Rick Springfield Says Air Travel is Like 'Russian Roulette' in the Sky

Rick Springfield wouldn't recommend air travel to "Jessie's Girl" or anyone else amid the government shutdown ... but, he's not sure how else to get from point A to point B.

We caught up with the singer-songwriter in New York City Wednesday afternoon ... and, we asked him about how air traffic controllers not getting paid has affected his view of flying these days -- a follow-up convo to one we had with Rick in February when he told us he wasn't freaking out about recent plane problems.

Spingfield calls it "Russian Roulette" in the sky these days ... but, he adds, there aren't many other good alternatives -- ya can't walk cross country!

As you know ... the government shutdown has prevented a ton of federal employees from being paid -- including the many controllers who usually watch the air to keep the skies safe.

Representative Jasmine Crockett discussed the possibility of crashes up in the air ... though she mostly blamed the Republicans for any issues that may result from the shutdown.