American Airlines Virtual

Most of you probably saw this on the news, but in case you didn't:

http://liveshots.blogs.foxnews.com/2010 ... r-takeoff/

I can't believe they're blowing this out of proportion the way they are...well, maybe I can. I don't think it's that big of a deal though. I wish more parents would involve their kids in what they do every day. Not everyone has that privilege. I'd be willing to bet that kid gets totally hooked on VATSIM.

Norberto Rivera wrote:Most of you probably saw this on the news, but in case you didn't:

http://liveshots.blogs.foxnews.com/2010 ... r-takeoff/

I can't believe they're blowing this out of proportion the way they are...well, maybe I can. I don't think it's that big of a deal though. I wish more parents would involve their kids in what they do every day. Not everyone has that privilege. I'd be willing to bet that kid gets totally hooked on VATSIM.

yep, this will blown way out of proportion. However, I think it is important that the tower should remain a secure area. No exceptions for family. I like the idea of bringing children to work but some jobs are not suitable for all access. However, some access could be done in a "tour" mode on specified days. For example, you could tour the firestation but not go out to a fire. You can tour the tower but you can't give instructions to pilots. I am sure all was done safely during a slow period but it is a slippery slope when to bring people into a control tower and who should be allowed in.

I'm well aware of it and frankly I still don't have a problem with it. The kid wasn't giving clearances, he was telling them when to switch to the departure frequency, big deal. Should they be reprimanded? Probably. Should they be fired? Heck no! It was a policy violation that IMHO didn't constitute gross negligence that put anyone's life or safety in danger. It's definitely been blown out of proportion by the media.

Probably. I also for one do not have an issue with what happened. The father was right there ready to take over if needed and the only thing the children were saying was to switch to a different channel. Not much can go wrong with that. I understand suspending them, but I think termination is way out of line in this situation. Nobody's safety was jepordized at anytime.