Here’s the audio of the air traffic controller at JFK allegedly letting his kid do his job:

Grant Brissey covered everything from hard news and technology, to music, film, and visual arts during his time working for The Stranger. Grant's work has also appeared at Geekwire, and in Billboard,...

22 replies on “Take Your Kid to Work Day: The JFK Air Traffic Control Edition!”

  1. I listened all the way through – clear, concise, right tone, good use of “adios” and “dude” – no problem here. Not like he was handed a scalpel in surgery or anything….

  2. IA with 1. The dad is handling all the technical jargon and such. The pilots think it’s cute/funny that the kid is clearing them for takeoff. It’s not like the dad is letting the kid analyze data and make informed decisions about which planes should be cleared for take off and landing or doling out wind… mathematics.
    I’m so sick of people freaking out over nothing.
    Sick and tired of it, I tells ya!

  4. I don’t see what the big deal is either. But I’m sure Fnarf will be along any minute now to tell us what assholes we all are.

  6. That’s a cute goddamned tape. I get why that’s not supposed to happen, but it’s not like the kid could have done any damage. That’s the equivalent of a pilot letting a kid in the cockpit (which probably doesn’t happen anymore, but still)

  8. I don’t see what happened as a big deal. EXCEPT, there really shouldn’t be a kid in the ATC room. Those guys are under a high pressure situation and don’t need any distractions.

  9. agreed. i’m glad i’m not the only who’s bewildered about the scandal — he’s supervised, probably just repeating what his dad is telling him, and is doing a fine job. WTF.

  11. Also, this can’t be something to freak out over because the more I listen to it, the cuter it gets. That chirpy little, ‘Good day, dudes’ gets me every time. Delta 216’s response sounds like a grandpa humoring his grandkid. Cute! Cute! Cute!

  13. ARe you people insane? a child in a control tower to me means daddy’s attention is split. the fact that daddy didnt think that this could be a problem, also an issue.

    lets say I am a nurse and I am passing meds with my son. should i let him read your name band out loud to me or the chart to make sure I have the right patient? after all, I am standing right there. will my patients be perticularly comforted by my presence, or would they prefer I am doing my job unencombered by a child to distract me? After all, I didnt kill anyone, no one died and it was cute, my kid in her little pretend nurses cap.

    Children do not belong in the workplace. be that making coffee, landing or departing planes, in a hospital or sitting in a cubical. do not belong in the workplace. period

  15. I can see an issue with the father being distracted having his kid there but a simple write-up or some such warning would suffice. We hardly need CNN making it out like its the end of the world for a fleet of planes sitting on the tarmac waiting to be told they can move.

  16. Those of you commenting against this are commenting out of ignorance. Yes, being an air-traffic controller requires a great degree of focus… but if you think that that means it requires a silent environment without any movement or distraction, you’re wrong. Controllers work in teams all the time. That a member of the team was a kid this time is really meaningless in that all he was doing is parrotting his dad.

    First of all, he was issuing clearance for departure… not coordinating ground control or approach where there’re lots of numbers and letters to mis-state that could get something snarled. Secondly, he wasn’t actually controlling the aircraft… he was repeating what his dad told him to say. Finally… the dad was jacked-into the radio, and could’ve countermanded the orders of his son at any moment to prevent a problem.

    This is adorable, and the video made me smile. Those pilots clearly got a kick out of it, too. I doubt it if any of them were left feeling like the situation was out of control.

  17. My Dad drove cab He owned it, a beauty of a Chrylser. . I rode with him often, and when he checked in all the other guys were friendly, and many learned my name.

    He is long dead, but, I savor these years like no other.

    A couple of minutes on the air carefully watched is NO big deal. And if there is push, a simple don’t do that again will suffice.

    And to the nurse, have the kid bring a fresh pitcher of water …. duh, no meds.

  19. ZOMG!!1 A KID CONTROLING AIRPLANES THATS TERRABLE THERE COUD HAVE BEN A TERRABLE CRASH THAT KIDS DAD SHUOLD BE FIRRED!!!!1

  20. It gets better–the next day, he brought his *other* kid to work and let him direct traffic, too. I think the guy is going to get to “spend more time with his family,” as will whatever supervisor that let this go on.

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