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Glenn Duffy
"The kids are upset," Larry Johnstone, who is married to Duffy's sister, told the Daily News. "They feel it's their fault ... They're thinking, 'Daddy's in trouble because of me.' The guy is the safest guy in the world. He wouldn't do anything that would hurt or put anybody in jeopardy. We all bring our kids to work. That just happens to be his profession." And Duffy's sister says it was just a "harmless mistake. He didn't do it maliciously. He just meant to bring his kids to work." Oh! Well, as long as he wasn't goofing around maliciously while responsible for the safety of hundreds of air passengers, then no big deal!
Duffy is currently suspended pending an investigation, and it's likely he'll lose his job over this. His brother-in-law says the family is now "a wreck." Outside Duffy's Stonybrook home, one neighbor told WCBS, "Poor judgment on the father's side. I just feel bad for the kids." And the kids feel bad for the father. But doesn't anyone feel bad for the passengers on those flights, who count on everyone to stay focused on their jobs and not let them die while they play with their kids, or joke about barbecuing cats?
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Jeez, John -- did a spider spook you in the shower or something? You're scared of your own shadow today.
Well, I pretty much feel sorry for myself every time I fly, and swear I'll never do it again, only to then do it again the next time I get sick of the city.
I sure as hell don't feel sorry for this guy! I do feel bad for the kids, they didn't do anything wrong. Those parents better be telling them don't worry, your idiot father got himself in trouble.
chill. I'm sure he let his kid do some boring routine call that he does 100 times a day and every pilot knows: like "turn left at heading 3.2" it wasn't like he was letting the kid land a plane.
"I'm sure he let his kid do some boring routine call that he does 100 times a day and every pilot knows: like "turn left at heading 3.2"
Pretty much. It was "flight xxx, cleared for takeoff."
He wasn't working with flights in the air; he was working local control -- directing planes leaving the gate as to which taxiways to take to which airports.
So you're exactly right. The decision to "clear" was his; he then told his kid to say the proper phrase. "Cleared for takeoff," or "Contact departure," which the kid also spoke when the controller dad was passing off control of the flight to the controller who would monitor it after takeoff.
Agreed. The dad was right there with them, telling them exactly what to say. What does it matter who actually speaks the command into the mic? It's not like the kids were actually making any kinds of decisions regarding where to direct the traffic.
Jeez, scaremongering much?
I heard the recordings of the kids directing flights. Sounded like they were as professional as the professionals (or they were reading from a script).
If the the guy is a good air traffic controller, he shouldn't be fired for this one lapse of judgement. I thought the FAA already has more than enough problems finding experienced air traffic controllers.
Hey this is the real world ok? When people do earthshatteringly stupid things, like letting your kids direct air traffic, there are consequences. The kids are sorry, the dad is sorry,it was innocent, the familys a wreck blah blah blah..
the fact is that you did something uberstupid and your gonna lose your job over it. Im sorry but thats just how shit works
All of you folks comparing it to flying a plane or operating on someone have no idea how stupid you sound. Do you really, really think there is a remote comparison between "here, son... take this scalpel and root around in my patient".
The kids weren't directing traffic. They were sitting on their father's lap and he told them to say something in to the microphone. No one's life was endangered, but holy crap did you guys fall for media FEAR FEAR FEAR like suckers. It's fucking harmless. This is the most absurd media overreaction since SARS.
i>Oh! Well, as long as he wasn't goofing around maliciously while responsible for the safety of hundreds of air passengers, then no big deal!.
Really, dude? Really?
+1
Jesus Gothamist, you could have at least did some research or hell, even put on a game of flight simulator before you insinuate that lives were in danger. Oh no, gate departures, how dangerous!
Sorry. I've got little sympathy for the guy. He deserves to get fired. The control tower is no place for cute stunts.
According to Mr. Johnstone's brilliant logic, it also would have been perfectly OK for the pilot to bring his/her children in to work and let them fly the plane, as long as it wasn't done with malicious intent and no one was injured. Should we also allow our police and firefighters to do the same?
It was a dumb thing to do, plain and simple. People lose their jobs for stuff like this because it shows an overall lack of judgment and appreciation for risk.
Speaking of children flying Daddy's airplane:
http://entertainment.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474978080733
"look! my job is so easy, even a little kid can do it."
