48 replies to this topic

[NilsOlavThePenguin]

Well actually, its all up to the pilot, A good tip is also just to ask to see it before Taxi and engage in an aviation related talk with the captain, then he/she might ask you or you could ask him/her.

[BritAbroad]

It is almost certainly against the relevant national aviation authority's advisory, maybe even against formal state-backed regulations.
Regardless of the law, I know of at least two airlines with a specific policy that prohibits access to the cockpit during pre-flight or flight by anybody other than aircraft crew or "essential airline personnel" in uniform (or clearly displaying correct identification). I would not be surprised if many other airlines in the western world have similar policies. At least one airline makes breach of that rule a sacking offence. The pilot can obviously choose to overlook that rule, and may well get away with it, but it is their problem if they do. I wouldn't like to ask somebody to take that risk (for their job or for the safety of the aircraft).

[M4matthew]

I think Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) allow you in the cockpit - if you do the things Techno has suggested... I've seen it done with one of their A321s before. I guess it just comes down to how strict the national and company regulations are and how nice the captain is.

[NilsOlavThePenguin]

I also know that some airlines let you sit in there if you have a fear of flying.

[BritAbroad]

I think Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) allow you in the cockpit - if you do the things Techno has suggested... I've seen it done with one of their A321s before. I guess it just comes down to how strict the national and company regulations are and how nice the captain is.

I also know that some airlines let you sit in there if you have a fear of flying.

That I find surprising - if only because I would imagine that there are similarities in the mannerisms of someone who thinks they are going to die because they have a paranoid fear of flying, and someone who thinks they are going to die because they plan to hijack the aircraft. I doubt there is any policy or legislation that actively permits it - Individual crew bending / breaking the rules, perhaps?

[Delta-Northwest]

I think Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) allow you in the cockpit - if you do the things Techno has suggested... I've seen it done with one of their A321s before. I guess it just comes down to how strict the national and company regulations are and how nice the captain is.

This is up to the respective flight crew on the flight.
After the inncident with an SAS MD80 at copenhagen with the norwegian crown prince and crown princess onboard, then it became clear that Mette marit the crown princess was seated in the cockpit. However a friend started a long discussion with the sas custommer relations team and their policy is that no passenger might enter the flight deck. Then when we asked about why Mette-Marit was seated in the cockpit we did not get a good answear back and she just said that it is against company policy and it should not have been done....

[NilsOlavThePenguin]

Royalty trumps Flight Crew, simple as that

[BritAbroad]

Before flight, you could tamper with or plant something, I guess. Afterwards, there's not so much a reason, as the crew will do pre-flights before the next and find anything suspect.

[h3llr4iser]

I did pop my head in the cockpit of a BA 734 after a LGW-NAP flight; As simple as it is, as I was walking off the plane (last one the leave as usual) the senior flight attendant noticed my "Airliner World" magazine and made a little joke about "reading about planes on a plane".

when I replied that I was passionate about aviation and planes, she indicated the open cockpit door saying "guess those guys in there are passionate too". So I just popped my head in and briefly chatted with the Captain and First Officer. Mind you, I'm an hairy hulking 31 years old - therefore no "cuteness" factor involved, nor boobies of any sort

Speaking of the regulations, it's certainly a matter of airline policies, but I wouldn't be 100% sure that only safety concerns are involved; While it's certainly sure that, after the 9/11 events, most people went completely overboard with safety concerns (read "paranoid"), I wouldn't be surprised that most policies are in place also to avoid having people "demanding" to speak to the Captain or the pilots turned in to flying baby-sitters (you can imagine what would happen if the practice of allowing people, especially children, in the cockpit became a widespread habit).