Take Your Kid to Work Day - Going too far

[jsinger]

"The probe comes after an audiotape caught the boy directing several pilots preparing for take-off last month." [at JFK, no less!]

[news.bbc.co.uk...]

[mack]

ohhh nasty! The recordings are also on youtube.
[youtube.com...]

I can see what the parent was trying to do, and I can see his point, but i'm amazed any of the pilots took his instructions without questioning them. I suspect the pilots he spoke to must have had advanced warning.

Odds of keeping his/her job? SLIM!

Mack.

[LifeinAsia]

I wonder if the kid will add this experience to his resume...

[Readie]

This just made my day. That kid is gonna have an awesome anecdote to tell for the future.

Seriously though, what on Earth was the father thinking? A large company like this has no sense of humour when it comes to professionalism on the job - I will be amazed if he gets away with less than a legal injunction.

[kaled]

I don't see what the fuss is all about. Assuming the father was present and no mistakes were made then who cares. We are often told that air traffic control is more or less the most stressful job in the world, so anything that reduces stress without compromising safety cannot be all bad.

However, if there is fault here, it's not just the parent to blame - his supervisor must take responsibility as must the security staff for allowing the child into the control room. In the UK, the concept of a "take your child to work day" does not exist, but I assume that permission generally has to be sought.

Incidentally, prior to 911, it was not unusual to allow a child into the cockpit of a commercial aircraft and even sit in the Captain's seat. Also, teenagers frequently take control of military aircraft (under instruction) as cadets.

This may sound like a big story, but really it's a fuss about nothing.

Kaled.

[mack]

Incidentally, prior to 911, it was not unusual to allow a child into the cockpit of a commercial aircraft and even sit in the Captain's seat

I used to get cockpit tours when I was a kid, if you asked more often than not the captain would allow it. Thats something a lot of kids will miss out on, but you can see why.

Mack.

[piatkow]

In the UK, the concept of a "take your child to work day" does not exist, but I assume that permission generally has to be sought.

It does in my company. Once a year you have to be nice to the bosses brats.

[jsinger]

Hard to believe anyone but a controller would be allowed in the tower these days. Especially at a target like JFK.

Not a big deal except that the airlines are surviving financially by a thread, and gov't money. This is just one more thing that will rattle the millions of white knuckle flyers... like me.

This has become a huge story. All over TV.

[graeme_p]

Thats something a lot of kids will miss out on, but you can see why

Not entirely. One kid is not going to be able to hijack an aircraft. It might make sense if they are sealing the cockpit doors so no one can get in or out.

[graeme_p]

In the UK, the concept of a "take your child to work day" does not exist, but I assume that permission generally has to be sought.

I have known a woman to bring a new baby in for their colleagues to see. She would have been on maternity leave at the time, so HER work was not disrupted.