Child Air Traffic Controller Controversy

The FAA, Federal Aviation Administration, has nothing better to do these days then to fake outrage and hurt feeling towards a 48 year old Tower employee at JFK it seems.

On February 16th, Glenn Duffy allowed his 9-year old son to talk to jetlines 5 times, much to the amusement of most of those pilots/co-pilots who responded. I should point out that these were Jetliners that were ON the ground doing a simple taxi maneuver and or were in the air standing by. AT NO TIME was any jetliner or passenger in any danger. Mr. Duffy was right there with him. After all, it's not like the planes were making emergency dives to dodge E.T. or a flock of birds.

Mr. Duffy and his supervisor have both been put on leave, and today I heard on the radio driving home that they might both in fact be fired. Ridiculous.

Has the FAA not heard of the "take your daughter to work day" program? Shouldn't they be EXCITED that someone at a young age is showing interest in this field of work? Oh, that's right. They are too busy dreaming up new ways to humiliate us at the check in points full body scanners and making us take off our socks because we might be smuggling a twinkie on-board in order to bypass the $30 on board cost of a bag of peanuts.

And news flash? After talking to some pilot friends this happens more then you think. Someone simply has a bug up their butt in New York because of the runway issues with JFK right now. Fake outrage I say.

This should have been handled very differently. Admonish the controller and supervisor if you must, but they should not be fired. Take this as a chance to remind everyone of the rules, if there even ARE rules against this, and simply say "we've put new rules and procedures in place so this wont happen again. I want to assure everyone that at no time was anybody in any danger". Instead they come out all high and mighty and amek this guy the poster child of everything that is wrong with the aviation industry.

Oh, and put a bow on it by expressing the fact that kids are still interested in your shitty industry, and how much of a great thing that is.

Listen to the audio of the event below. Does anybody SOUND like they are angry, upset or otherwise not in control? I dont think so...

If you agree with me that this is much a do about nothing, reach out to hotline@oig.dot.gov and tell them NOT to fire these two workers.

Think i'm wrong? Blast me @iphlogger on Twitter.

- Scott