In June I'll be out for a trip (in the 737 :() and I'd really love to have an opportunity to jumpseat. The thing is: I have no idea about how to achieve this. I know that many people in this forum have already had this great opportunity, so I want to ask: how did you do this? Did you just came talking to the pilots? Did you asked for permission directly from the airline? And please, share your experiences. PS.: I know that after 9/11, things are much harder and some airlines and aviation authorities simply forbid this practice, but I'll give it a try anyway.PS 2.: The trip is not to or from the US or Europe, so what are my chances now?

have a friend who is a pilotJoe Barton

As a mechanic, pre 9-11, I jumpseated all the time. I even was allowed the left seat in cruise, After 9-11 Mecs were deemed unworthy.The only employees I am aware of that can ride up front in America, are current part 121 flight deck crew, and FAA.It was a great time while it lasted, when I worked the regionals, I got all the right seat time I could stand, on maintenance check and repo flights.

Don't use de-rates or assumed temps. I don't think you're going to get any airline that's going to give you a command to use anything other than TO/GA thrust to get out of there (like MCT - maxc cont. thrust). It's all in takeoff planning. Hot and high means you're not going to pack the plane. You leave passengers, bags and cargo behind.What I mean by that is, if you're hot and high, you run the numbers through a takeoff planner (or on a chart) to see if you can get out at the planned weight using no de-rate or assumed temp (essentially full takeoff thrust). If you can't, your max thrust is a frozen variable, since we would have to use full TO/GA to get out at this weight if the runway were long enough, but it's not. From there, you reduce your weight by deboarding passengers, bags and cargo.The FMC, though a powerful tool, isn't going to magically fix everything.

I took a look at the day I joined these forums, It's so weird, because my dad died in 9/11.

I took a look at the day I joined these forums, It's so weird, because my dad died in 9/11.

My dad's birthday is on 9/11.

Basically illegal for anyone who is not flight crew to do it in the US unfortunately. ATC can too I believe, but it's only under special circumstances.

Become a dispatcher and get hired at an airline in their dispatch department. FAA requires dispatchers to observe 5 hours a year in the jumpseat. Also you can jumpseat on other airlines you do not work for by getting a CASS id once you are a dispatcher.

Find a flight operated under part 91. Mx flights... you are lwgal to jumpseat thoaw flights. Hkwever to get to do that, you would most likely need to know the pjlot scheduled for an mx flight and he would have to get the ok from the chief pilot. Anything goes under part 91.

Just ask once onboard. Chances are very small, at best and it certainly helps if you know someone who works for the airline you're going to fly with.But realise that after 9/11 it's very, very, VERY difficult.

Anyone knows how hard it is to jumpseat in Europe, or even Norway?Andy

Crew, Pilots, FA's, ATC's, FAA employees, Dispatchers, Interns, DOT & airline Chief Pilot approved persons such as journalists for special occasions.The only thing the rest of us will ever get to jumpseat is a Cessna 172. :(

You: "Knock! Knock!"Pilots""Who's there?"You""It's me. I've coffee"Pilots: "Oh oké, come in!"Or just say you've a Big Mac ...

You: "Knock! Knock!"Pilots""Who's there?"You""It's me. I've coffee"Pilots: "Oh oké, come in!"Or just say you've a Big Mac ...

I used to jumpseat on my ID90 tickets twice a month for over ten years up till 9/11 :( it was common that when the flight was full staff would fight over seats and the 'unlucky' one's would get a jumpseat. The check in people used to think I was crazy when I would let another staff member take my seat and I would volunteer to ride upfront for 7 hours OBBI -EGLL at the time best thing was I could have a smoke! (Stupid I know) Talk about taking something for granted...Not a chance nowaday's unless your deadheading. Put it this way, I know of a long service 777 captain out in the Gulf who got fired for letting his wife sit on the jumpseat out of Heathrow quite recently. Sad time we live in.Btw - The hosty seats are also called jumpseats, I learnt quite quickly when I volunteered and ended up sat in the galley all night.

Crew, Pilots, FA's, ATC's, FAA employees, Dispatchers, Interns, DOT & airline Chief Pilot approved persons such as journalists for special occasions.The only thing the rest of us will ever get to jumpseat is a Cessna 172. :(

Scratch interns out of your list and you are correct. In the USA, Interns aren't considered part 121 crew members and therefore aren't allowed to jumpseat on part 121 operated flights.

I assume that even though I'm a private pilot trained under part 121, then I still can't jumpseat?