Flight deck visits

[coveyduckd 0]

Can anybody tell me if there is still a ban on passengers visiting the flight deck?

 

I am a retired military pilot flying from CDG - KUL Malaysia (MH021) business class next week and would love a look around.

[Cire 0]

I think ever since 911, all cockpit visits are banned.. and then of course if you are a VIP, perhaps discreetly you got some privilege to visit one.

[S M Tang 0]

They would normally allow you to enter after the flight. During a flight, however, is a different story unless you know the crew personally. I was fortunate enough to be in the flight deck for takeoff on my previous flight to BKI

[HanX 0]

First thing I did after I boarded the aircraft was went to the stewardess and told the stewardess I want to talk to the captain for 1 minute.

Then she asked the captain... luckily the captain was good and allowed me to go in.

I told him I'm a CPL holder and I wish to sit in the cockpit.

At the end he allowed me to stay inside the cockpit for the whole flight.

Even eating haegen dazs inside the cockpit with them. It was a niceeee cockpit experience.

 

Experienced twice in MAS B737-400 cockpit.

[Cire 0]

Of course...of course...CPL, VIPs.. easier for the pilots to clear you for a visit.

 

For once, a view up front would be nice. Wondered why the airlines does not provide forward view camera for its passengers to view through the monitors?

I came across a DVD pack of "pilots/cockpit views" on sale at the Munich Intl.0 airport's book shop. It provides cockpit's view, undercarriage, and wheels as well of flights in motion, approach, landing, and take-off.

 

But then said, nothing beats the real thing...having to be in the actual cockpit.

[Naim 6]

It's exciting when the plane is landing. A memorable one for me was landing at LAX. As the lumbering MAS 747 was maneuvering, the whole of LA seemed to fill up the entire window, turning & twisting, with the pilots craning their necks trying to identify planes ahead of us in the sequence, as per ATC info.

Edited February 23, 2011 by Naim

[Ahmad M 1]

One thing to remember is that although you might get a cockpit visit inflight at the discretion of the flight crew, it is actually a big risk for them. Let's say another passenger (or even any cabin crew) saw that a non crew member enter the cockpit, he/she can rightly question the event and lodge a complaint. Worst case scenario will be a sacking for the tech crew. A Qatar Airways captain was sacked just because a cabin crew reported to the company that the captain was standing at the cockpit entrance with the door unlocked and there was a passenger nearby.

[N Azman 0]

Of course...of course...CPL, VIPs.. easier for the pilots to clear you for a visit.

 

For once, a view up front would be nice. Wondered why the airlines does not provide forward view camera for its passengers to view through the monitors?

I came across a DVD pack of "pilots/cockpit views" on sale at the Munich Intl.0 airport's book shop. It provides cockpit's view, undercarriage, and wheels as well of flights in motion, approach, landing, and take-off.

 

But then said, nothing beats the real thing...having to be in the actual cockpit.

 

Interestingly, i was at an aviation forum a number of years back and it was suggested that a camera be placed facing the back of the pilot and co pilot with the windshield being in the background. This is then, viewable via IFE. A pilot then said what about privacy. The argument is, bus/taxi/train(some) drivers operate with complete transparency, why shouldn't you?

 

pros :

 

1) fun entertainment

2) get to see professional pilots in action

3) to mitigate any pilots who decides to have his kids fly the plane, any pilots with suicidal tendencies, etc (at least theyre at full view of the crowd, who can alert the IFS to open the door)

4) encourage professional behaviour at the work place (no playing nintendo DS, no disturbing cabin crew, etc) and improve customer confidence/respect

5) of course, post 9/11, pax want to see who's in charge in front and how're they behaving

 

 

cons :

 

1) poor guys, have no more privacy. difficult to korek hidung.

2) some normal pilots actions might be misintepreted as 'bad'. reading chart might be seen as not paying attention to the 'road'.

3) terrorist might learn how to fly the plane? - an actual comment from a forum participant. 1 guess to which country this guy came from.

4) any more?

[Waiping 12]

So far a nose cam and a tail cam would do for me.

[Aaron Goh 1]

no nintendo? alamak.....maybe can just try one of those simulator sessions on offer.....Anyway, flight deck visits I supposed its easier to get on the ground than in the air.

[Ahmad M 1]

Interestingly, i was at an aviation forum a number of years back and it was suggested that a camera be placed facing the back of the pilot and co pilot with the windshield being in the background. This is then, viewable via IFE. A pilot then said what about privacy. The argument is, bus/taxi/train(some) drivers operate with complete transparency, why shouldn't you?

 

pros :

 

1) fun entertainment

2) get to see professional pilots in action

3) to mitigate any pilots who decides to have his kids fly the plane, any pilots with suicidal tendencies, etc (at least theyre at full view of the crowd, who can alert the IFS to open the door)

4) encourage professional behaviour at the work place (no playing nintendo DS, no disturbing cabin crew, etc) and improve customer confidence/respect

5) of course, post 9/11, pax want to see who's in charge in front and how're they behaving

 

 

cons :

 

1) poor guys, have no more privacy. difficult to korek hidung.

2) some normal pilots actions might be misintepreted as 'bad'. reading chart might be seen as not paying attention to the 'road'.

3) terrorist might learn how to fly the plane? - an actual comment from a forum participant. 1 guess to which country this guy came from.

4) any more?

 

 

cons:

 

Some airlines actually allow their pilots to take "power naps" especially during long overnight flights. Can you imagine the passengers reaction when they see that the pilot is sleeping?

[Cire 0]

wah... I think the pilot would sleep in biz.class or bunkers or something..not in the cockpit. In addition, the co-pilot would be around to "man" the plane, watching over dials, digits, radars and communicating with ground etc.

 

I say it would be nice to have a nose cam..and undercarriage as well.

 

A quick check in youtube produces list of such cockpit views. And like I mentioned earlier, there's actually DVDs disc on cockpit's view for sale to the general public (.. in Europe).

 

Personally, I would luv to have a look at the outside space from the cockpit, but with so many bad publicities etc., perhaps its better just to watch it from a video or something.