Nikkie Plessen and her husband Ruben Bontekoe are very upset because of all the criticism they have received about the chaos in their private jet. “They are all pseudo-experts!” it sounds.
There has been considerable criticism of the fact that Nikkie Plessen put her 7-year-old son Alain behind the wheel of their private jet with Dad last week while they were on their way to Ibiza. RTL Boulevard’s CO2 spitter was immediately addressed by the well-known aviation journalist Menno Swart, after which she immediately took the photo in question offline.
Dangerous
Nikkie and her husband Ruben Bontekoe are now under the magnifying glass of the Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate. They are going to investigate the chaos in their private jet. Rightly so, thinks Joris Melkert, assistant professor of aerospace technology. “You shouldn’t put children behind the wheel of an airplane.”
Joris says that children in the cockpit are really dangerous. He points to an Aeroflot incident from 1994, when a child accidentally switched off the autopilot. “That ultimately resulted in the plane simply crashing. 75 people died at that time.”
Pseudo-experts
It seems to irritate Nikkie and Ruben immensely that they are approached by the ordinary mob. They turn their nose up at the aviation journalists and university lecturers who express their criticism. “I will not discuss any further with all kinds of ‘pseudo-experts’ on social media,” he says in a response to her program. RTL Boulevard†
RTL Boulevard, which has waited to report on this riot until there was a reaction from Nikkie – the show section is constantly keeping its hand above its head, gives Ruben extensive space to respond. His response has been put online in full by the program.
pilot’s license
Ruben finds it shameless that it is suggested to take away his pilot’s license. He is a real top pilot. “I’ve had my pilot’s license for about 20 years and in that period have made about 1500 flights without any incident or even any report. I take flight safety very seriously and always adhere to all safety rules.”
His plane may be piloted by one pilot, says Ruben. When his son was sitting on his lap, the plane was being piloted by a co-pilot, he continues. “When the photo was taken, my colleague was in control of the plane.”
Other rules
Ordinary people have absolutely no idea how a private jet works, according to Ruben. Children are allowed to sit in the cockpit there, he explains. “The flight in question was a private flight. Different rules apply to this than a commercial flight. (…) I also regularly fly alone with my son or daughter next to me.”
He continues: “I only briefly took my son on my lap for a photo. My colleague was in control of the plane at the time. After that, my son went back to sit in the back of the cabin and I took back control of the plane.”
In conversation
Ruben is only open to a discussion with the Aviation Inspectorate, but not with all those ‘pseudo experts’. “I have read that the Aviation Inspectorate will study this photo. If they are of the opinion that I have violated a flight rule, I will certainly hear from them and then we will discuss it.”
“Of course I am open to any suggestion from the competent authority for improving flight safety. That’s what they’re there for,” he says.
You can read Ruben’s entire reaction at Nikkie’s clubhouse RTL Boulevard†
Nikkie herself sometimes sits behind the wheel of her private jet:
