The rights of a minor solo sailor's parents

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jessica_Dubroff

Jessica Whitney Dubroff (May 5, 1988 – April 11, 1996) was a 7-year-old pilot trainee who was attempting to become the youngest person to fly an airplane across the United States when, 24 hours into her attempt, her general aviation aircraft crashed after takeoff from Cheyenne Regional Airport in Cheyenne, Wyoming.[1]

She was born in Hercules, Contra Costa County, California. During her flight, which included several stopovers, Dubroff became an instant media celebrity. Her flight was vigorously followed by supporters, media outlets, and others who monitored her flight, reporting each time she landed or took off, until the abrupt ending of her "Sea to Shining Sea Flight."

Dubroff's aircraft took off from Cheyenne in heavy rain and a sudden storm. The weather conditions contributed to the accident, which occurred within a few minutes after takeoff. Jessica Dubroff, her father Lloyd Dubroff, and her flight instructor Joe Reid all died in the crash. Reid was legally the pilot in command for all her flights and was apparently manipulating the controls during this particular flight segment.

The National Transportation Safety Board investigation concluded that the accident was caused by pilot in command Joe Reid's "improper decision to take off into deteriorating weather conditions (including turbulence, gusty winds, and an advancing thunderstorm and associated precipitation) when the airplane was overweight and when the density altitude was higher than he was accustomed to, resulting in a stall caused by failure to maintain airspeed." The NTSB further determined that "contributing to the pilot in command’s decision to take off was a desire to adhere to an overly ambitious itinerary, in part, because of media commitments."

The accident and its associated publicity led to federal legislation that prohibits anyone who does not hold at least a private pilot certificate and a current medical certificate from being allowed to manipulate the controls of an aircraft during any record attempt, aeronautical competition, or aeronautical feat.[2][3][4]

Her last words were, "Do you hear the rain? Do you hear the rain?" [5]

A book about Dubroff's life has been published by her mother, Lisa Blair Hathaway.

http://www.avweb.com/news/safety/183036-1.html

On April 11, 1996, at about 0824 mountain daylight time, a privately-owned Cessna 177B collided with terrain after a loss of control following takeoff from runway 30 et the Cheyenne Airport, Cheyenne, Wyoming. The pilot in command, pilot trainee, and rear seat passenger (the pilot trainee's father) were fatally injured. The pilot trainee was a 7-year-old girl, Jessica Dubroff, who did not hold a pilot certificate. To be eligible for a student pilot certificate, a person must be 16 years old, and to be eligible for a private pilot certificate a person must be at least 17 years old. Instrument meteorological conditions existed at the time and a VFR flight plan had been filed. The flight, which was a continuation of what was described by its promoters as a transcontinental flight "record" attempted by the youngest "pilot" to date (the pilot trainee), was being operated under Part 91.

On the morning of the accident, the pilot in command, the trainee and the passenger arrived at an FBO at the Cheyenne Airport between 0715 and 0730. A copy of a privately recorded videotape made by a bystander, displaying a time hack generated by the camcorder's clock, showed the airplane being loaded with personal effects at 0739. The ramp appeared to be dry and the airplane's shadow could be clearly seen on the pavement. The video recording then showed the pilot in command and the trainee conducting portions of a preflight briefing and a taped television interview. During the interview, rain could be seen streaming off the airplane's wings, and water was forming puddles on the ramp.

The program director of a Cheyenne radio station conducted a telephone interview with the trainee and her father at about 0745. He invited her to stay in Cheyenne because of the weather, but the father indicated that they wanted "to beat the storm" that was approaching.

...

Originally posted by KazetNagorra
Well, children ought to get an education. Can she make a living with sailing? Maybe, maybe not. She should get an education so she has something to fall back on, instead of forcing the taxpayer to pay her benefits if it doesn't work out as planned.

Yeah, I've heard that what one learns about self-reliance, determination, personal responsibility, achievement, and self-esteem by sailing around the world solo is nothing compared to what one learns in a Dutch classroom.

Originally posted by spruce112358
Yeah, I've heard that what one learns about self-reliance, determination, personal responsibility, achievement, and self-esteem by sailing around the world solo is nothing compared to what one learns in a Dutch classroom.

I'm sure it's a character-building experience, but you need to build other things, too.

Originally posted by sh76
Tests and assignments can be administered online almost as easily as in a classroom. Identity can be confirmed via webcam. Proctored exams can be given via webcam. Countless schools do this.

Social interaction can be done over the net as well. I guess you mean in person social interaction. That's fine and good; but do you think the government ought to be in the business of mandating in person social interaction?

She's not going a two year world cruise, she's sailing a boat ie. no outboard motor. If someone is driving nonstop round the world in a car, where are they going to fit in acquiring an education? They aren't. Sailing is the the same as driving. It's pretty much non stop.

The 17 yr old lad who became the youngest person to sail the world lived on one hour power naps, he wasn't sat on deck sipping a pina colada the way round!!!

From what i understand it, the biggest concern for the Dutch government is whether the girl is mentally tough enough to sit for two years of her life on a boat alone. What will the psychological impact of that on her? Can she cope? Those are the questions they want answered.

Originally posted by Proper Knob
She's not going a two year world cruise, she's sailing a boat ie. no outboard motor. If someone is driving nonstop round the world in a car, where are they going to fit in acquiring an education? They aren't. Sailing is the the same as driving. It's pretty much non stop.