I work in a hospital but I've never seen anyone bringing their kids into an operating room. It doesn't help when you embarrass your bosses like this either. What are they supposed to do now that you've made them look stupid?
Those kids will be fine as soon as Take Your Deadbeat Dad To Family Court Day gets here.
They should put him on probation or penalize him, not fire him. It was a lapse of judgement that wasn't putting peoples lives in danger- these pilots fly these routes multiple times per day, and judging by the recordings he was feeding them their lines. It's not like anything was completely out of control. Obviously this is something he'll never do again.
This story is so lame. Give it a rest.
We used to go on school trips to the control tower at JFK when I was a kid, and they always put some kid in the chair with headphone on. I think they should review the tapes of the traffic that day and if the guy wasn't neglecting any other flights then he should get a slap.
not so fast children, once mommy leaves him for being such a tool, you can have that hanging over head your too.
i'd much rather be the fool trying to show my kids a little magic while touring my place of business then the scaremongerers trying to him down. whether he thinks its right or wrong, he's obviously never going to do it again and ultimately, it was a harmless event. it should have remained a private matter dealt with internally and not cost the man his job.
I agree. Some things should be dealt with in private, away from the outrage of people who don't even know what they're talking about. Unfortuantely, those days seem to be over.
in this day and age people seem to talk more and more about everything yet know less and less. i think this is one of those cases.
what does a kid parroting off gate-departure instructions (grounded airplanes taxiing around the airport) while being supervised by a professional - his father - have to do with anything life threatening?
Of course, something exceptional could have happened in which case the professional (aka daddy) would have stepped in. But nothing did happen. So whats the big F-in deal?
the nation still remembers 911, constant reports of planes almost colliding in the air, and the incident with burning a cat - Duffy meant no harm - but didn't pick the right time in history to do what he did........
You watch WAY too much TV news if youre using phrases like 'the nation still remembers....' This is just another excuse for the newsmongers to shriek and bloviate over nothing. Yes, I said nothing. Anything else is just conjecture and scare tactics in the name of ratings. The kid just said what dad told him to, and the pilots were even amused by it. But of course, in this new world, it cant simply end at that.
You guys are a bunch of pussies. I"m really surprised that there's so much support for firing this poor guy. That kid sounded pro responding to those pilots..and speaking of the pilots, they didn't even have a problem with it.
Its the retarded public (read: you) that do.
Seriously, what the fuck happened to this town.
What about chill down and think rationally?
Guy brought kids to work and told them lines they were repeating. Everything was totally under controll. It was very cool for young kids. Maybe not very smart for dad but he did not put anybody in danger at all.
Now if gets fired his life is turning bad, kids are stressed and nobody gains anything positive.
If gets only warning he for sure won't do it again and we have professional at work.
Unfortunatelly, it looks like too many people forget about being human. There is no need for media harrassing family, no need for court. There is too many laws here anyway and feels more and more like less freedom
anyone who Jokes about barbecuing cats belongs in a cell.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuxBGgPvEYE
who cares? no one screwed up here. the kids weren't there alone.
The act of letting the kids announce the clearance isn't the problem, they should bar any visitors in the tower which was allowed.
Just imagine if everyone in that control tower brought their kids in on the same day and each took a turn on the radio. That's why the FAA has to be tough.
what about the guys who dont have kids? should they have the day off?
It's very expensive to recruit and train ATC's. The dropout rate at the academy in OK is pretty high, and then they train extensively at their job location. I don't believe safety was compromised in any plausible way. If the guy has an otherwise exemplary record, I'd slap his wrist. Nothing more.
Like it or lump it, the kids are off the scopes until the 10th Grade.
THAT BITCH BETTER NOT LET HIS SPERM WITHIN ARMS REACH OF THE MICROPHONE WHEN IM ON THE PLANE. FUCK HIM FOR HAVING CHILDREN. SHOULD HAVE KEPT IT IN HIS PANTS AND NONE OF THIS SHIT WOULD BE FUCKING HAPPENING TO HIM
When I was a kid, my dad let me "fly" the plane (a twin engine commuter, not a real airliner)
I think this is becoming a bigger deal than it really ought to be. He told the kid what to say and it was for a plane to take off. Nothing complicated.
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