General discussion & info about South Walton, Florida.

All About SoWal

Advertise or find a business, discuss business.

Business & Services

Jobs

Festivals, classes, gatherings, activities.

Events & Music

Food & Dining

Marketplace

property, realtors, builders, development, infrastructure ...

Real Estate

Long Term Rentals

Vacation Rentals

SoWal Lounge

Minnie

Beach Fanatic

I assume since there is no link to this story, this is about the kid that was allowed to be in the control tower at JFK, :idontno:

Lynnie

SoWal Insider

That's right! No link!
 
Seat of my pants.

That&#039;s right! No link! 
 
Seat of my pants.

I was amazed at how many people thought it was no big deal, I hope Doctors in surgery do not have bring your kids to work day. :blink:

Will B

Moderator

[quote="Minnie, post: 651469"]I was amazed at how many people thought it was no big deal, I hope Doctors in surgery do not have bring your kids to work day. :blink:[/quote]

It is and it isn't.  I'm not condoning it, but, technically, the kid did not control any aircraft by telling them where do go and give them altitudes.

Still not right, though.  There's one FAA guy with his britches in a binder!

<blockquote class="xfBb-quote" data-name="Minnie">I was amazed at how many people thought it was no big deal, I hope Doctors in surgery do not have bring your kids to work day. :blink:</blockquote> 
It is and it isn&#039;t. I&#039;m not condoning it, but, technically, the kid did not control any aircraft by telling them where do go and give them altitudes. 
 
Still not right, though. There&#039;s one FAA guy with his britches in a binder!

Andy A

What the FAA controller did was in poor taste and ill advised but lets put a different slant on it.
He was standing there, in all probability, with a headset on and microphone in his hand, ready to interupt at any moment.  His son was getting the thrill of a lifetime, possibly charting the future course of his life.  I have heard the transmission by the young man.  As a former pilot with over 6000 hours, I would have chuckled, said Roger that and been on my way.  Remember, it is a pilot's perogative and duty to question any transmission which he considers inappropriate or suspect.  He has the final authority and control of an aircraft and its operation.  It was a mistake but not one that should cost someone their job or livelihood.  If the same attitude had been shown me as some show this young man, I would never have been allowed to begin flying at the age of 14 and probably would not have made it a career.  I understand where the father was coming from.  I also am thankful my father had somewhat the same attitude.

What the FAA controller did was in poor taste and ill advised but lets put a different slant on it. 
He was standing there, in all probability, with a headset on and microphone in his hand, ready to interupt at any moment. His son was getting the thrill of a lifetime, possibly charting the future course of his life. I have heard the transmission by the young man. As a former pilot with over 6000 hours, I would have chuckled, said Roger that and been on my way. Remember, it is a pilot&#039;s perogative and duty to question any transmission which he considers inappropriate or suspect. He has the final authority and control of an aircraft and its operation. It was a mistake but not one that should cost someone their job or livelihood. If the same attitude had been shown me as some show this young man, I would never have been allowed to begin flying at the age of 14 and probably would not have made it a career. I understand where the father was coming from. I also am thankful my father had somewhat the same attitude.

scooterbug44

SoWal Expert

I probably wouldn't have a problem with it IF it happened at a smaller airport. The pilots were okay with it, the kid was supervised, and I would have loved it at that age.

The sheer volume at JFK, safety issues, and the number of rules it violated is what makes me think it was a [B]very[/B] bad idea. 

For perspective, the pilots I fly with in 2-4 seat planes don't let [B]me[/B] speak to the tower at small regional airports because of concerns about confusion.

I probably wouldn&#039;t have a problem with it IF it happened at a smaller airport. The pilots were okay with it, the kid was supervised, and I would have loved it at that age. 
 
The sheer volume at JFK, safety issues, and the number of rules it violated is what makes me think it was a very bad idea. 
 
For perspective, the pilots I fly with in 2-4 seat planes don&#039;t let me speak to the tower at small regional airports because of concerns about confusion.

Just Curious

I don't have a real issue with it. It's not like the kid was in the tower by himself giving random instructions.

I don&#039;t have a real issue with it. It&#039;s not like the kid was in the tower by himself giving random instructions.

It gets better - apparently his sister got to talk to planes the next day. :bang:

Major international airport control tower as daycare during school break - not so bueno IMO.

It gets better - apparently his sister got to talk to planes the next day. :bang: 
 
Major international airport control tower as daycare during school break - not so bueno IMO.

So no one has a problem with this father teaching his son that rules and guidelines are only to be adhered to by some.

Can Y'all even begin to phathom what kind of (choice words here) allowed his child to do such a thing?
 
:confused:

Can Y&#039;all even begin to phathom what kind of (choice words here) allowed his child to do such a thing? 
 
:confused:

F A A fires the kid~~~~~~~

Grayton BeachCam

Dune Allen BeachCam

Seagrove Beach SkyCam

Inlet BeachCam

Miramar BeachCam Majestic Sun

Santa Rosa BeachCam

Walton County Fair

Queens of the Tiles: Mahjong at Ovide

Live Music @ Fish Out of Water

Cars of 30A At Alys Beach: Event Highlights & Photo Gallery

Sixth annual Run Watersound At Watersound Town Center October 24, 2026

Support Our Parks: The 2026 Friends of Camp Helen Pumpkin Patch Is Open

Annual Events and Festivals in South Walton

International Coastal Cleanup Day Was A Success In South Walton

Merchants Of Alys Beach Announce New Dining & Shopping Options

No beachcams yet

More cams

Include enough context for a reply on the first pass: who you are, what this is about, and anything time-sensitive we should know.

Write a clear note and we will route it fast

SoWal Contact Form

What helps the SoWal team reply on the first pass

Use these links when your request already has a clear destination.

Prefer a direct route before you write?

Use this when you are not sure where your request belongs and need the SoWal team to route it.

Questions, corrections, and quick help

Share newsworthy updates, corrections, community tips, or photography that can improve SoWal coverage.

Story tips, local leads, and photos

Reach the team for business visibility, partnership planning, or other commercial opportunities.

Listings, sponsorships, and business requests

Use this path for media coordination, press follow-ups, or requests that need a communications contact.

Press outreach and interview requests

Tell us what you need and how to reach you.

Send your note here and the SoWal team will route it appropriately.

Choose the quickest route for your message

Forum account areas

Log in to view member profile, alerts, messages, watched content, bookmarks, preferences, and staff tools.

Member-only forum areas use your SoWal forum account.

Use your forum username or email to post, reply, follow threads, and manage your account.

Log in to the forum

Log in to the SoWal forum

Find people and visit their public forum profiles.

Members

Enter the six-digit code sent to {email}.

Check your email

Join the conversation

Welcome to SoWal

Sign in to SoWal

Signature preview

Ads support our local stories, BeachCams, and community guides. If you use an ad blocker, allow SoWal, then check again.

Help keep SoWal local

Your feedback helps us make SoWal better.

How was this story?

Get local stories, events, and South Walton highlights in your inbox.

Stay close to the coast

Choose whether SoWal may use optional cookies. Necessary cookies keep the site working.

Your privacy, your choice

Site navigation

Submenu

Bite-sized stories, curated itineraries, and community events delivered to your inbox on the regular.

F A A fires the kid~~~~~~~

Latest conversations

Write a reply

Cars of 30A At Alys Beach: Event Highlights & Photo Gallery

Sixth annual Run Watersound At Watersound Town Center October 24, 2026

Support Our Parks: The 2026 Friends of Camp Helen Pumpkin Patch Is Open

Annual Events and Festivals in South Walton