an incident occurred (i.e 2 planes collide) how much trouble the employees would get into. More info about this 'kidding' around can be found here.

The child may think it is cool but its not just a game of Aeroplanes,
Camstal

[Captain Terror]

I saw a short story on it and from what I can tell, it's the media making mountains out of a molehill again. The kid was told what to say, it's not like he was controlling traffic. He was just relaying a simple message.

Also, as a pilot myself, if I heard a 13 year old telling me i was clear to takeoff, I would seriously question what was happening.

Damn Media.

[Camstal]

I do see that he was told what to say but I still don't think children should be making communications to Airliners from ATC.

Camstal

[stringy]

I don't think it is funny but the pilots did

[PesceVerde]

I heard the story. To me it's just scary!

A TV episode of Air Crash Investigation a while ago explained how a Russian (from memory) air liner crashed because the apparently experienced pilot thought it would be fun to let a small boy at the cockpit controls. His playing gradually confused the sophisticated autopilot and caused the death of hundreds of people.

[Camstal]

Yes, Aeroflot Flight 593.

Some people may think that letting a kid make transmssions to an airliner from ATC or letting a child sit in the captain's seat mid-flight is nothing but the fact is if an accident had occurred, a lot of people would have been jailed.

Thanks,
Camstal

[Captain Terror]

And at Heathrow Airport!? I think it's in the top 10 areas for densest air traffic. This kiddie-in-the-tower business is just not on.

[CraigRat]

And at Heathrow Airport!? I think it's in the top 10 areas for densest air traffic. This kiddie-in-the-tower business is just not on.

It was in the U.S

I've got a lesson this monrning, lets see if the tower operator is at least high school age

[Captain Terror]

And at Heathrow Airport!? I think it's in the top 10 areas for densest air traffic. This kiddie-in-the-tower business is just not on.

It was in the U.S

I've got a lesson this monrning, lets see if the tower operator is at least high school age

Just shows how useless the media is. I definitely heard it was at Heathrow on the news.