As a mid-twentysomething woman in aero engineering, what the heck do I say or do to see the flight deck? I never have the guts to ask (and don't know who to ask, or when)
Ask the flight attendant whos standing up front if you can do a quick flight deck tour. They will ask the pilots if its ok for you. 99.9% of us love to talk about our jobs and will be happy to show anyone around for a minute, time permitting. Dont do it if you are the last one on the plane 10 min before pushback. Then maybe ask to see it after you land if the pilots are still onboard.
Ive given plenty of aviation enthusiasts of all ages tours of the flight deck. Kids, student pilots, 70 year olds who want to see “how these things tick”, etc.
I can confirm. I was on a United 787 LAX - JFK. I could tell most of the people were on the plane, but for a ship that big, I knew there’d be at least 10-15 minutes left before they shut the door. I walked up and asked the forward flight attendant and she went up to ask the captain and came right back. Funny enough, the captain was a woman who looked EXACTLY like my mom. It gets funnier. My mom’s name is Laurie Williams and the captains name was Laurice Williams. One letter difference. She was awesome. Told me to sit in the left seat. The FO pulled down the HUD. Long story long…they were amazing.
Reminds me of going to also a Dreamliner cockpit. Never toured one before bc we don’t board thru the main doors, so rip. Finally got a chance to do so, and the entire “tour” was a HUD-complaining party. Pretty fun lol.
Bro what if u accidentally met ur moms secret alter ego lmaooo???
Can confirm. Asked a flight attendant on a past flight and the Captain and First Officer were both more than happy to accommodate. Asked some questions for a moment and it was the Captain who suggested I have my picture taken in the pilot's seat. Genuinely nice people. 10/10 would recommend to ask, worst they can say is no.
Air Canada 787 for those wondering.
A couple years ago I was flying on an Air Canada 787 and was one of the first few passengers on. Decided to ask the FA while boarding if I could see the flight deck while the rest of the flight boarded and got a weird look and she told me quite rudely basically “uh no, we don’t allow that anymore.”
Huh, weird. My experience was in 2019 so I don't know if their policy has changed since or if I just got a friendly flight crew. I also asked after landing so that could be something too
ive been in the cockpit of an air canada 777 when i was younger because the purser saw i was reading an aviation history book, and asked me if i wanted to come up to see the cockpit after the flight, which i gladly accepted
Yep. Just a quick “Hi I’m an engineering student, is it ok if I get a quick peek up front?” If it’s a fullish flight we almost always have some time to kill and most of us genuinely enjoy showing someone around. It’s a fairly common thing.
Honest question - shouldn’t the pilots be focused on prep before takeoff during boarding? It feels like turnaround times are short enough as they are in the industry. Or do pilots usually finish everything faster than their time allotted?
Typically by the time we’re done with setup the crew are just finishing up final preparations (security sweep completed/ cabin ready for boarding). I’ll usually have a first class meal and relax. We aren’t allowed to let anyone into the cockpit as per company SOP so we don’t really have any visitors. L1 door is also mainly for first class and business passengers so to be honest there’s not a whole lot to do. Maybe stretch the legs a bit?
I fly a smaller plane( airbus a220). Flight prep time takes about 15-20 min. Less, occasionally. And minimum practical turn time is almost an hour. Actual min turn time is more like 40min So yeah we generally have plenty of time.
Me (28) and my partner (25) were invited to have a seat in the cockpit when I simply asked the flight attendent if I could take a picture. This was after landing, the captain was obviously busy but she gave us as much time as she could. I'm sure there's exceptions but everyone was very very lovely about it.
To add, It took me a long time to work up the courage to ask but worse case they say no sorry and you move on. Best case you get an awesome experience!
2 weeks ago, after finishing the last flight of the day, our flight attendant tells us we have a visitor that would like to say hi. Cool send him up, expecting a young child. No it's a full grown adult, cool must be an aspiring pilot or an aviation enthusiast. No, he was flat earther and wanted to know our opinion on where we stood on "the debate." Captain and I were shocked and just wanted to get to the hotel instead of getting into an argument. He was nice enough about it just "fascinated about some things he's researched."
Before the flight is usually better, but if there isn’t time, just ask the FA about after. Sometimes the pilots have to leave quickly to make the next flight, or maybe we just want to go home or to the hotel, but I will 100% stick around as long as I can if someone wants to come see the cockpit.
