Unfortunately the internet...The same one we are using to discuss this can be sourced as the genesis of this. While we use this forum to hash topics on aviation, there is an entire sub-culture of people that want to be in aviation or feel they are aviation experts because they have ridden on an airplane. These same people sit at home with JFK tower up on their computers all day long listening in to liveatc.net. They archive and save everything because they want to listen to a Iberia 605 get his take-off clearance. I don't know about you but the last thing I ever want to do when not flying is to listen to ATC. It is bad enough when I HAVE to, but much less doing it just for so-called fun.

It is these people (the armchair experts) with their scanners and computers that are now the extended arm of the FAA. They will report what they think is unsafe or dangerous, even if they haven't a clue what they are talking about. In this situation I am sure it was one of the folks that saved the recording and sent it off to be procreated in the news world as an outrage.

So the venue that we use to communicate here on the forum is being used by others to help police our industry. Thus the good and bad of technology. 20 years ago this would have been a non-event I suppose. But now we are a country of people that are predisposed to being offended at the slightest hint of anything out the normal.

If I was king for a day, I would ask that in fairness of freedom of information, the person that sent this to the media or released this information should be made public. Let the nation put a face to this person. This person is the Steve Bartman of aviation. We should all know who he is.

Finally, this is a great lesson for the new order of flying. Don't say anything on the radio you would not want Babbit to hear, because it might just wind up in the media. Truly disgusted with how this has industry and flying in general has evolved. It has lost much of the fun factor it once held.

L