Emergency: is there a teacher on board?

[astrosly]

We've all heard of the call for a doctor on board but this story is quite different. Must admit I felt a bit teary by the end of it

Jetstar flight circling Melbourne and unable to land due to a passenger refusing to return to his seat, and running low on fuel. Then the call came over the PA ... Is there a teacher on board?

In the sky above Melbourne, special needs teacher comes to the rescue

 

[travelislife]

Amazing and beautiful story. You can imagine the rap Jetstar would have got if it hadn't worked out and it had to be done forcibly.

 

[karen blancfield]

We've all heard of the call for a doctor on board but this story is quite different. Must admit I felt a bit teary by the end of it

Jetstar flight circling Melbourne and unable to land due to a passenger refusing to return to his seat, and running low on fuel. Then the call came over the PA ... Is there a teacher on board?

In the sky above Melbourne, special needs teacher comes to the rescue

Thanks for sharing this good news story. I've added it to my school's Facebook page.

 

[Princess Fiona]

That's beautiful

 

[get me outta here]

That is a good news story for everyone, especially the young person and the teacher, and the crew member who had the presence of mind to think that a teacher might be the one to help.

 

[whitty]

My wife is a special needs education assistant and I don't know how she does it. Even she wasn't too sure when she started off and was assigned to a boy who many thought was the most difficult in the school and then she was teary when he graduated and has now gone onto high school. I don't have the patience but I'm glad she does (she probably wouldn't put up with me otherwise).

 

[JohnM]

Lovely story.

I'm surprised that it took three weeks to surface.

 

[kpc]

If the plane was running low on fuel, won't it be safer for everyone if the plane landed anyway? ...just wondering

 

[Denali]

That link needs a tissue warning.

 

[Pushka]

Thankyou for that. Teachers like that are Gold.
I read a similar story a few months ago - I cant remember the context but in dealing with an autistic child the person lay on the ground next to them and worked through the issue.

Kudos to the pilot also. Very astute.

 

[russ]

Before I get my tissues out, I'd like to know why:
- all the quotes are from the teacher
- there are no quotes from the parents or siblings who were also on the plane, nor anyone else for that matter
- the teacher comments that a doctor was on the plane but didn't know what to do
- the final quote is from the teacher, saying "Teachers rock"

Could it be that this teacher is exaggerating the situation and pushing some kind of agenda?

 

[Pushka]

Before I get my tissues out, I'd like to know why:
- all the quotes are from the teacher
- there are no quotes from the parents or siblings who were also on the plane, nor anyone else for that matter
- the teacher comments that a doctor was on the plane but didn't know what to do
- the final quote is from the teacher, saying "Teachers rock"

Could it be that this teacher is exaggerating the situation and pushing some kind of agenda?

Oh, that would be sad but you do raise some good points I guess.

 

[Homer]

Before I get my tissues out, I'd like to know why:
- all the quotes are from the teacher
- there are no quotes from the parents or siblings who were also on the plane, nor anyone else for that matter
- the teacher comments that a doctor was on the plane but didn't know what to do
- the final quote is from the teacher, saying "Teachers rock"

Could it be that this teacher is exaggerating the situation and pushing some kind of agenda?

I don't want to take anything away from a positive story about somebody assisting a person with a disability, but as somebody who trained as a journalist and who works with journalists, this reads as though it was written from a media release - perhaps issued by a professional association of which the teacher is a member. It does not appear to be researched in any way and I feel the claim about running low on fuel over the matter might well be disputed by JQ if anybody bothered to check.

 

[astrosly]

If the plane was running low on fuel, won't it be safer for everyone if the plane landed anyway? ...just wondering

Presumably, and I guess the problem is that in order to land in that case they would need to declare an emergency to ATC and to clear flights from the runway and they want to avoid that. Alternative is to manhandle the child into the seat and I'm glad the FA had the foresight to try another tact before it came to that.

 

[get me outta here]

I wonder if the methodology for assisting the 'child' is correct though. I did wonder why as it seemed that it would be a maneuver that parents and siblings with such a child might have already known. Or, perhaps a new person coming in might have a better outcome.

 

[Princess Fiona]

In other versions of this report the Cabin Manager is quoted as well as named.

 

[Mark3000]

So what happens to the kid now, will he be allowed to fly again?

 

[juddles]

So what happens to the kid now, will he be allowed to fly again?

Way back when I was a police officer I was transferred to a regional town. A "duty" that some of us had was to volunteer to be "Adopt a cop" at a local school. There were a couple of schools without adopt-a-cops at the time but I saw that the local "special school" did not have one and hadn't for a long time, so I volunteered for that. It was not always easy, but those children were amazing. One of the best decisions I have made in my life

 

[Simo]

Great story

 

[UP4014]

Nice story, I think just land the plane and do the paperwork !

Although low on fuel is a bit rich, I guess it could be said lowER on fuel. Jurnos stretching it a bit for a media release.