Air Traffic Control - So easy a kid can do it!!

[whole diary]

[JayMac]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

US officials are investigating how a child was apparently allowed to direct planes at New York's JFK airport - one of the country's busiest.

The probe comes after an audiotape caught the boy directing several pilots preparing for take-off last month.

In one exchange, the boy is heard saying: "JetBlue 171 contact departure." The pilot responds: "Over to departure JetBlue 171, awesome job."

The boy was apparently with his father - a certified air traffic controller.

The adult is later heard saying with a laugh: "That's what you get, guys, when the kids are out of school."

In another exchange, the child says: "MS 4-0-3, contact departure," and then adds: "Adios, amigo."

The pilot responds: "Adios, amigo."

The pilots on the tape appear to be not concerned that a child is giving them instructions.

The incident happened on 17 February, when many New York pupils were on a week-long break.

The age and name of the child and the adult on the audiotape were not immediately known.

The Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement: "Pending the outcome of our investigation, the employees involved in this incident are not controlling air traffic.

"This behaviour is not acceptable and does not demonstrate the kind of professionalism expected from all FAA employees."

The agency did not give any further details.

The National Air Traffic Controllers Association said the incident was "not indicative of the highest professional standards that controllers set for themselves and exceed each and every day in the advancement of aviation safely".

There's an audio clip with the story on BBC News website.

OK, it's not rail related, but the story made me laugh and also concerned me at the same time.

[grahame]

Apparently the air traffic controller and his supervisor have been temporarily suspended.   And it has been suggested that the boy has taken over the air traffic role while the investigation is underway 

We may laugh - but in all seriousness things done casually like this ain't funny.

[Chris from Nailsea]

Hmm.  See also a previous topic here: http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=3165.0

[moonrakerz]

There was this one too:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aeroflot_Flight_593

[Phil]

I bet there's a few railwaymen around who read that and went rather pale at the memory of having allowed their own children into a signal-box, or other off-limits environment, at some time or another.

[John R]

I remember pulling a few levers in Southampton Central and St Denys signal boxes, and setting a route or two in Eastleigh power box whilst being shown around. Presumably guided tours of such establishments would now be frowned upon. 

[JayMac]

In the late 70's/early 80's when I was around 5-8 years old I used to accompany my uncle trainspotting at Taunton. On a couple of occasions I was lifted into the cab of a loco to toot the horn. Can't see even this being allowed today.

[Chris from Nailsea]

In 1977, when I was in Sixth Form, we did an 'industrial archaeology' course.  Our slightly eccentric teacher managed to use the various 'field trips' which this involved, to obtain entry to all sorts of interesting places, under the guise of our 'education'.

I particularly remember one trip to the lovely old wooden signal box at Ashton Gate, where we were allowed - even encouraged - to pull various levers (under instruction from the cheery signalman) to set the points and signals, for a goods train being shunted down towards the Cumberland Basin.

Those levers took some shifting, we found - and there's a technique to it!  Our sometimes ineffective teenage enthusiasm was the source of mirth to the staff, I recall!

[Chris from Nailsea]

However: on a rather more serious note - from the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

'Fake pilot' arrested moments before take-off

A Swedish pilot without a valid licence to fly has been arrested at Amsterdam as he was about to fly a jet with 101 passengers to Turkey, Dutch police say.
The 41-year-old man said he had been flying for European airlines for 13 years and had logged 10,000 hours.
Police said he once had a licence to fly small planes but it had expired and it did not allow him to fly large jets.
Reports say the man was relieved his long deception was uncovered and tore off his pilot's stripes in the cockpit.
Turkey's Corendon Airlines said he had been flying for the airline for two years and had "expertly misled the company with his false papers".
The airline said it had been alerted by police and had a pilot standing by to fly the Boeing 737 from Amsterdam's Schiphol airport to Ankara.
Dutch police were acting on a tip-off from Swedish authorities.
The man is in custody awaiting trial for forging documents and flying without a licence.