Visiting the flight deck

MarkE

MarkE

Greetings, Professor Falken
I did a search and didn't find any threads on this. I'm leaving for Chicago this weekend and I wanted to know how does one ask to visit the flight deck. I assume it would happen either before or after the flight. Would I ask an FA to ask the Cap? Or do I just burst through the cockpit door and demand, as a paying pax, a tour?
 
MarkE said:
I did a search and didn't find any threads on this. I'm leaving for Chicago this weekend and I wanted to know how does one ask to visit the flight deck.
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Excellent! I always welcome folks up front for a quick hello and chat. :)

I assume it would happen either before or after the flight.
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Indeed. Just depends if they are running late or not or done with pre/post flight duties yet.

Would I ask an FA to ask the Cap?
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Usually ask the FA first, because he/she will be standing near the door/hallway to the cockpit. Then present yourself to the Captain and say you are an aspiring pilot and just wanted to say hello and look around.


Or do I just burst through the cockpit door and demand, as a paying pax, a tour?
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I am sure you know the answer to that one ;)

Have fun!
 
How often do you guys get visitors up front? Sometimes I think I am just annoying the pilots. I did have a very lengthy discussion with an AA FO on the mad dog one day in dallas. He let me sit up front and gave me great insight on everything from how this industry sucks to everything in the cockpit. He claimed I should become a doctor or dentist. LOL It was a great experience though..one I will remember!
 
In all of my trips to JA, the FO/CA have practically invited me in, maybe its the baby face, or future pilot look?:rolleyes::D
 
flyeagle111 said:
How often do you guys get visitors up front?
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Got one just this afternoon. She came up and sat in the captain's seat and got her picture taken, I gave her a set of wings and she peeled the sticky cover right off and stuck the wings on her forehead and left the plane with them like that. :p

It would be nice if I was in a cockpit that was not only large enough for the kid and parent (if they're that young) to stand comfortably somewhere by the door, but also to not have the master caution going off in all of our ears every five seconds but that's another issue for the geniuses in Brazil.
 
Just ask the FA first, and use some common sense of course... I doubt a crew would like to show the flight deck if it's the last trip of the day and it's 3am. :)
 
It helps a lot when the Captain is your very good friend/instructor!!
One of the best experiences so far- I know what my goal is now!:yup:
 
You're always welcome up front if I'm there. Even if it's a 20 minute turn or whatever the crap may be. If we're running late or something, it may be a quick visit . . . but come on up anyway. If the Captain gives me crap, I'll knock his teeth out, and you can visit.
 
MarkE said:
I did a search and didn't find any threads on this. I'm leaving for Chicago this weekend and I wanted to know how does one ask to visit the flight deck. I assume it would happen either before or after the flight. Would I ask an FA to ask the Cap? Or do I just burst through the cockpit door and demand, as a paying pax, a tour?
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Just tell the Captain you are from airliners.net, they will understand;):p:D
 
mtsu_av8er said:
You're always welcome up front if I'm there. Even if it's a 20 minute turn or whatever the crap may be. If we're running late or something, it may be a quick visit . . . but come on up anyway. If the Captain gives me crap, I'll knock his teeth out, and you can visit.
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Excellent! One can only dream to see this go down. Where you based at again Lloyd? ;)
 
Boarding early will leave more time for visits. Always politely ask the flight attendant at the boarding door "My name is xxxx, may I say a quick hello to the captain?" The flight attendant will then stick their head in the cockpit and ask the crew if they can accommodate a visitor. With rare exceptions, a nice tour, a picture or two and "what does this button do?" conversation follows. Please, don't ever rush into the flight deck unannounced or uninvited.

Catching the crew at the boarding gate is always a good option as well. If you do this, talk directly to the first officer or captain. More than likely they will be thrilled to do it.
 
calcapt said:
Boarding early will leave more time for visits. Always politely ask the flight attendant at the boarding door "My name is xxxx, may I say a quick hello to the captain?" The flight attendant will then stick their head in the cockpit and ask the crew if they can accommodate a visitor. With rare exceptions, a nice tour, a picture or two and "what does this button do?" conversation follows. Please, don't ever rush into the flight deck unannounced or uninvited.

Catching the crew at the boarding gate is always a good option as well. If you do this, talk directly to the first officer or captain. More than likely they will be thrilled to do it.
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:yeahthat: I had a chat with an SWA FO in SNA at the gate. We were talking about aviation and how he got to the airlines etc. He was waiting for the CA. CA arrives and the FO asked the CA if I could check out the cockpit. No problem I got to board early since it was a less than half full flight. I talked to them in the cockpit until the flight started boarding. Extremely nice guys and very happy to have visitors.
 
SeanD said:
:yeahthat: I had a chat with an SWA FO in SNA at the gate. We were talking about aviation and how he got to the airlines etc. He was waiting for the CA. CA arrives and the FO asked the CA if I could check out the cockpit. No problem I got to board early since it was a less than half full flight. I talked to them in the cockpit until the flight started boarding. Extremely nice guys and very happy to have visitors.
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Cool. I'm flying on SW. Guess I'll just use my best judgment to gauge if it's a good time to approach them or not.
 
A few months prior to 9/11, I asked the flight crew of an AA A-300 if I could check out the cockpit before departing the gate... They were very nice and friendly! They allowed me to take pictures -the captain even took a picture of me in the FO seat- , and they allowed me to stay while they read their checklists. It was an great experience!
 
on my flight to florida which i did from gatwick to amsterdam back to gatwick then to orlando, I saw every flight deck. just asked either a flight attendant or people before boarding.

Pilots were more than nice! gave me seem realy good advice. and i cant wait till im in the front seats and people want to come see me :) lol
 
Back before 9/11 my family and I were on a charter from Dominican Republic to Canada on Royal Airlines on an A310 that was practically empty. One of the pilots came into the cabin to go to the bathroom and started talking with my family and I and asked my parents if I would be interested in sitting in the cockpit for the landing. So I got to watch the landing from the jumpseat. I still remember that flight. Best flight ever, at least as a passenger. Ever since that flight I have wanted to be an airline pilot.
 
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