Kid in the Tower: big deal

[Leatherneck]

The talking heads and opportunists are playing this like a big, dangerous abomination.

I, as a pilot with almost 50 years flying in the US and other airspace, say "No big deal."

The ATC Dad clearly was coaching the kid in real time, and the pilots clearly knew it was a kid.

Why the flap?

Professional? No
Safe? Yes
Enjoyable? You bet

TC

[bedlamite]

[Stickjockey]

Uh, link please?

Headline?

Summary?

Anything?

[Hawkmoon]

Here: http://my.att.net/s/editorial.dll?bfromind=7814&eeid=7154716&_sitecat=1522&dcatid=0&eetype=article&render=y&ac=2&ck=&ch=ne

[French G.]

No different than all the zero tolerance swill from school admins. Could have been an experience the kid would have remembered for a lifetime, great careers in aviation have been fostered by less. Now he will just remember the sheer brutality of the machine and how what made him happy was what got daddy fired. That will leave a lasting impression.

[BobR]

I totally agree with you leatherneck. At worst it was a monumental lapse of common sense and professionalism. It isn't like they left the kid there alone and went out for a cigarette.

Must have been a slow news day.

bob

[grampster]

Did the dad get fired?  I couldn't believe the outrage by the talking heads.  I thought it was cool myself.

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

its everywhere. i caught hell for riding a kid in my lap on a tractor. it was funny in a tragic way. i was grading the president of the foundations driveway went back and forth in front of his house all afternoon with a 2 year old asleep in my lap.  she could sleep on a zero turn mower too

[Boomhauer]

its everywhere. i caught hell for riding a kid in my lap on a tractor. it was funny in a tragic way. i was grading the president of the foundations driveway went back and forth in front of his house all afternoon with a 2 year old asleep in my lap.  she could sleep on a zero turn mower too

You got in trouble for that? They would have had a a heart attack if they saw my childhood. I was operating tractors before I was 12. When I was real young, I also used to ride on the tractors and heavy equipment with my father. I was driving a pickup soon as I could reach the pedals. Until I got to the 4th grade or so, I though a normal childhood included doing stuff like that. Hell, my friends all did much the same thing with their fathers. And we're not talking about back in "the day", this wasn't but a decade or so ago.


'

[zahc]

Tower situation reminds me of when I was a kid and my dad would take me over-the-road trucking and let me talk to the dispatchers on the CB. That was very cool.

[red headed stranger]

The recordings are great.  The Pilots obviously knew what was going on and most of them appeared to get a kick out of it.  

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

You got in trouble for that? They would have had a a heart attack if they saw my childhood. I was operating tractors before I was 12. When I was real young, I also used to ride on the tractors and heavy equipment with my father. I was driving a pickup soon as I could reach the pedals. Until I got to the 4th grade or so, I though a normal childhood included doing stuff like that. Hell, my friends all did much the same thing with their fathers. And we're not talking about back in "the day", this wasn't but a decade or so ago.


'

my oldest has gone with me since she was 2  she only scared me once. i went on a roof to caulk a leaky boot on a vent pipe  hada set a ladder on the porch roof to get to it  3 story house. i was up there a minute or 2 when i heard" i need to go potty"  she had followed me. now i take em both i gave the now 8 year old my cell phone said "if daddy falls off the roof call 911 right away"  she said ok and went back to her ds. i hope if i fall shes not trying for high score

[MechAg94]

I thought this was over blown myself.  The Dad was right there.  If the kid gave the wrong instructions, the Dad would have corrected it.  If a situation arose, I am sure the Dad would have taken over. 

Everyone loves to talk about taking your kids to work when that "Take Your Daughter to Work Day" comes  around, but I guess they didn't actually mean for the kid to actually do or learn anything.

[Jamisjockey]

I'm not a big fan of this situation.  Big question is, did the supervisor approve it and was he/she present in the tower?  If it wasn't approved by the supervisor, then the controller should face punitive action.  If it was approved by the supervisor, then the supervisor should face punitive action.  But what do I know... 

[HankB]

I'm not a big fan of this situation.

Neither am I . . . if the kid was announcing the blue light special at K-Mart, paging people in a supermarket, or something else of the sort, it would be a total non-issue. But having a 10-year-old kid as a distraction in the control tower of one of the busiest airports in the world doesn't strike me as being a good idea on any level.

[Jamisjockey]

Neither am I . . . if the kid was announcing the blue light special at K-Mart, paging people in a supermarket, or something else of the sort, it would be a total non-issue. But having a 10-year-old kid as a distraction in the control tower of one of the busiest airports in the world doesn't strike me as being a good idea on any level.

Ding ding ding!

Winner winner!  And the cute kids making cute transmissions is a distraction to both the aircrews and controllers. 
Interestingly enough, NATCA (Controllers union) pretty much backed the FAA (at least publicly).