Another "Youngest" Record Challenge Dies...

[MarkJ]

Over the years on this forum I have had bitter thoughts of the children rushing off to try for media fame, whatever, in being the youngest to do something.

Heres news that another kid has died. This time, because the records for sailing rtw are not open to 'youngest' anymore its taken to the air again. After the USA banned accross America recors when that 7 year old died now theres the next step... Or misstep...

www.smh.com.au - Teen pilot Haris Suleman and father Babar die in round-the-world flight

[denverd0n]

Originally Posted by MarkJ

Over the years on this forum I have had bitter thoughts of the children rushing off to try for media fame, whatever, in being the youngest to do something.

Agreed. I often find myself wondering if it is really the children's idea, or if it is their parents pushing them--trying to live their lives vicariously, through their children. You know, sort of like the pageant-mom phenomenon...
Princess by Proxy: Explaining Extreme Pageant Moms | Psychology Today

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by denverd0n

Agreed. I often find myself wondering if it is really the children's idea, or if it is their parents pushing them--trying to live their lives vicariously, through their children. You know, sort of like the pageant-mom phenomenon...
Princess by Proxy: Explaining Extreme Pageant Moms | Psychology Today

You only wonder..??

[robert sailor]

I wouldn't make too much of this, the teenager was really flying dual with a check pilot (His Dad) Whatever happened out there was something his Father was not able to deal with. Its not easy peasy to fly around the world in a single engine aircraft, even these days.
My Son was doing excellent aerobatics when he was 14 but I was sitting behind him and if needed I would have taken control although it wasn't needed. Same sort of situation in almost all these cases.

[denverd0n]

Originally Posted by boatman61

You only wonder..??

Well, no, not really. I guess I was trying to be kind.

And you're right, robert sailor. This was probably something that would have happened to any pilot, of any age. That doesn't change the fact that the reason they were doing it was to try to set a new world record. This was, in essence, a dangerous stunt done for no better reason than a desire for attention. That's the really sad part to me.

[DeepFrz]

This was, in essence, a dangerous stunt done for no better reason than a desire for attention. That's the really sad part to me.

How do you know that? They may have had other reasons that we don't know about.

[robert sailor]

DenverOn

Well feel sad for the teenager as he didn't have time to eat some of the wonderful fruits of life but his Dad, meh! The problem with some people that have too much money is that they are always looking for a way to gather some notoriety and sometimes it backfires. If the old man had taken a crack at it himself I would feel differently.

[Ex-Calif]

Originally Posted by robert sailor

I wouldn't make too much of this, the teenager was really flying dual with a check pilot (His Dad) Whatever happened out there was something his Father was not able to deal with. Its not easy peasy to fly around the world in a single engine aircraft, even these days.
My Son was doing excellent aerobatics when he was 14 but I was sitting behind him and if needed I would have taken control although it wasn't needed. Same sort of situation in almost all these cases.

Yup - Aviation child records are all BS. They can't legally fly alone.

There is an adult licensed pilot on board.

They convince themselves somehow that this is a record.

Completely different than solo sailing.

I totally get the idea of adventure. These failures are as rare as hen's teeth.

I just read a statistic that a teenage child dies every 2 hours on the weekend driving in cars in the US.

Every 4 hours during weekdays.

Let's get them all out of cars before we worry about nonsense records.

I soloed in gliders at 16 years old - I flew cross country in the California desert. I could have crashed and if there was an internet my Dad would have been the world's worst parent - for about 15 minutes while all the forums got indignant.

[captain58sailin]

What happened to the good old days when a father would take his son to a house of ill repute for his first taste of real life?

[Ex-Calif]

Originally Posted by captain58sailin

What happened to the good old days when a father would take his son to a house of ill repute for his first taste of real life?

And the VD clinic for his first taste of consequence...

[robert sailor]

Too funny...good old days!

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by captain58sailin

What happened to the good old days when a father would take his son to a house of ill repute for his first taste of real life?

Before my time.. sigh

Reality... wrong type of Dad..

[Astrid]

Originally Posted by DeepFrz

How do you know that? They may have had other reasons that we don't know about.

Part of the reason for the flight was to raise money for Citizen's Charity to help fund education for Pakistan's poorest children. They boy's uncle is an Air Vice Marshal in the Pakistan air force.

[MarkJ]

The youngest person to climb Mount Everest was 13-year-old Jordan Romero in May 2010 from the Tibetan side.[98] His ascent, as part of an apparent "race" to bring younger and younger children to the mountain (shortly after Romero's ascent, Pemba Dorjie Sherpa announced plans to bring his 9 year old son to the summit[99]), triggered a wave of criticism that prompted Chinese authorities to establish age limits on Mt Everest. At the present time, China no longer grants permits to prospective climbers under 18 or over 60. Nepal sets the minimum age at 16 but has no maximum age.[100]

Timeline of climbing Mount Everest - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

@ Robert Sailor: So dragging a 9 year old up is OK if theres an adult to act as 'check pilot'?

@ Astrid. They were due to arrive home on Saturday. No doubt to fanfare.. Cue School Band... For 17 year old student... Cue Cheerleaders for new sex symbol... Doing it all for charity... Cue huge Check held by local bank manager...

But perhaps, too, it had similarities with 7 year old Jessica Dubroff forced to take off into a storm to meet a media commitment. Did this latest one have to fly at night to meet the coming home commitment???

He only got his license in June... Its only July now...

[IdoraKeeper]

I made my living in the air for 34 years. I cannot count on both hands those who didn't make it to their 60th birthday. Some luck is required as well as skill. Most of all its risk management. Children and young adults accel at the physical and some are very bright but very few are good risk managers. Thus the necessity for a safety pilot who was not successful at his task in this case.