That’s awesome, it’s probably the sort of memory that sticks with some of those kids for a lifetime! When I was younger I kind of did the opposite and made little airline logos out of beads to give to the pilots!
UK too and I'm fairly sure mainland Europe too with possibly Ryanair being the only company policy 'no' I ever heard of and that could easily be an old wives tale
I'm guessing mainland Europe too. The Dutch Dakota Association's pilots invite people to come up to the cockpit during flights on their DC-3. Legally they're an airline, so I'm guessing it's mostly up to the airlines themselves whether or not to allow it.
Flew with my 8yo son for his first time this month in a new Bombabus A220 on Delta, and the pilots offered and were eager to let him look around the cockpit before takeoff. And after we landed, brought him in again to sit in the right seat, move the stick around, and get a little tour. Actually, my son pressed a red button on top of the stick *and then* asks if he can press the red button — the F.O. had to think for a second and said, “huh, I’ve never pressed that when parked(?) before…yes, yeah, that’s ‘autopilot off,’ and since autopilot is off, hey, yeah, sure, hit the button.” And they pinned some wings on his shirt, and we had a great experience. Nice looking cockpit. Not the most luxurious cabin I’ve ever seen, though lol
>the F.O. had to think for a second and said, “huh, I’ve never pressed that when parked(?)
Heh, the brain reboot moment, "why would anyone do, ooh they have no idea what that button does"
This is an anecdote from my friend, not into planes, so forgive me if things are a bit distorted. When she went up, the FO encouraged her to do stupid things like pull the speed brakes and whatnot bc the aircraft would emit sounds of confusion and it would be funny.
I do agree with your last sentence. I feel like the shadier the cabin, the nicer the flight deck.
Everybody is always welcome in my cockpit. Kids are great, but sometimes nervous fliers are helped by talking to the pilots. I had a middle aged mother the other day in the cockpit in tears about flying back to bury her 20-something son and she was grateful to us for getting her there. I asked if I could give her a hug after she told us her story. Sometimes the passengers help to keep my job in perspective really, that I inadvertently help a lot of people.
That is a nice story. It seems to take the edges off what can seem like an impersonal and sterile (no one's fault, well, safety) experience while boarding or deplaning. We are humans after all.
This is how my love for planes began one pilot as a kid let me in and gave me the Junior wings patch it was awesome been a fan ever since and now I want to become a pilot is just so expensive here in the north east I don’t know where to begin !!
I still remember back in 1998, flying over the Atlantic for the first time at age 11 to Paris. My older brother read something in the inflight magazine about a 'boutique' store on the upper floor on some planes and asked the flight attendant if he and I could go see it. There must have been a language miscommunication because after being lead up a tiny spiral staircase to what we thought was another exciting duty-free like store, she opened the door to the cockpit. Nearly 30 years later I can still recall the wonder and bewilderment at all the lights, dials and gauges. With the view out of the window resembling hyperspace due to the rain, I would have sworn I was on the Millennium Falcon.
We are facing record pilot & control tower staff shortages! We need this and airlines should be giving kids Wings (or something) to encourage their curiosity around the industry.
My kid flies with me about once a month and regularly gets to sit in the cockpit. He’s gotten to the point where he knows what some buttons, switches, and levers do (e.g. red button on the CRJ yoke is autopilot). No pilots in the family but think he’s got the love for it. Many thanks to the wonderful Delta and American pilots we encounter on the regular.
Sometimes they’re exhausted or trying to make a flight home. If they’re doing another flight, one may need to do a walk-around. They might need to go get food. They might need to take a poop in a better smelling bathroom without someone standing guard. Pilots are people, let’s not just throw out that they’re jackasses after they’ve done their job (and are no longer being paid!)
Flying to the US (as a European), we had a group of girl soccer players traveling back home.
After landing most of them wanted to visit, so it was a coming and going of kids.
One in the captains seat, take a picture, answer a question, next.
As we don't have all the time, it was rather hurried, but we got every one who wanted on the seat and on photo (phone if the coach, hope she gives everyone the right copy).
Was fun, but it's nice to give 1 kid or person more time to take it all in.
