Sorry...what the heck are you all arguing about?

If rules don't permit you to be there, then you won't be. If the captain has the option to say yes, and he does end up saying yes, well then it's your lucky day isn't it?

 

I think we are all fascinated by the cockpit of any aircraft, so the desire to see one is not abnormal by any stretch of the imagination. We are after all aviation enthusiasts to one degree or another. So ask away. The worst thing you can get is a "no".

 

I am friends with flight attendants, and they work for a very reputable airline. They openly admit to laughing and joking about "certain" passengers on the aircraft, for any number of reasons. It's part of any sane persons mental coping strategy to laugh about certain things. Heck, they recycle these stories at social gatherings all the time, much to the delight of everyone listening in. It's a far cry better that they are laughing about it, instead of just smacking you upside the head. And you can take comfort knowing that you made someone laugh that day, and many days afterwards! Heck, I get off the phone and laugh about certain customers requests in my daily job too. I'd go insane if I had to restrain myself from having such thoughts about some of the stupid things I hear people ask my opinion about.

 

So argue away about who thinks they are more right than the other about the state of society, the inherent danger of every passenger aboard an airplane, or the mental stability of Virtual Airline CEOs. I am laughing, and I thank you for it!

 

Now, let's all keep trying to have a peek at those fancy buttons and levers in the front of the plane! Who's with me!

 

OPS 1.100

 

Admission to flight deck

 

(a) An operator must ensure that no person, other than a flight crew member assigned to a flight, is admitted to, or carried in, the flight deck unless that person is:

 

1. an operating crew member;

 

2. a representative of the Authority responsible for certification, licensing or inspection if this is required for the performance of his/her official duties; or

 

3. permitted by, and carried in accordance with instructions contained in the Operations Manual.

 

( B) The commander shall ensure that:

 

 2. all persons carried on the flight deck are made familiar with the relevant safety procedures.

 

© The final decision regarding the admission to the flight deck shall be the responsibility of the commander.

 

 

 

 

a)3) being the key point here, if the Airline allows it. Some do, some don't and some require prior permission.

 

Some of yee don't seem to realise us pilots have a vested interest in not being hijacked. I wish it were the Commanders discretion way at my airline, but alas it's not, at least not for the time being, hopefully it'll be changing in the near future. 

 

We lasted fine for many years before 9/11 where the flight deck door was only ever closed if it got too loud in the back.  The world is not out to kill you, if you were so worried about being killed why not just stay in your house, even there it's dangerous... 

 

Regards,

Ró.

My gosh.. the visits to cockpit-issue again.

 

As a railway engineer, this practice is shunned upon by my employer (Norwegian state railways). Its not because

we are afraid of "hijackings" (huh.. not easy to wreck the train, cant push the stick forward and hope it hits the ground

hard enough:).. And then theres the SIFA you have to overcome, which makes it pretty hard to crash the train if you dont have a clue.)

 

My company is rather much more afraid of passengers being the unfortunate witness to a suicide or accident.

Thats why I always brief friends and family members that comes along, to be prepared to get out of the drivers compartment when I say so.

 

Now that Im a student pilot with my Avinor-ID card, ive gotten jumpseats on all flights ive had so far with Scandinavian companies. Ofcourse its easier when you tell the cabin crew you are a student pilot. Makes the pilots smile alot easier too, cause then they can look you in the face and go "im so glad I aint you, at the start of your career in this CRAZY industry..".. makes me chuckle every time.

 

I also tried this with german companies, but here its NEIN.. And thats fair enough. I even asked on a Air Berlin to just chat with the pilots, and the Purser was all over me, checking my cards, asking for whom i flew, while the pilots where quite the opposite.

 

A couple of years back when I was a crew chief assistant in RNoAF, I also carried an ID badge with security access. But then, I was often denied to ask the captain by the purser. I even remember a purser who refused to let me even visit before the flight. When we landed, I gave it a final attempt and asked him again on my way out. The guy said "its not possible", and suddenly the captain yelled out from the cockpit:

"Someone wanna see the cockpit? COME ON IN".. The purser got a bit embarrased. But I do understand them too after stupid 9/11..

