Child directs air traffic at JFK airport - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

Buzzard · 03-03-2010, 10:15 AM

http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=2636463

Wow...just wow. I'd like to hear the rest of the story behind this one.

Reminds me of the incident back in the 90's when a Russian commercial pilot decided to let his kid sit at the controls for a while. The kid somehow disabled the autopilot and all hell broke loose. The plane crashed, killing all on board.

After hearing that I thought.... only in Russia, but now this story. Crazy. Heads gotta roll for that.

Jimmy Stang · 03-03-2010, 10:30 AM

"Take your kid to work day" gone wrong...

Slava · 03-03-2010, 10:31 AM

They played some of this on Howard Stern this morning. I think its ridiculous, but the pilots didn't seem fazed at all.

Plus the parents were sitting right there, so arguably nothing could really go that wrong.

Buzzard · 03-03-2010, 10:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Slava

They played some of this on Howard Stern this morning. I think its ridiculous, but the pilots didn't seem fazed at all.

Plus the parents were sitting right there, so arguably nothing could really go that wrong.

Likely nothing could go wrong for sure, but I think there are zero tolerance rules regarding things like this now, largely the result of the crash I referred to above. Could be just for pilots though, I dunno. I know though that there were strict regulatory changes in the cockpit because of it.

MelBridgeman · 03-03-2010, 10:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Buzzard

Likely nothing could go wrong for sure, but I think there are zero tolerance rules regarding things like this now, largely the result of the crash I referred to above. Could be just for pilots though, I dunno. I know though that there were strict regulatory changes in the cockpit because of it.

Well the crash you refer to above was more then just the kid on the cockpit, it had to do with a design flaw in the airplane..The kid was just the catalyst.

Flames89 · 03-03-2010, 10:55 AM

Meh. Overblown.

The kid was probably allowed to tell some basic take-off directions to a plane to "try" it out during a slow stretch. I doubt some of the best air control experts in the states are allowing kids to randomly run around and run things.

The parent should be given a pat on the back for teaching little Timmy about life instead of telling him to shut up and watch more TV.

speede5 · 03-03-2010, 10:55 AM

This is getting blown way out of proportion. Guy should get a slap on the wrist for breaking the rules and that's it.

Table 5 · 03-03-2010, 11:11 AM

I'd like to hear more about this Russian kid pilot story.

burn_this_city · 03-03-2010, 11:15 AM

I remember sitting at the controls of a commercial jet flying to florida when I was 8 or 9. The pilots let me sit there with my hands on the stick for 5 minutes while they explained how everything worked.

Buzzard · 03-03-2010, 11:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Table 5

I'd like to hear more about this Russian kid pilot story.

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

Slava · 03-03-2010, 11:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Buzzard

Likely nothing could go wrong for sure, but I think there are zero tolerance rules regarding things like this now, largely the result of the crash I referred to above. Could be just for pilots though, I dunno. I know though that there were strict regulatory changes in the cockpit because of it.

I get the zero tolerance for sure, and if it were up to me and I were on the plane I'm not sure that I would care. The audio was just the kid saying "you're clear for take-off" and things like that. Not a big deal. I'm sure that the kid wasn't actually monitoring everything on his own and assessing whether the planes were clear for take off.

STeeLy · 03-03-2010, 11:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by burn_this_city

I remember sitting at the controls of a commercial jet flying to florida when I was 8 or 9. The pilots let me sit there with my hands on the stick for 5 minutes while they explained how everything worked.

They let me do that too when I was like 6 or 7... while the plane was still on the ground before take off and I wasn't allowed to touch anything.

burn_this_city · 03-03-2010, 11:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by STeeLy

They let me do that too when I was like 6 or 7... while the plane was still on the ground before take off and I wasn't allowed to touch anything.

We were flying and neither pilot was sitting at the controls. They were having coffee and I was sitting shotgun with 250 souls in tow..

Traditional_Ale · 03-03-2010, 11:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by burn_this_city

I remember sitting at the controls of a commercial jet flying to florida when I was 8 or 9. The pilots let me sit there with my hands on the stick for 5 minutes while they explained how everything worked.

That is the funniest thing you've ever posted.

Bigtime · 03-03-2010, 11:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Table 5

I'd like to hear more about this Russian kid pilot story.

They also did an episode on that accident on the Discovery show "Mayday".

Buzzard · 03-03-2010, 11:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MelBridgeman

Well the crash you refer to above was more then just the kid on the cockpit, it had to do with a design flaw in the airplane..The kid was just the catalyst.

Uhh... yeah, like an unlicensed kid crashing a Toyota because of a stuck gas pedal??

Buzzard · 03-03-2010, 11:34 AM

I just heard the audio clip of it. Not a big deal at all really now that I heard it.

Still....I think there's rules now. Just sayin...

Bigtime · 03-03-2010, 11:39 AM

I think this is awesome by the way. Aviation has been getting gutted with all the security measures, pilots and others miss the days when you could visit the cockpit and perhaps spark an interest in a very interesting career.

Listening to some of the ATC tape and reading the entire transcript it seems like this kid could be in a control tower eventually, and the pilots sure enjoyed the new voice on the radio.

The way the media spins it you would think the kid was left alone to direct the traffic.

HotHotHeat · 03-03-2010, 11:49 AM

He wasn't controlling air traffic, he was repeating what his dad told him to say.

Bigtime · 03-03-2010, 11:54 AM

Exactly, when you listen to the audio his father is also mic'd in, and all the real important instructions (to position and hold, etc) he is relaying. His son got to do the fun easy stuff like saying "cleared for takeoff" and "contact departure".

Kind of reminds me of when I taught flying, first flight with a student I would always make them do the takeoff. The student would be hesitant and I'd just tell them to "keep it straight down the runway and pull back at 55 knots airspeed". Takeoff is easy, landing is the hard part!

This incident is just the ATC equivalent of that, and yes I understand the son was not an approved trainee etc etc, but it really wasn't that bad.