JFK tower allowed a kid to direct air traffic

[Spike]

Awesome story, FAA....stop trying to distract all of us from your failures. 

Story

[N Harmon]

Reprimand and move on.

[NIN]

New NCSA?

[Fifinella]

New NCSA?

[JC004]

sometimes I feel like we should do that...let the cadets handle things.  It seems like they often have a better grasp of what is going on than the people they put in charge.

[Gunner C]

After multiple fatalities in the New York area due to ATC errors and the sensitivity of the airspace?  Really?  What a blisterhead!  Hang in the public square and move on.

[Daniel]

I feel this whole thing is 'overrated' for a number of reasons. The kid wasn't directing anything, he was being told what to say.
Yes, he probably shouldn't have been doing it and the controller letting him should be at some fault but in reality,  the pilots seemed amused and no one was harmed. He wasn't in the cockpit or anything.

[N Harmon]

sometimes I feel like we should do that...let the cadets handle things.  It seems like they often have a better grasp of what is going on than the people they put in charge.

Michigan Wing has Operation Wolverine, which is an annual SAREX that is cadet run. Every position, from IC to Ground Team Leader with the exception of aircrews, is filled by cadets with senior members supervising.

[FW]

New NCSA?

Back in the 60's, we had "FAAOC" held at the FAA academy in Oklahoma City.    Great way for the cadets to "direct traffic" at Tinker.  No losses, BTW...

[DC]

I feel this whole thing is 'overrated' for a number of reasons. The kid wasn't directing anything, he was being told what to say.
Yes, he probably shouldn't have been doing it and the controller letting him should be at some fault but in reality,  the pilots seemed amused and no one was harmed. He wasn't in the cockpit or anything.

No, but IMHO at a super-busy airport like JFK even having the kid in the tower could have served as a distraction to the controller. They need to focus on not killing a couple hundred people by causing two 747s to collide, not watching little Johnny that dad decided to bring to work.

[Spike]

^ Well, CAP used to get tours of the tower before 9/11 and anywhere from 12 to 25 Cadets would walk in at any one time.  The controllers would even turn away from the screens to talk to Cadets. 

Honestly, that was one of the coolest things I had ever seen at that point in my life.  I was visiting my Cousin (who was in CAP) when I was 10 and I got to go along with his CAP Squadron on the tour.  Super neat stuff for a ten year old. 

I can understand if the FAA tells the guy "don't do that", but if he gets fired, that is a bad move on their part. 

[Flying Pig]

Im sure the kid was in a training head set where the real controller could have spoken at any time.  Really , about all the kid was doing was telling them "switch to departure.  "  Still not a solid idea.  Spank the cheeks and move on.

[Captain Morgan]

Our local tower tours (in KY!) were suspended for 90 days because of this incident.

[isuhawkeye]

Not that anyone cares, but here are my thoughts on the subject
http://isuhawkeye.typepad.com/flight/