CBS News Report on this topic
Speaking as someone who, as a child, would have been thrilled to have talked to a pilot like this.... When I worked at Edwards AFB, every time I was able to say, "Eddie Ground, NASA Mobile TV-2 Request permission to cross the approach end of Runway 22 from north to south," or something like that, I got a thrill. To be there, and be working at an airfield and all. The child in me just welled back up. I was a professional at all times, but it was still a thrill to be doing what I dreamed of doing as a child, working with airplanes and at an airport or air force base.
In one CBS report, reporter Harry Smith asks the "aviation expert," "Is there something wrong with the (FAA) culture?" Harry was correct about the wrong culture. The American culture has become so paranoid, defensive and vindictive, it is always seeing menace in its own shadow and then shouting to crucify. Was it an FAA violation? Yes. Did he say anything wrong on the mike? No. He repeated the exact words he should have said as his dad instructed.
If he had said, "Hey Mr. Pilot! How are you," or something else inappropriate, that would have been bad. As it happened, he did not. Would I want this to be happening every day? No. Is this the end of "Take your child to work day," in many places in America? Oh I am sure fearful lawyers and management in many fields will think, "Dang. We'd better stop doing that. Something bad might happen. We might get sued."
I bet the dad gets fired and the child will not remember the day he got to see dad's work and for a moment do what he did. He will remember how he got his dad fired for saying something to a pilot.