 

A)3) being the key point here, if the Airline allows it. Some do, some don't and some require prior permission.

 

 

 

a)3) being the key point here, if the Airline allows it. Some do, some don't and some require prior permission.

 

Some of yee don't seem to realise us pilots have a vested interest in not being hijacked. I wish it were the Commanders discretion way at my airline, but alas it's not, at least not for the time being, hopefully it'll be changing in the near future. 

 

We lasted fine for many years before 9/11 where the flight deck door was only ever closed if it got too loud in the back.  The world is not out to kill you, if you were so worried about being killed why not just stay in your house, even there it's dangerous... 

 

Regards,

Ró.

 

Too true!

You're more likely to get killed or injured on the way to the airport than on the 'plane itself!

Actually, it's more likely to get killed in aircraft crash than due hijacking

 

 

We lasted fine for many years before 9/11 where the flight deck door was only ever closed if it got too loud in the back.

 

....until  almost 3,000 people were murdered because no one could conceive it might happen.  Should we wait until something else happens before banning rubber-neckers from the flight deck? They have absolutely no need to be there.

 They have absolutely no need to be there.

What does that have to do with it, as people we're always doign things we don't need to do, we go on holidays, no one needs to go on holidays, but we do.

 

Who's to say having an extra pair of eye's on a flight deck might not one day save 300 lives?

 

You can't live your entire life hiding away asking what if.

 

Regards,

Ró.

 

 

Who's to say having an extra pair of eye's on a flight deck might not one day save 300 lives?

 

Good idea. Let's always have a rubber-necker on the flight deck as an additional  safety measure.

Good idea. Let's always have a rubber-necker on the flight deck as an additional  safety measure.

As said, I'd be more than happy to have one on my flightdeck, as I'm sure would 90% of most pilots. I don't see the big deal with having a visitor on the flight deck, what exactly do you think they're going to do? I mean, if I wanted to I could crash my aircraft in second, are you happy with me being on the flight deck, or would you rather I waved goodbye to the aircraft at the gate? Stop being so afraid and pessimistic, what makes you think that people if let on the flight deck would take it down, when for 70 years in the lead up to 9/11 it was unheard of.

 

Regards,

Ró.

 

 

when for 70 years in the lead up to 9/11 it was unheard of.

 

So let's allow another 9/11 to  happen?

When I was a kid, TWA stewardesses used to ask if you wanted to go and see the cockpit, and I did on at least three flights (1980's), they even gave you captain wings (plastic of course)  They would come round and ask all the kids, it was a great experience   Your mother or father also came along.  I asked on a recent flight for my children on a A380 and was told firmly no way.  The world has changed sadly not for the better. 

So let's allow another 9/11 to  happen?

No, let's not, let's allow visitors onto the flight deck at the Commander's discretion...  :mellow:

No, let's not, let's allow visitors onto the flight deck at the Commander's discretion...  :mellow:

 

But how can the Commander effectively exercise that discretion when faced with a request from someone he knows nothing about?

But how can the Commander effectively exercise that discretion when faced with a request from someone he knows nothing about?

Do you walk down the street wearing a bullet proof vest because you don't know the people you might meet? No. Do you avoid the gang of rough looking young lads because they look like they're up to no good? Yes. Again, I have a vested interest in not being hijacked, but that doesn't mean that I'm going to treat everyone of my paying customers as if they were there to kill me, how can you live your life like that. I flew for 12 years, where on every flight the door to the flight deck would be wide open and people would just stroll up to us, nothing ever happened, not once. Now I have to stroll back if I want to meet the passengers, I certainly know which I preferred...

 

Regards,

Ró.

 

 

I flew for 12 years, where on every flight the door to the flight deck would be wide open and people would just stroll up to us, nothing ever happened, not once. Now I have to stroll back if I want to meet the passengers, I certainly know which I preferred...

 

Simple customer service like that is what creates a loyalty from your passengers that in many cases become.....lifelong.