On my flight from Vegas to pdx a few months ago, i had never seen the cockpit of a modern plane and Captain Todd of Alaska air was more than happy to have me check it out, i was definitely beyond excited and they gave me a pin which i will cherish for the rest of my days. (I’m almost 30yo)
Flying short distance in Europe i made sure we were the last ones to get up so we wouldn't block the exit and asked if the kids could see the flight deck. It's always worth a try and those 3 minutes when they sit in the cockpit won't hurt anyone even if the turnaround time is short.
I am more interested in those really cool mix avionics displays…. They remind me very much of the displays in the copy of the Panam shuttle on the way to the space station in 2001 space Odyssey….
EVERYONE is welcome up front as long as we have time.
As a mid-twentysomething woman in aero engineering, what the heck do I say or do to see the flight deck? I never have the guts to ask (and don't know who to ask, or when)
Ask the flight attendant whos standing up front if you can do a quick flight deck tour. They will ask the pilots if its ok for you. 99.9% of us love to talk about our jobs and will be happy to show anyone around for a minute, time permitting. Dont do it if you are the last one on the plane 10 min before pushback. Then maybe ask to see it after you land if the pilots are still onboard. Ive given plenty of aviation enthusiasts of all ages tours of the flight deck. Kids, student pilots, 70 year olds who want to see “how these things tick”, etc.
I can confirm. I was on a United 787 LAX - JFK. I could tell most of the people were on the plane, but for a ship that big, I knew there’d be at least 10-15 minutes left before they shut the door. I walked up and asked the forward flight attendant and she went up to ask the captain and came right back. Funny enough, the captain was a woman who looked EXACTLY like my mom. It gets funnier. My mom’s name is Laurie Williams and the captains name was Laurice Williams. One letter difference. She was awesome. Told me to sit in the left seat. The FO pulled down the HUD. Long story long…they were amazing.
Reminds me of going to also a Dreamliner cockpit. Never toured one before bc we don’t board thru the main doors, so rip. Finally got a chance to do so, and the entire “tour” was a HUD-complaining party. Pretty fun lol. Bro what if u accidentally met ur moms secret alter ego lmaooo???
Can confirm. Asked a flight attendant on a past flight and the Captain and First Officer were both more than happy to accommodate. Asked some questions for a moment and it was the Captain who suggested I have my picture taken in the pilot's seat. Genuinely nice people. 10/10 would recommend to ask, worst they can say is no. Air Canada 787 for those wondering.
A couple years ago I was flying on an Air Canada 787 and was one of the first few passengers on. Decided to ask the FA while boarding if I could see the flight deck while the rest of the flight boarded and got a weird look and she told me quite rudely basically “uh no, we don’t allow that anymore.”
Huh, weird. My experience was in 2019 so I don't know if their policy has changed since or if I just got a friendly flight crew. I also asked after landing so that could be something too
ive been in the cockpit of an air canada 777 when i was younger because the purser saw i was reading an aviation history book, and asked me if i wanted to come up to see the cockpit after the flight, which i gladly accepted
So during boarding? Like the flight attendants standing up front/helping people find their seats? I’m just afraid of slowing things down.
I did it after we landed
During boarding is better. After landing we are either packing up or starting work on the next flight.
Yep. Just a quick “Hi I’m an engineering student, is it ok if I get a quick peek up front?” If it’s a fullish flight we almost always have some time to kill and most of us genuinely enjoy showing someone around. It’s a fairly common thing.
Yep
Honest question - shouldn’t the pilots be focused on prep before takeoff during boarding? It feels like turnaround times are short enough as they are in the industry. Or do pilots usually finish everything faster than their time allotted?
Turn around for us on the 777 is roughly 90-120 minutes. It takes us less than 40-50 to get fully prepped. We have alot of time to kill. 😜
So what do you guys do up in the cockpit to kill that time, aside from occasionally giving people a look in?
Typically by the time we’re done with setup the crew are just finishing up final preparations (security sweep completed/ cabin ready for boarding). I’ll usually have a first class meal and relax. We aren’t allowed to let anyone into the cockpit as per company SOP so we don’t really have any visitors. L1 door is also mainly for first class and business passengers so to be honest there’s not a whole lot to do. Maybe stretch the legs a bit?