The 17 yr old lad who became the youngest person to sail the world lived on one chological impact of that on her? Can she cope? Those are the questions they want answered.

Well, as I know nothing about sailing, I defer.

I don't understand the part about sleeping though. How do you take a power nap if it requires your concentration like driving?

Originally posted by sh76
Well, as I know nothing about sailing, I defer.

I don't understand the part about sleeping though. How do you take a power nap if it requires your concentration like driving?

I imagine you'll just drift for a while on the currents, that's why you can't sleep for too long. But I'm just speculating.

Originally posted by sh76
Well, as I know nothing about sailing, I defer.

I don't understand the part about sleeping though. How do you take a power nap if it requires your concentration like driving?

I was trying to convey that sailing requires a lot of attention similar to driving, by apologies for not being clear. Sailing is pretty relentless, and there won't be anytime to sit down and get an online education whilst she's doing it.

The original question is not really about whether it is good for the girl, but rather who should get to decide. However, I believe that to some extent, the government must make some judgement about how detrimental it might be for the girl before making the 'rights' decision, so it is not totally irrelevant.
But an additional aspect is the fact that the parents decision making might be severely biased because of the fame factor. They clearly want to set a record and that is going to impact on their judgement. If it wasn't for the record, they would probably prefer that she grow up and get and education etc before sailing round the world.
So if parents are clearly making decisions for the wrong reasons, is it then a good reason for government to step in and make the decisions?

Originally posted by KazetNagorra
I'm sure it's a character-building experience, but you need to build other things, too.

I'm still wondering what you think she will learn in a classroom that is so much more valuable than what would learn on the cruise. Dissecting a frog? Iambic pentameter? Distinguishing parallelograms from parallelepipeds?

I think character-transforming is a better characterization. She will not only learn things none of us appreciate -- the true size of the Earth, for example. She will also learn the absolute necessity of a work ethic and attention to detail -- again, to a degree few of us ever do.

I'm not sure what the argument is -- that because this experience is not for everyone it is not for anyone? That smacks of a world view that seeks to quash individualism.

Originally posted by spruce112358
I'm still wondering what you think she will learn in a classroom that is so much more valuable than what would learn on the cruise. Dissecting a frog? Iambic pentameter? Distinguishing parallelograms from parallelepipeds?

I think character-transforming is a better characterization. She will not only learn things none of us appreciate -- the true size ...[text shortened]... everyone it is not for anyone? That smacks of a world view that seeks to quash individualism.

It's not a world 'cruise', anything but.

From what i understand of the story, it's not necessarily about what she will miss learning education wise in a classroom. But she will miss two years of learning how to build relationships, friendships how to integrate into society at a crucial stage of her development as a human being.

Originally posted by spruce112358
I'm still wondering what you think she will learn in a classroom that is so much more valuable than what would learn on the cruise. Dissecting a frog? Iambic pentameter? Distinguishing parallelograms from parallelepipeds?

I think character-transforming is a better characterization. She will not only learn things none of us appreciate -- the true size ...[text shortened]... everyone it is not for anyone? That smacks of a world view that seeks to quash individualism.

Thank you for your psychological development hat stuff. Now don your nutritional development hat and tell us how children can grow healthy and strong without protein, calcium and vitamin C.

Originally posted by FMF
I just heard a BBC news report about a Dutch mother and father want to allow their 13 year old daughter to sail around the world on her own. The voyage would take 2 years. The Netherlands government has stepped in to prevent it.

Thoughts?

This is one of the most truly bizarre stories running at the moment.
Who in their right mind would allow a 13 year old to sail around the world on her own???

There are multiple laws in place (even in the Netherlands) which force a 13 year old to go to school, etc.
The father is claiming that the girl has every right that every top sporter has to further her career, outside of the regular system.
And the Dutch government is "looking into" the girl's mental age to see if she would be alright sailing around the world on her own.

Most fathers of teenage girls I know want to chain their daughters to the house until they turn lesbian. There's something mad about this father's approach.

As for the Dutch government's stance? It's much the same as in the debate about female circumcision (should it be made legal in Dutch clinics to prevent it happening underground?). I can applaud a mature debate on most issues, but like the circumcision debate, the answer is surely: "NO! It's bloody illegal until the girl is 18 years old AND is mentally mature enough to make these decisions for herself."

Originally posted by shavixmir
This is one of the most truly bizarre stories running at the moment.
Who in their right mind would allow a 13 year old to sail around the world on her own???

There are multiple laws in place (even in the Netherlands) which force a 13 year old to go to school, etc.
The father is claiming that the girl has every right that every top sporter has to furt ...[text shortened]... rl is 18 years old AND is mentally mature enough to make these decisions for herself."

Have the parents go out sailing with her for a couple of weeks until they all get a belly full of it and all decide it really wouldn't be very fun, safe, and a waste of valuable developmental time.

Originally posted by shavixmir
This is one of the most truly bizarre stories running at the moment.
Who in their right mind would allow a 13 year old to sail around the world on her own???

There are multiple laws in place (even in the Netherlands) which force a 13 year old to go to school, etc.
The father is claiming that the girl has every right that every top sporter has to furt ...[text shortened]... rl is 18 years old AND is mentally mature enough to make these decisions for herself."

On the other hand, encouraging kids to do intensive tennis or gymnastics from age 6 or 7 -- despite risks that run from broken bones and torn ligaments to spondylitis -- is perfectly fine? Or is the Dutch government going to step up to its perceived "social duty" and ban that activity as well?