Squeaker directing air traffic at JFK

[Golfer]

What's the big deal? Under close supervision the Forth Worth ARTCC will let you talk on center and approach frequencies. As expected, you go through some ground school and rehearsal before ever keying the mike.

I've never seen or heard of folks as part of a tour getting time behind a radar scope.  All the ATC trainees out there are bad enough I can't imagine many Sup's allowing Joe Schmoe to come in and work traffic nor many controllers wanting the responsibility.

[greens]

Sorry for bringing STEALTH to the airport guys, I'll never do it again. 

[Wolfala]

LiveATC is a double edged sword. More exposure to the profession, as well as more scrutiny by no nothing public. Previously it wouldve taken a foia request to get those tapes. Wonder who's the editorial bellybutton clown who thought it'd be a great story instead of a feel good human interest story about inspiring yr kids to be something.

[Ruler2]

I agree, there's nothing wrong with this, the kid wasn't trying to screw anything up, and he DID have someone that does this every day telling him what to do.

I was on a C-17 flyin to AK one time, and there was this IDIOT fat kid that started talking to the tower thinking he was on the hot mic! He coulda got some people in BIG trouble, he was just talking nonsense!
It was pretty funny though, they just "asked" him to get out of the cockpit and not come back,lol

[RTHolmes]

nothing wrong with this at all, its just bending the rules a bit. I mean its not like lives are at stake, no one ever died in a taxiing aircraft right? reminds me of that aeroflot flight where a 15yr old kid was left at the controls and stuffed a A310 into a hillside, its just a bit of fun.

[Chalenge]

I find myself agreeing with Golfer on this but in todays world of 'oh gawd this flu is going to kill us all!' (nope just a regular flu) people will have their pound of flesh.

[Golfer]

nothing wrong with this at all, its just bending the rules a bit. I mean its not like lives are at stake, no one ever died in a taxiing aircraft right? reminds me of that aeroflot flight where a 15yr old kid was left at the controls and stuffed a A310 into a hillside, its just a bit of fun.

The worst air disaster in history involved two airplanes on the ground with two professional crews and tower controller.

That notwithstanding we as a country are a bunch of wussies with a capital P anymore.  This should have been nothing more than a feel good human interest story about a kid enjoying a snow day with his father getting an opportunity to do something neat.  Now they're calling for congressional hearings.  WTF?

[1pLUs44]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4s2irdJpEk

Oh my lord, one of those pilots said a sentence faster than I could say 2 words.  

[68Wooley]

...in those days you had to have a licens to be able to communicate with the tower...

You still do.

[Denholm]

I've never seen or heard of folks as part of a tour getting time behind a radar scope.  All the ATC trainees out there are bad enough I can't imagine many Sup's allowing Joe Schmoe to come in and work traffic nor many controllers wanting the responsibility.

It's not as much a tour as it is a planned event.

[RTHolmes]

The worst air disaster in history involved two airplanes on the ground with two professional crews and tower controller.

sry I forgot the </sarcasm> tag. the russian kid was also "enjoying a ... day with his father getting an opportunity to do something neat", 75 people died as a result.

its cool for the kid sure, but he has no conception of the high stakes involved. my problem with it is that the ATCs involved plainly dont take their job seriously.

[Golfer]

sry I forgot the </sarcasm> tag. the russian kid was also "enjoying a ... day with his father getting an opportunity to do something neat", 75 people died as a result.

its cool for the kid sure, but he has no conception of the high stakes involved. my problem with it is that the ATCs involved plainly dont take their job seriously.

As usual one thing alone does not cause an accident.  A series of events or chain leads to an accidents and the Aeroflot accident is no different.  Simply having a 15 year old boy in that aircraft did not put it into the dirt.


I had a line service girl come into the airplane the other day while getting ready for departure.  She dropped off the catering and stopped for a moment to chat.  She asked if she could push any buttons not seeming to expect a yes in reply.  I said sure as it would be a big help so I talked her through which buttons on the FMS to press as she input the routing that would take us across the country.  She had a big smile, had fun and did just fine without killing anyone.  Does this mean I don't take my job seriously?  Hardly.

The JFK controller put the departing aircraft into position and hold giving them the weather and runway assignment.  All the kid did was say "Go."  He didn't give taxi instructions, he did not give landing clearances, he did not actually do anything thats different than pushing a button that says Go.

This event is not a big deal.  The kid actually did better than some of the ATC trainees out there who have been through training and are in the process of being checked out in their positions.  It's a tragedy that something that did not endanger one soul is turned into a potential career ending BS event because of the uneducated masses and our ever brilliant media/political leaders.  Absolutely asinine.

[Wingnutt]

I thought it was adorable and you can tell the pilots really enjoyed it as well.  0 risk, 0 possibility of it causing a problem, as stated he was only handeling departures and was clearly being closely watched and coached.


some people need to get a life, there is plenty of things going on these days to get all rile up and pissed about, a cute kid and his farther having a moment and some fun is not one of them.

[oakranger]

LOL, good for that kid for doing that.  Dam government over reactive over something that i am sure JFK had upper management next to him and tell him what to say.

[USRanger]

This country is running out of controversies is all.  Gotta work with what they can find.