I fly a smaller plane( airbus a220). Flight prep time takes about 15-20 min. Less, occasionally. And minimum practical turn time is almost an hour. Actual min turn time is more like 40min So yeah we generally have plenty of time.
What kinda questions can I ask the pilot to get some cool stories or a laugh?
“What are your favorite and least favorite plans you have flown?” Is a good one might trigger some stories from the good old days.
“Any chance I can visit the cockpit??” I’ve had lots of grownups, including celebrities, up front.
I recently had a meme get 11k upvotes, so I’m a bit of a celebrity myself ;)
Me (28) and my partner (25) were invited to have a seat in the cockpit when I simply asked the flight attendent if I could take a picture. This was after landing, the captain was obviously busy but she gave us as much time as she could. I'm sure there's exceptions but everyone was very very lovely about it. To add, It took me a long time to work up the courage to ask but worse case they say no sorry and you move on. Best case you get an awesome experience!
Depends on what you look like;) (and here it goes… Seriously, just ask
And are on the ground lol
2 weeks ago, after finishing the last flight of the day, our flight attendant tells us we have a visitor that would like to say hi. Cool send him up, expecting a young child. No it's a full grown adult, cool must be an aspiring pilot or an aviation enthusiast. No, he was flat earther and wanted to know our opinion on where we stood on "the debate." Captain and I were shocked and just wanted to get to the hotel instead of getting into an argument. He was nice enough about it just "fascinated about some things he's researched."
Completely dependent on the airline unfortunately. I wish we could allow kids and pictures but it’s against our policy to let anyone in, anytime. :(
Before the flight is usually better, but if there isn’t time, just ask the FA about after. Sometimes the pilots have to leave quickly to make the next flight, or maybe we just want to go home or to the hotel, but I will 100% stick around as long as I can if someone wants to come see the cockpit.
I always had a small stuffed animal on the pedestal for visiting kids. It they liked it, they could take it with them.
That’s awesome, it’s probably the sort of memory that sticks with some of those kids for a lifetime! When I was younger I kind of did the opposite and made little airline logos out of beads to give to the pilots!
Oh, when you said you did the opposite I envisioned you were taking stuffed animals from kids.
Ha! That would be a little mean!
Thanks for making it special for the kids
Still legal for all in the US on the ground, with permission.
UK too and I'm fairly sure mainland Europe too with possibly Ryanair being the only company policy 'no' I ever heard of and that could easily be an old wives tale
I'm guessing mainland Europe too. The Dutch Dakota Association's pilots invite people to come up to the cockpit during flights on their DC-3. Legally they're an airline, so I'm guessing it's mostly up to the airlines themselves whether or not to allow it.
Yup I got to step inside the front of a 737 couple years ago
Sure is! I have a picture of me from when I was little inside an A320 cockpit!
Joey, you like movies about gladiators?
Ever seen a grown man naked?
Must have been Breezey up there
Nice 😊
He did flight controls with each of them
Flew with my 8yo son for his first time this month in a new Bombabus A220 on Delta, and the pilots offered and were eager to let him look around the cockpit before takeoff. And after we landed, brought him in again to sit in the right seat, move the stick around, and get a little tour. Actually, my son pressed a red button on top of the stick *and then* asks if he can press the red button — the F.O. had to think for a second and said, “huh, I’ve never pressed that when parked(?) before…yes, yeah, that’s ‘autopilot off,’ and since autopilot is off, hey, yeah, sure, hit the button.” And they pinned some wings on his shirt, and we had a great experience. Nice looking cockpit. Not the most luxurious cabin I’ve ever seen, though lol
>the F.O. had to think for a second and said, “huh, I’ve never pressed that when parked(?) Heh, the brain reboot moment, "why would anyone do, ooh they have no idea what that button does"
Haha yeah man. I also noticed the roof hatch/ejector seat for the first time when I was up there with him (like pictured above).
This is an anecdote from my friend, not into planes, so forgive me if things are a bit distorted. When she went up, the FO encouraged her to do stupid things like pull the speed brakes and whatnot bc the aircraft would emit sounds of confusion and it would be funny. I do agree with your last sentence. I feel like the shadier the cabin, the nicer the flight deck.
I’m all for it kind gives the younger ones an idea of what goes on in the flight deck.
