This is one question I've never seen answered in any addon, or in FS itself, so maybe someone knows the answer. Upon arriving at a totally closed up airliner, how do the crew gain first access - get the steps down, door open, etc. Is there some kind of access hatch where a key is inserted, or a keypad and combination to get the door open (or stairs down in a 737)? The closest I've come is the PMDG 737 stairs and door, but how is it done on the real thing? Thanks. Tom

They just hit the S key a few times.:-lol

Hi,A wild guess is that the last one leaving the plane has to use a moving airstair to exit and using a key (just as in a car)to lock the doorhandle. If the plane has it own installed airstair, that one has to be retracted, if the plane is parked for a longer time.And the first one to access the plane has to do the same. ;-)Every plane (as far as I know) has a key to unlock the main door handle.

Staffan[/font size]

http://www.scandicair.com/images/fs9_pilots_club.gifFlightsimmer since 1987Dell Dimension 4600 P4/2.8 at 3.0 Ghz, 1024 Mb DDR333 Dual channel memory (2x256,1x512)AGP 256 Mb ATI Radeon X850 Pro ViVo flashed to a X850 XT PE, Omega 2.6.87 (CAT 5.12)DirectX 9.0c, W XP Home with SP2, E171FPb Flat panel monitor 17"370Gb HD (120 GB Maxtor, 250GB Samsung) 7200rpm ATA, Lacie 250Gb Extern HDBlogg: http://blogg.passagen.se/primeaviFiles: http://library.avsim.net/search.php?CatID=...&Go=Change+View

I don't think there are any keys. But whatever anybody else answers here, I'm going to put he question to my main man, real world 767 captain Bernt Stolle.

On airliners at major airports the planes are hardly ever away from a chute or another boarding device.. If coming out of maintenance or whatever, ground crew taxies it to the appropriate gate or in rare occasions one of the crew goes and brings it to the gate. Yes they use a rolling staircase/ladder dolly.On regionals, you just reach up to the handle and drop the door. American eagle crew does this all the time. At times ground crew will do it as well, depending who is running late on that day. I've seen **** (i am not saying what airline) flights board and the crew arriving late, running to the plane, jumping in the cabin and flying out. Of course this was before the days of gestapo "security".

99% of the time in my cabin crew experience, ground engineers had already opened the door from the jetty or placed engineering steps up to the door and opened using the sunken door latch. Very occasionally after nightstopping at outstations and with a very early departure the flight crew would do the same to gain access ,I did it myself a few times.I remember also that with one aircraft,Bac 1-11 or 737 can't remember,from the ground you could activate the fwd airstairs then gain access to the door from outside.regards Jim

In this day and age, I'm not sure I'd want the general public to know how to gain access to any unopened, unguarded air craft! :-grnmd

>I don't think there are any keys. But whatever anybody else>answers here, I'm going to put he question to my main man,>real world 767 captain Bernt Stolle.Hi,There was a documentary on Discovery regarding the development and a delivery of the B777. And there they clearly handed over the key for that particular aircraft to the operator when the delivery documents was signed.;-)I also remember clearly that on the PA31 my dad flew there was a key to unlock the door.BTW, why on earth shouldn

Hi Chuck I neglected to mention ,on purpose, something that was done certainly in my day to allow security to know if an aircraft had been entered overnight.And out of interest the opening proceedure for doors /airstairs is in the public domain already and freely available. regards Jim:-bla

Tom:There are no keys or punchpads on an airliner for crew access or engine start. Upon first arriving at the aircraft in the morning, the gate agent is responsible for opening the aircraft door prior to the crew arriving for the first flight of the day. If a maintenance crew arrives first then they will access the aircraft and leave the door open if the flight. If the flight crew gets there first (rarely since crews only need to be at the aircraft 45 mins prior to departure for narrowbody and 1 hour for widebody...and we like our sleep thank you.)1) Move jetway to aircraft (if not already there)2) Look through main door window and verify that the "armed" flag is not in the window. (Don't want to inadvertantly blow a slide) 3) Turn handle, open door until it latches against the aircraft.4) Steal any left over mini bottles of booze, peanuts or first class kits.Commercial aircraft do not "lock" in any way and anyone can open it (or start it for that matter). Most carriers have a jetway or a stair truck for access and most aircraft are not being ordered with integrated airstairs anymore. Of course on many regionals the stairs are built into the main cabin door and that just needs to be unlatched and it will pneumatically open to the boarding position. HTH,Mike T.

>Tom:>>There are no keys or punchpads on an airliner for crew access>or engine start. Upon first arriving at the aircraft in the>morning, the gate agent is responsible for opening the>aircraft door prior to the crew arriving for the first flight>of the day. If a maintenance crew arrives first then they>will access the aircraft and leave the door open if the>flight. If the flight crew gets there first (rarely since>crews only need to be at the aircraft 45 mins prior to>departure for narrowbody and 1 hour for widebody...and we like>our sleep thank you.)>>1) Move jetway to aircraft (if not already there)>2) Look through main door window and verify that the "armed">flag is not in the window. (Don't want to inadvertantly blow a>slide) >3) Turn handle, open door until it latches against the>aircraft.>4) Steal any left over mini bottles of booze, peanuts or first>class kits.>>Commercial aircraft do not "lock" in any way and anyone can>open it (or start it for that matter). Most carriers have a>jetway or a stair truck for access and most aircraft are not>being ordered with integrated airstairs anymore. Of course on>many regionals the stairs are built into the main cabin door>and that just needs to be unlatched and it will pneumatically>open to the boarding position. >>HTH,>>Mike T.Hi,If so,...what was the key for that Boeing delivery department handed over to the T7 operator in the documentary on Discovery?

Staffan[/font size]

http://www.scandicair.com/images/fs9_pilots_club.gifFlightsimmer since 1987Dell Dimension 4600 P4/2.8 at 3.0 Ghz, 1024 Mb DDR333 Dual channel memory (2x256,1x512)AGP 256 Mb ATI Radeon X850 Pro ViVo flashed to a X850 XT PE, Omega 2.6.87 (CAT 5.12)DirectX 9.0c, W XP Home with SP2, E171FPb Flat panel monitor 17"370Gb HD (120 GB Maxtor, 250GB Samsung) 7200rpm ATA, Lacie 250Gb Extern HDBlogg: http://blogg.passagen.se/primeaviFiles: http://library.avsim.net/search.php?CatID=...&Go=Change+View

Staffan:That's just a symbolic gesture, just as getting the "key to the city". A symbol of ownership only, it doesn't really unlock or lock anything.EDIT: Actually, there is (was) one key that the flight crew's do (did) get and that is the cockpit key. It opened the cockpit door. Post 9/11 most cockpits are positive access only so the cockpit door lock is now gone and must be opened from inside the cockpit. It used to be part of the crew briefing to the First Flight Attendant whether they should knock first or just use their key and come on in...now they must knock first and positively identified before the lock is electronically unlatched (or opened manually by whoever is not holding coffee at the time).HTH,Mike T.

>4) Steal any left over mini bottles of >booze, peanuts or first class kits.LOL!!! got to keep the flight crew 'fueled' after the flight!--

Hey Scoob:You better believe it! Flight Attendants are poor and Pilots are cheap so between the two the bar cart can get raped before getting to the layover! :-lolMike T.

>In this day and age, I'm not sure I'd want the general public>to know how to gain access to any unopened, unguarded air>craft! >:-grnmd >>I am sure this is the best kept secret in the world........ seriously!!