Kids in the Air Traffic Control Tower

[BubbleWright]

An air traffic controller in NY brought his son into the tower and actually had him talking to aircraft. Despite the flap about this, he brought his daughter in the next day, letting her speak with aircraft. I'm all for opening horizons for children but I think public safety and respect for other people and their property needs to be in place. Over the years I've had a number of my bubble machines broken by children who thought it was ok for them to play with them. My Renaissance Bubble Machine has been broken by kids who came up and started yanking on it. When I was a child I was taught not to touch other people's stuff without asking permission. Kids today feel entitled to do whatever without asking for permission and really get pissed if they are asked to stop what they are doing. As for the air traffic controller, would it be ok for a surgeon to bring his son in to participate in an operation, or a lawyer bring in his daughter to cross examine a witness in a trial? I think not. 

[dfloyd888]

There are places where it is OK to bring children to work.  Then there are places where hundreds if not thousands of peoples' lives are at stake.  Had that kid decided to be "silly" and change numbers, telling to pilots to do a route which results in a major mid-air collision, it would have meant a lot of deaths, and a lot of hand wringing.

There are jobs just too critical to life and limb to allow for this type of play.  If the kids want a tour of a control tower, fine.  But they have no place running the airspace of a million+ population metropolitan area.

As for punishment, this is something to leave up to supervisors and the FAA.  I wouldn't go as far as termination, but a formal reprimand would be in order, and maybe some unpaid time off.  Subsequent people who haul kids up into the tower and stick them on the mic should be terminated, though.

[KeeperoftheBar]

I think people are over reacting.  It was not an air traffic controller but rather a airport ground controller.  I am sure the father was right next to the kid telling him exactly what to say and ready to step in if the need arose.  I liken this to when I would sit on my Grandfather's lap and steer his tractor.  Come on people, calm down....