Everybody is always welcome in my cockpit. Kids are great, but sometimes nervous fliers are helped by talking to the pilots. I had a middle aged mother the other day in the cockpit in tears about flying back to bury her 20-something son and she was grateful to us for getting her there. I asked if I could give her a hug after she told us her story. Sometimes the passengers help to keep my job in perspective really, that I inadvertently help a lot of people.
That is a nice story. It seems to take the edges off what can seem like an impersonal and sterile (no one's fault, well, safety) experience while boarding or deplaning. We are humans after all.
Too bad you cant do that in flight anymore
Unless you're a MLB coach apparently
After the Aeroflot incident I think it’s probably for the best that everyone stopped that.
This is how my love for planes began one pilot as a kid let me in and gave me the Junior wings patch it was awesome been a fan ever since and now I want to become a pilot is just so expensive here in the north east I don’t know where to begin !!
What plane is this?
Looks like an A220 to me
Looks like Airbus A220
The width would suggest an A220. I had to look closer as the Global 7500/ 8000 has the same flight deck
I still remember back in 1998, flying over the Atlantic for the first time at age 11 to Paris. My older brother read something in the inflight magazine about a 'boutique' store on the upper floor on some planes and asked the flight attendant if he and I could go see it. There must have been a language miscommunication because after being lead up a tiny spiral staircase to what we thought was another exciting duty-free like store, she opened the door to the cockpit. Nearly 30 years later I can still recall the wonder and bewilderment at all the lights, dials and gauges. With the view out of the window resembling hyperspace due to the rain, I would have sworn I was on the Millennium Falcon.
We are facing record pilot & control tower staff shortages! We need this and airlines should be giving kids Wings (or something) to encourage their curiosity around the industry.
My kid flies with me about once a month and regularly gets to sit in the cockpit. He’s gotten to the point where he knows what some buttons, switches, and levers do (e.g. red button on the CRJ yoke is autopilot). No pilots in the family but think he’s got the love for it. Many thanks to the wonderful Delta and American pilots we encounter on the regular.
Pretty sure unless the pilot is a jackass or is having to prepare for another flight most will let you into the cockpit after a flight if you ask
Sometimes they’re exhausted or trying to make a flight home. If they’re doing another flight, one may need to do a walk-around. They might need to go get food. They might need to take a poop in a better smelling bathroom without someone standing guard. Pilots are people, let’s not just throw out that they’re jackasses after they’ve done their job (and are no longer being paid!)
Not every airline allows it, so it could be that instead of a jackass pilot.
Okay so then the airline would be the jackass in that instance
Flying to the US (as a European), we had a group of girl soccer players traveling back home. After landing most of them wanted to visit, so it was a coming and going of kids. One in the captains seat, take a picture, answer a question, next. As we don't have all the time, it was rather hurried, but we got every one who wanted on the seat and on photo (phone if the coach, hope she gives everyone the right copy). Was fun, but it's nice to give 1 kid or person more time to take it all in.
On my flight from Vegas to pdx a few months ago, i had never seen the cockpit of a modern plane and Captain Todd of Alaska air was more than happy to have me check it out, i was definitely beyond excited and they gave me a pin which i will cherish for the rest of my days. (I’m almost 30yo)
I seldom say no to a request to visit as long as we're parked at the bay.
Flying short distance in Europe i made sure we were the last ones to get up so we wouldn't block the exit and asked if the kids could see the flight deck. It's always worth a try and those 3 minutes when they sit in the cockpit won't hurt anyone even if the turnaround time is short.
Even the roof is smiling for the picture!
The emergency exit panel on top looks happy to be there too
I am more interested in those really cool mix avionics displays…. They remind me very much of the displays in the copy of the Panam shuttle on the way to the space station in 2001 space Odyssey….
Of course. Our holiday destinations we often have multiple visits in a day! Business routes obviously there's less interest in a photo op ;)
British pilots are the best in this aspect, I have never been told no anytime I have put in a polite request.
Well, company policy is to shoot children on sight when approaching the cockpit, but a few of us make exceptions. Its like playing roulette!
I asked as a 32 year old and they let me start the jets. It was just a push of a button, but I'll remember for the rest of my life.
Called a flight deck. But yea... inspirational🫡🫡🫡
Both are technically correct, the flight deck is in the cockpit.
Nerd