Ever been in a real cockpit?

[Conan Edogawa]

Hey.

As we all know, it is quit hard to get into the cockpit after 09-11-01. Have you ever been in a real cokpit (since then or whenever)?

Tell us your experiences. How much did it impress you? What did you ask the pilot(s)? Which type was the aircraft? How did you get the captain/stewardess to let you in there?

Many happy landings,

Conan

[NDSP]

Basically if you ask to go into the cockpit, I think they might tackle you :-/

Nick

[FridayChild]

Even before 11/9 I think I would never have had the nerve to ask myself into the cabin of a liner. Imagine how likely it is now, considering I don't know any airline pilot personally. I don't fancy getting a very accurate if not very friendly body inspection...
Seriously, they don't even make you bring a bottle of water onboard these days, let alone visiting a cockpit.

[Conan Edogawa]

No, they don't.

For serious: It was on my last flight, Paris (CDG) to Hamburg (HAM). We waited 1 hour on the taxyway and I had nothing better to do as to ask the cute stewardess if I could get into the cockpit. She said she would have to talk to the captain, he had to agree before. So we started. After about 1 hour, the stewardess came and told me to "follow me to the cockpit please?". Then I was in and couldn't even speak german. I was so nervous because I love all this stuff (and want to do it myself in future). I sat down on the jump seat an talked to the First Officer. Rick, the pilot, was quit the whole time. :-/
And because I fly Flight Simulator for over 8 years now, I understood every single word that came out of the speakers of the cockpit (was the ATC). By the way, it was a flight in an Air France Airbus A318. Suddenly I heard: "Air France 1410, descending to FL190". There I knew the stewardess would come back to lead me back to my seat. And she came. But first, she talked to the pilot (in french, I couldn't get a word of it). Then she said to me: "Wanna stay for landing?" <<<<<< ). So I could stay for landing (the First Officer even gave me one of these cool headsets). That was (for sure), one of my best moments. I learned a lot about Airbus in just half an hour. That whole thing happened on 08-07-2006 - the day I will never forget!

It was exacly that airplane: http://jetphotos.net/viewphoto.php?id=5861803 F-GUGA

..and I'm not tackled!

[C]

In my previous life, I was lucky enough to get up to the front of a couple of 737's, Tu-154, and with the Air Cadets, a trip back from Edinburgh to Heathrow in the jump seat of a 757.

More recently, standing in a C-130J cockpit in a turn a low level (whilst eating a KitKat*) was fun...


*other biscuity chocolate products are available.

[Ravang]

Yes 2 a home built ultra-light, and a Cessna C150 that I got to fly

[matt2190]

Does a Cessna 172 count.

[EGNX]

Most memorable would be watching the sunrise from the deck of a Britannia 767 on our way back from Gran Canaria to East Midlands in the summer of 2000. I can still vividly remeber the pilot showing me all the cockpit instruments and having a good old chin wag about flying!

The first though, would be when I was around 5-6 travelling on a charter 757 to Mallorca when I got to visit the cockpit. It was dark when I went into the cockpit and all I can vaguely remeber is seeing all the panel and instrument lights, and how beautiful the greens reds and oranges were. And ever since that little visit to the cockpit of a 757 10 years ago i've wanted to be a pilot!

Nothing as cool as staying in the cockpit for landing but i've had my moments of shear delight on visiting a cockpit!

Nowadays I just sneakily peer into the cockpits of Tu-154's and 737's that I travel on as I board or disembark the aircraft!  ::)

[Mobius]

Does a Cessna 172 count.

I was just about to say I was in a C-172 cockpit last Tuesday, I even got to fly!  But other than a C172 or similar, nope, nothing big.

[FridayChild]

Conan: I'm surprised. What airline was that? *Quite* relaxed security on their part, or maybe you just don't look like a terrorist.  ;D

[C]

Conan: I'm surprised. What airline was that? *Quite* relaxed security on their part, or maybe you just don't look like a terrorist.  ;D

I think Conan said Air France. Would they break the rules? Well, if anyone does, I could believe them doing it!

[PsychoDiablo]

Does a citabrea decathelon count?

[an-225]

I was allowed into the cockpit of two ( ) United aircraft at the end of 2004. I was allowed into an A320 flight deck on Ted when flying to Vegas. And I was allowed into a 747-400 flight deck on the way back to Australia. And NO I did not pretend that the 747 was a fighter jet and I did NOT pretend that I was shooting another plane down like some normal child would.

[beaky]

Never bothered before 9/11, but I always have a look... but I still get more excited about visiting, or better yet parking my fanny in the left seat of a classic flight deck, even if it's no longer operational.
So far:
B29 (operational)
B17 (operational)
DC3 (operational)
Avro Lancaster (operational)
Lockheed Constellation (static)
Lockheed Electra(static)
Martin 202 (static)

Just my preference... I'm more intrigued by the older ships.
The B17 was the inly one I've flown on... got to roam all over it, but not allowed to sit on the flight deck. Which was no big deal- the view from the bombadier's seat is much better!

[F3Hadlow]

No, not really, Just a museum exhibit, and a couple on static display. Museum exhibit was the Vulcan that is owned by the North East Air Museum in Sunderland and the two statics were a Royal Navy Sea Harrier when Ark Royal (not quite sure) was in dock in Newcastle, those two jsut mentioned were both when I was a young lad, and the final one wasn't so much in the cockpit but the crew of an Irish Air Corps PC9 allowed me to climb up the wing and take a shot of the inside of the cockpit itself.