All you non pilots - Which Cockpits during Flights?

[The Boy Lard]

Okay so this was some time ago when I was between the ages of 8 and 16...

But I've been on the flight deck of;
737
767
757
747

I was up front for all but take off & landing from Auckland to Wellington on a 737 - best flight of my life...

Anyone got any others?

[bobthemonkey]

737
747
757
DeHaviland Dragon Rapide

Was up front in the 747 for dawn over the Atlantic. Simply stunning.

While not flying, I did get to spend some time in the cockpit of a Spitfire being talked through everything by the pilot who flew her in the Battle of Britain.

[HereBeMonsters]

Having family who work for the airlines works wonders. Been in most cockpits of BA aircraft from early 80s to present day. Highlight would have to be landing a 747 at Gatwick. (I punched in the codes to the computer above the Sahara, and they didn't touch the controls all the way to the ground).

[magpie215]

OK here are mine.

1. DC-3 P.1 seat given a go at the controls
2. Shorts 330 and 360 jump seat and also given a go at the controls
3. Embraer Bandeirante P.2 seat and a go on the controls
4. H.P Herald jumpseat only
5. B.N Islander P.2 seat and given a go
6. Avro 748 jumpseat only
7. Cessna 421 golden eagle P.2 seat pax only

As a none pilot I do consider myself quite lucky to have experienced the above especially considering most of the above types are now no longer in use.

[Pugland53]

Been in quite a few cockpits over the years, mostly 747's. I was fortunate to be allowed into the cockpit of a Virgin 747 whilst landing at Gatwick, an unforgettable experience.

[60]

Only one in the air and I was to young to rember what it was, but a few on the ground
B757
A300
A320
A321
A319

Edited by 60 on Sunday 23 January 01:06

[fatboy b]

I once did a circuit of Manchester airport in the captain's seat of a BA DC10 a few years back.

OK it was in the Gatwick sim

[Simpo Two]

The Boy Lard said:

I was up front for all but take off & landing from Auckland to Wellington on a 737 - best flight of my life...

No terrorists in NZ you see; they don't let them in.

I was amazed to find, on a twin from KeriKeri to Auckland, that you can lean out from the aisle and see straight into the cockpit. It's nice being in a country where people aren't trying to blow you up all the time.

[Eric Mc]

Was invited up to a B Cal DC-10 flight deck on a flight to Houston in 1981.

I flew in an Aer Lingus Commuter Shorts 360 from Dublin to Sligo in 1987 and the door to the cockpit was left open so you could see and hear all the activity. One of my favourite airline flights ever - and I got some free peanuts.

[HoHoHo]

VC10
707
727 (private jet)
737
737
747 (on the way to Rio in the late 80's. Even had a go at flying via trims through turbulance and ended up sitting on the flight deck for 3 hours )
747 (sat in the rear jump seat for landing on the way back from Rio)
757
Tristar (various varients)

CONCORDE - I won a sales trip to the Monaco F1 GP - out on Concorde, back on the Orient Express - unfortunately I had also qualified for a world wide sales trip which clashed, so I had to settle for a trip out to Saltzburg on the Orient Express, and back on Concorde from Linz. Still, got pissed for 5 days with a bloke called Wolfgang Blass.......apparently he's quite something in wine these days

It's a shame my children will never have the chance to experience the same

Edited for spelling.

Edited by HoHoHo on Sunday 23 January 10:08

[-Z-]

Been on a few, best was in a 747 as we passed Mont Blanc at sunset

[AstonZagato]

I have sat in the jump seat of a private jet from Paris to LHR.

But the coolest was this:

[Pugland53]

Simpo Two said:

The Boy Lard said:

I was up front for all but take off & landing from Auckland to Wellington on a 737 - best flight of my life...

No terrorists in NZ you see; they don't let them in.

I was amazed to find, on a twin from KeriKeri to Auckland, that you can lean out from the aisle and see straight into the cockpit. It's nice being in a country where people aren't trying to blow you up all the time.

In the 90's Airtours leased a 747 and crews from Air New Zealand. We flew from Cardiff to Florida and upgraded to 'premier' seats upstairs just behind the cockpit. The crew left the cockpit door open for the entire flight and we were invited in for a few mins for a look. A couple of hours later after waking from a nap my girlfriend (future wife) had disappeared. She eventually reappears from the cockpit. What were you doing in there I asked? Oh I just walked in for a chat with the pilots and have a few photos taken she replied. You can't just bloody walk into the cockpit uninvited I shouted. Why not? Doh!!
It wouldn't happen any more, pity really as I used to enjoy cockpit visits.

[Big Al.]

Harrier
Tornado
F28 Executive jet
747
737
C130
J21
Concord
Seaking

I worked in the flight simulation industry for 18 years.

[CobolMan]

Comet
1-11 (several times including more than 1 landing)
727
737
757
767

[tight5]

chinook jump seat between and slightly behind the pilots while lifting 105mm light guns for the army around otterburn .

[Fat Albert]

Ah Otterburn, did my Aircrew Sergeant Leadership training/tests and my Aircrew survival course up there, lovely place.....

[ccr32]

I was let onto the flight deck of a 777 at Farnborough a few years back - I remember thinking at the time how far off the ground you are up there.

Have been on the flight deck of a few other planes in my time too prior to the security ramp up in 2001, but can't really remember what - pretty sure an SAS DC9 and an ATA TriStar are on the list.

[simonrockman]

I spent a couple of hours in the cockpit of a 747 on the tarmac at O'Hare while we waited for the snow to clear.
I've also done Concorde, a couple of times, but everyone on the flights did. One colleague got to sit in the cockpit for the landing, he's got a PPL.

Simon

[Ewan S]

I'm not a pilot, but my Dad is and has worked for British Caledonian and British Airways. So I've been in the cockpit for take offs and landings of:
1-11
DC10
747-200
747-400

I've done the old past the towers landing when BCal used to fly DC-10's into Hong Kong (after a 2-3 day stopover in Dubai), plus I got to experience it for myself when Dad got me a 747-400 1 hour session at Cranebank (BA's simulator centre)

Best flight was after 3 days doing outdoors stuff in Vancouver, I got to use the spare bunk in the 400 cockpit from shortly after take-off to about 10 minutes before landing. Slept all the way home - even more comfortable than the first class seat that was apparently waiting for me downstairs!

So really I'm a complete jammy bd as I'm fortunate enough to have been on so many trips to so many places I've never been interested in "going travelling" unless there's a hotel room paid for by the airline at the other end. Oh and a first class seat for me to use on the way there of course... Or failing that a bunk.

My dad now works for a cargo airline who unfortunately have a no staff passengers rule so I haven't been anywhere for about 8 years. Oh well it was good while it lasted.