VATSIM's Jacksonville ARTCC
General Discussion - Child Controilling Traffic at JFK
David Maggipinto 935213 - Mar 03, 2010 - 01:50 PM
Post subject: Child Controilling Traffic at JFK
Saw this story on the local news. Unbelievable. The kid is actually quite good. I am sure the kids father who is a controller will lose his job now.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100303/ap_on_re_us/us_child_air_traffic
Daniel Hawton 876594 - Mar 03, 2010 - 02:41 PM
Post subject: RE: Child Controilling Traffic at JFK
He most likely already had his pink card pulled.
Greg Sumner 883451 - Mar 03, 2010 - 03:13 PM
Post subject: RE: Child Controilling Traffic at JFK
And you thought VATSIM had some jokers on it.........
Edward Boyd 1050235 - Mar 03, 2010 - 06:06 PM
Post subject: RE: Child Controilling Traffic at JFK
I dont see the problem? If the controller was supervising and he was on frequency as well as the kid, then the situation is fine...
Im pretty sure the ATM is in trouble as well... Watch your back greg! I might get my girlfriend to speak on frequency 
Thoughts?
Robert Burkhead 810310 - Mar 03, 2010 - 06:22 PM
Post subject: RE: Child Controilling Traffic at JFK
I visited a friend of VATSIM at (name of airport redacted to protect the somewhat innocent) up in the tower cab. He let me clear a few for take-off and landing. No big thing (well, it was for me). The whole cab staff was there to quickly clean things up if I screwed the pooch. I'm sure I'm on an FAA tape in the dusty recesses of a warehouse somewhere. It was a class C airport, though... not something as busy as JFK.
Dave Stankiewicz 986738 - Mar 03, 2010 - 07:28 PM
Post subject: RE: Child Controilling Traffic at JFK
I find that pretty amusing. It would have made my day if i was one of the pilots. I like how they quote the "Adios amigos" and made a big deal of the non-FAA terminology. I'd have to get a calculator out to count how many times i've heard non-FAA terms over the freq. They obviously didn't seem to care when BAW002 left JFK for the last time and had numerous non-FAA conversations over the radio on the way out.
And i highly doubt the controller put the kid on and then went to get coffee...lol. Something tells me he was standing right behind him going "Say Jetblue 311 cleared for takeoff". The kid wasn't making separation decisions.
I can see how doing something like this is wrong....but i think they are blowing it way out of proportion.
Greg Sumner 883451 - Mar 03, 2010 - 10:23 PM
Post subject: RE: Child Controilling Traffic at JFK
Gentlemen, the phrase is political correctness....of course they are blowing it out of proportion. Just look at the entire concept of TSA. No harm was done and at no time was anyone in any danger...but you can bet their will be some jobs loss over this. At worst a few days off and a chewing out to satisfy the hawks, but I doubt it. I mean, gosh they let me control on here, and I'm the biggest kid I know. 
Note: Smile included so you don't think I am through abusing them yet.....far far from it.
Chris LaSalle 835050 - Mar 03, 2010 - 10:54 PM
Post subject: RE: Child Controilling Traffic at JFK
Sounded like Alex Vanover
Edward Boyd 1050235 - Mar 04, 2010 - 03:01 AM
Post subject: Re: RE: Child Controilling Traffic at JFK
Chris LaSalle 835050 wrote:
Sounded like Alex Vanover
HAHAHAHAHA!
Greg Sumner 883451 - Mar 04, 2010 - 01:25 PM
Post subject: RE: Re: RE: Child Controilling Traffic at JFK
Thats it, must have been his NY OTS.
Erik Baaske 1069221 - Mar 04, 2010 - 07:53 PM
Post subject: RE: Re: RE: Child Controilling Traffic at JFK
Couldn't have been Alex; this kid was too focused. Alex would have had his YouTube and Skype running in the background at the same time...
Stephen Faison 920525 - Mar 10, 2010 - 12:02 AM
Post subject: RE: Re: RE: Child Controilling Traffic at JFK
Well, thanks to this event and the FAA stepping up their security because of it, my trip to JAX Tower this morning got canceled. It had been planned ahead for 2-3 months and was with a class of about 15 people at my CTI school. Not to mention, my instructor is even a retired JAX Center controller, but they still canceled it 
Greg Sumner 883451 - Mar 10, 2010 - 12:06 AM
Post subject: RE: Re: RE: Child Controilling Traffic at JFK
That blows, this is another example of something very minor getting blown completely out of proportion by those that have no clue what reality is. Sorry about your trip buddy.
Daniel Hawton 876594 - Mar 10, 2010 - 12:08 AM
Post subject: RE: Re: RE: Child Controilling Traffic at JFK
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4s2irdJpEk does it sound like the kid was alone on position? It's obvious from this recording the father was on frequency with the kid.
Edward Boyd 1050235 - Mar 10, 2010 - 05:56 PM
Post subject: RE: Re: RE: Child Controilling Traffic at JFK
DUMB!! I hate the FAA sometimes... "I am the FAA and I am dumb!" UuuuuggggggggggggggGGGggggGgggggGGGggggg
Daniel Hawton 876594 - Mar 10, 2010 - 10:07 PM
Post subject: RE: Re: RE: Child Controilling Traffic at JFK
It's not that the FAA is dumb... the FAA is being forced to act by the liberal media who don't understand A from B. CNBC even had the nerve of having an "expert" who claimed that since the kid was on frequency, this removed the dad from the mic completely and made it impossible for him to communicate should an emergency arise. First off, the length of time between the dad and kid's communication makes it obvious the kid was plugged in on his own headset... and if they did a little research, they'd know that the standard headset port used by the FAA has a controller and monitor set of plugs where, with a simple flip of the switch, allows the monitor to turn into an instructor port and will completely override the controller port, even mid transmission. Even if the instructor simply keys and unkeys, it cuts off the controller until the controller unkeys. Not to mention the sup's console trumps everyone's. You should be saying "I am the media, and I am ignorant!"
Edward Boyd 1050235 - Mar 11, 2010 - 02:49 AM
Post subject: RE: Re: RE: Child Controilling Traffic at JFK
So true. I completely agree!! I was thinking the same thing about the mic situation. That controller should be disciplined with a talk for 2 minutes about not doing it again and let him have his job back.
Daniel Hawton 876594 - Mar 11, 2010 - 09:57 PM
Post subject: RE: Re: RE: Child Controilling Traffic at JFK
Worst case pull his qual and make him re-train on that position. But pulling his ticket completely? Come on...