(March 3) -- At New York's JFK airport, directing planes is mere child's play. At least, that's what some air traffic controllers must have been thinking when they allegedly allowed a child to give instructions to pilots from the control tower.
A Boston news station uncovered an audio clip of what is clearly a child's voice giving the all-clear to pilots as they take off and land commercial airplanes on some of the country's busiest runways.
"Jet Blue 171, cleared for takeoff!" the child can be heard telling one pilot.
The boy seems to have made at least five transmissions from the control tower. Adults can be heard on the tape as well, laughing with the under-aged air controller in their midst.
A pilot tells the youngster he's doing an "awesome job." From the air control tower, a male voice suggests a snow day may be to blame. "That's what you get, guys, when the kids are out of school," he says, sounding bemused.
The Federal Aviation Administration, which requires air traffic controllers to be licensed, is investigating and says it's not sure when the youngster was in the tower.
"Pending the outcome of our investigation, the employees involved in this incident are not controlling air traffic," the FAA said in a statement to the New York Daily News. "This behavior is not acceptable and does not demonstrate the kind of professionalism expected from all FAA employees."
The air traffic controllers union told the News that what happened in the tower "is not indicative of the highest professional standards that controllers set for themselves and exceed each and every day in the advancement of aviation safety."
Jim Baker, a retired Delta pilot, told Fox News Boston that "I have never ever heard a small kid in the tower giving instructions for an airplane to take off or cross a runway or any kind of instructions."
John Del Signore of The Gothamist blog wasn't laughing either. "That's almost as funny as the time the air traffic controller was joshing around about barbecuing a cat moments before that fatal plane/helicopter collision over the Hudson," he wrote Wednesday morning.
[url]http://www.aolnews.com/nation/article/tape-reveals-child-directing-air-traffic-at-jfk-airport/19381218?icid=main|aim|dl1|link3|http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aolnews.com%2Fnation%2Farticle%2Ftape-reveals-child-directing-air-traffic-at-jfk-airport%2F19381218[/url]
Really? Come on now- He just wanted to have fun.
Aint fun when a pilot doesn't get the information he needs and crashes.
All I have to say is one word...
"D'AAAWWWWWWWW"
Poor pilots hearing some kiddies voice screeching down the coms.
Hey, [B]FAGGOTS,[/B] don't bring your kids to work. Nobody wants them there.
I highly doubt the ATC controllers left the kid in there and stepped out. I'm sure they would have been right there if anything needed their attention.
This reeks of a small situation being blown out of proportion. There's nothing dangerous about handing a kid a mic to make a few basic transmissions under supervision. Maybe it's unprofessional, but let's just leave it at that.. I'm sure most pilots that frequent the area are well acquainted with the ATC controllers & could see the humor in it
No the kid wasn't unsupervised, in fact he said exactly what his father was telling him, but I guess the pilots wouldn't know that.
Kids with microphones aren't just in games anymore
It's not like he caused a disaster. He was supervised. The pilots had a laugh too.
Just read this elsewhere actually. Its all being blown out of proportion. Like the article says, he'd let his kid say a line, then he'd take over communications himself and tell the pilots all the same, related information they'd need. He didn't plop his son down in the chair and fuck off for coffee or anything - he was right there.
I would sum this up as professional unprofessionalism.
[QUOTE=kellybear;20537654]Kids with microphones aren't just in games anymore[/QUOTE]
I am never flying ever again. :psyduck:
[QUOTE=Fariun;20536812]Really? Come on now- He just wanted to have fun.[/QUOTE]
Oh that makes it all better then.
Don't mind the plane parking inside your house, a kid just wanted to have fun.
What's funny is that the kid said adios and amigos to some plane that was from like Mexico Air or whatever (forgot the name, had Mexico in it)
I wish I had gotten to do that when I was younger..
It would be funny if the kid would say something else to make the plane crash.
:regd08:
As long as he was supervised I see no problem. It's educational for the kid. It could even give the kid an interest in aviation and that's not a bad thing.
My Dad was an Air Traffic Controller and I used to go in for the midnight shift with him when I was younger. I got to hang out and watch over the whole airport. Got to look out the binoculars, got to cruse the airport through their secret doors etc...
Never though did I talk to any of the planes. Some things were just off limits..
I see nothing wrong as long as the ATCs we're right behind the kid telling him what to say.
[QUOTE=KaIibos;20537113]Hey, [B]FAGGOTS,[/B] don't bring your kids to work. Nobody wants them there.[/QUOTE]
Hey, don't insult bikers like that.
Kid was told exactly what to say, big deal FAA.
[QUOTE=kellybear;20537654]Kids with microphones aren't just in games anymore[/QUOTE]
LAND FASTER YOU FAGGOT WHY DO YOU FLY THE PLANE LIKE A FAGGOT GET OFF THE FUCKING CHAT YOU PILOT FAGGoT YOU GOT PONED
My reaction of I was the pilot: "OH GOD WHERE'S THE MUTE BUTTON??? :f5:"
[QUOTE=Metanoia;20537175]I highly doubt the ATC controllers left the kid in there and stepped out. I'm sure they would have been right there if anything needed their attention.
This reeks of a small situation being blown out of proportion. There's nothing dangerous about handing a kid a mic to make a few basic transmissions under supervision. Maybe it's unprofessional, but let's just leave it at that.. I'm sure most pilots that frequent the area are well acquainted with the ATC controllers & could see the humor in it[/QUOTE]
To be honest, it isn't getting blown out of proportion. The operator isn't paying fully attention, instead he is telling his kid to say different commands and all that. The operations tower/flight control isn't a play for kids to be fucking around or for the employees to be fucking around. Anyone with common sense would have known doing this would get them in trouble, anyone lacking this type of common sense shouldn't be in a control tower. Sure bring the kid up and have him hangout, but don't let him play on the microphone.
[IMG]http://i48.tinypic.com/2jd5obd.jpg[/IMG]
[I]Holy shit everybody's going to die![/I]
I was playing some Flight Sim or other online, and this kid landed and became an Air Traffic Controller, he did pretty good.
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxTM_4o67WM&feature=sub[/media]
[editline]04:18PM[/editline]
I don't see anything the matter with this, the child's dad was obviously by his side; telling him what to do and say.
This is another one of those situations where the lawyers and boring people are really blowing everything out of proportion.
I still think this is hilarious
I don't see the problem here. The kid's dad was probably right next to him telling him what to say. I hate seeing things like this getting blown way out of proportion. I hope the air traffic controller gets to keep his job.
Air traffic control is serious fucking business. This shouldn't be done.
[QUOTE=bravehat;20536987]Aint fun when a pilot doesn't get the information he needs and crashes.[/QUOTE]
I've heard the original ATC recording and read the ATC transcript, the kid does nothing more than basic clearences. Cleared takeoff/departure etc. Everything important, such as lineup and waits (or "positions" as the FAA likes to call it) was handled by the ATCO.
As far as I see it - good for him!
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