When it comes to bringing children into the office, some organizations actually encourage a more hands-on experience for the kids. Unfortunately for one gentleman, the Federal Aviation Administration isn’t one of them.
On two separate occasions at New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport last month, an air traffic controller allegedly brought his young children into the control tower — and let them direct pilots on an air traffic control frequency.
To hear the actual transmissions, play the video here.
While the children probably thought they had the coolest dad in the world, the FAA weren’t amused.
The agency placed the controller and his supervisor on paid administrative leave while it investigates the incident, and FAA administrator Randy Rabbitt said in a statement, “This lapse in judgment not only violated FAA’s own policies but common sense standards for professional conduct.”
However, Dave Pascoe, the owner of the Web site www.liveatc.net, the site where the air traffic communications were posted, said the entire incident has been “blown out of proportion,” and added that there was “absolutely no security threat” because of the incident.
What do you think? Did the controller and his supervisor cross the line or is the FAA overreacting? Let us know in the Comments section.
