After news broke yesterday that an air traffic controller at JFK airport let his young son clear planes for takeoff five times on February 16th, it emerged that the father did it again the next day with the boy's twin sister. The controller, Glenn Duffy, 48, of Stony Brook, Long Island, has been suspended, along with one supervisor; they'll both draw full salaries during the investigation. The Post has audio of the girl clearing planes for take off—she sounds even cuter than her brother, and a pilot can be heard telling her "nicely done, see you later." Now, these shenanigans may seem reckless to the layman, but professional pilots insist it was all completely harmless.
"I can assure you that at no time was the safety of the public compromised," retired airline pilot Ross (Rusty) Aimer tells the Daily News. "This was really a non-event. It's almost like putting your child in your lap in an empty parking lot for the first time and letting him hold onto the wheel. The air-traffic controller was in command the whole time." As captive passengers in the back seat of this theoretical "car," we're not so reassured.
FAA honcho Randy Babbitt says, "This lapse in judgment not only violated FAA's own policies, but common sense standards for professional conduct. These kinds of distractions are totally unacceptable." In the wake of the incidents, the FAA has temporarily suspended "all unofficial visits to FAA air-traffic control operational areas, such as towers and radar rooms." And the Times, looking ahead to next month's "Take Your Child to Work Day," warns readers about other professions that might not be so kid-friendly. (Nothing about blogging in here, so brace for a Gothamist cuuute overload on April 22nd!)
