Friends, Fellow PIC addicts, today I consider myself a very lucky man. I awoke this morning from a dream in which I was flying the heavy metal for real. Today I was to fly from DTW to TPA for my annual Christmas vacation at Grandma's house. To my delight, NWA492 was a 757, my favorite type and "The Ferrari of airplanes" according to a 5 captain I talked to awhile back. I got to the airport way too early as usual and just strolled around admiring the big jets and taking pictures. We were late boarding because one of the F/As hadnt showed up yet, oh well. As we boarded and I passed by the flight deck door I decided I just had to go up to the 'pit and chat with the crew. I got the 'ok' to head forward from an F/A and lucky me, the captain had stepped out for a few minutes and the F/O allowed me to take his seat! So there I was, sitting in the seat I've dreamed about so often, the left seat on a 757! I spent the happiest 10 minutes of my life sitting there, chatting with the F/O and staring at all of the buttons and knobs, knowing I what just about all of them do! The time came to head back to my seat, and though the flight sucked bigtime (as anyone else flying thru the eastern U.S. knows it was today), I still wrote it off as my best flight ever. I'll try to post some pictures when I return home. Ryan HoffmanPIC addictVATSIM ZDC

you lucky #####!!!:-) i've not even flown in my life.....Merry Christmas Mate!!!!!!!

Yea.....lucky guy. I thought these guys were a bit skittish about letting people come up to the flight deck.....even sit in the captain's chair. I guess the FO really trusts airport security (and probably has a gun or knows martial arts..LOL)Still lucky for you. The last (and only) time I was in the flight deck was when I was 13 (17 years ago). It was a 747-200 British Airways flight to the UK from the Caribbean. That was also a nice experience ......but I was not such a fanatic at that time...Lagaz.

Great tale Ryan!I do the DTW to TPA flights quite a bit, and I always enjoy it when someone comes to cockpit to say "hello". No matter what those "morons" did a year and a half ago, they didn't take away your love of flying (nor my love of showing you the cockpit :D). We quite often have kids come up and say hello before the flight, and we usually ask Mom or Dad to pull out the camera, put "junior" in the seat (and make him/her put on my Capt.'s hat), then have them snap a few pictures. It's always a ton of fun for all of us!Put those pictures up soon!Take care all, and have a safe New Year,BBall----------------------Capt. William "BBall" BallBoeing 757, Northwest AirlinesSenior Editorwww.frugalsworld.com

Wow in the chair no less... lucky you!I have fond memories of numerous Dash 8 and 767-200 jump rides before 9/11. Although, now I can enjoy Katana and Cessna 172 rides even more!

Hey BBall, I didn't get to ask the captain but I did ask the F/O if he knew ya and he said no, was kind of hoping to find ya in the left seat, lol. The list is really starting to add up for me, I've sat in the left seat on the 727, DC-9 and now the 5, and I've sat in the right on an A320...guess I'm really getting lucky in terms of popping in when one of the pilots is out of their seat! As for those photos, I was so elated just sitting there that I only snapped a few pics of the CRTs and one of the FMC, we'll see how they come out but I look back and wish I'd asked the F/O to snap a pic of me sitting there, oh well. Wanted to head back up after we parked at TPA but we deboarded thru the midcabin exit instead of the front so I didn't bother.Ryan