Perhaps I am hopelessly naive, but I was not at all disturbed by the recent controversy over a passenger sitting in the cockpit on a recent United Airlines charter flight. In fact, I think it’s time to let kids (and big kids) visit the flight deck once again in-flight.
United Airlines Pilots In Trouble For Unauthorized Cockpit Visit
Two United Airlines pilots have been suspended after allowing a coach from the Colorado Rockies baseball team to walk into the cockpit and sit down in the captain’s chair duing a recent MLB charter from Denver to Toronto.
A video posted on Instagram and later deleted shows coach Hensley Meulens in the cockpit with the uniformed pilot standing behind him. United expressed shock over the event:
“We’re deeply disturbed by what we see in that video, which appears to show an unauthorized person in the flight deck at cruise altitude while the autopilot was engaged. As a clear violation of our safety and operational policies, we’ve reported the incident to the FAA and have withheld the pilots from service while we conduct an investigation.”
Since 9/11, cockpit visits have been off-limits per Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) rules and United’s own company policy. That policy applies to both commercial and charter flights.
Time To Open Flight Decks Again?
I thnk it’s clear this was a big no-no and the pilots should be held accountable for allowing this to happen. Just because we do not like a rule, does not mean we don’t have to follow it. While I hope these pilots are not fired for their offense, it is a serious one and it seems that some level of puntive consequence would be reasonable.
That said, is it perhaps time to reconsider the ban on flight deck visits?
I suppose some will be shocked I ever brought it up. Allow a random person into the cockpit of a $200 million machine with hundreds of souls in the cabin? Are you crazy?!
Well, I miss those days and can’t think of anything cooler than letting my son go up, like Joey, and say hello to the crew (hopefully on a flight without Captain Oveur) and look out the front windows as the plane glides gracefully through the air.
We do, after all, go through security screenings. Have we no trust in the TSA? Must we always take the safest route rather than perform a risk-benefit analysis that also factors in the magic of a cockpit visit?
Oh, I think it’s a hopeless dream, in the USA at least, but I no longer view it as a valid safety concern.
How about you?
image: Paramount Picutures
that was allowed?
I sat in the cockpit as a kid once — when it was on the ground.
But in flight? That happened before?
@whocares … with today’s moron passengers , it would be stupidly asking for trouble . What would be next … a moron passenger bringing up his snarling pit bull dog ?
LOL. or a crazy, yapping Chihuahua.
I never got to sit in the pilot’s seat, but once the seatbelt sign went off, and it always stayed off for the duration of the flight back then– it was pretty regular to walk past all of the passengers, none of whom had even had their ID checked in order to board the plane, and many of whom were smoking in the cabin, up to the cockpit, where the pilots were smoking and flying the plane to see the controls and have a fun chat with the team flying the plane.
Often that’s when they’d hand out the plastic wings to pin on your shirt.
And for a little extra, I’ll point out that when smoking was banned in the cabins of planes in 1990, the pilots were still allowed to smoke in the cockpit.
I’m an airline pilot. My office is very small (although it’s a wide body, so it’s big compared to smaller jets.). How would you like to have someone sitting I’m an airline pilot. I fly a wide body jet so the cockpit is a bit larger than smaller jets. Nevertheless, how would you like to have someone sitting, literally, at your back, in your spacious office, while you are trying to do your job?
I think you should delete that. Or re-read what you wrote? Are you on a 32hour layover maybe?
I am with you Matt! Back in the 80s, I had a British Caledonian logbook I received from the Captain on a flight from Recife to London. Every flight I took I would go to the cockpit, and the captain would sign my logbook, sadly I have no idea where it went. Couple of weeks ago, my daughters go to see the cockpit and sit on the ground at EWR for the first time – they were thrilled.
Could we start with allowing me to bring my $0.10 water bottle from Costco through security? That would be a great start.
I’ll drink to that
On the ground, finthe cockpit is viewed as off liie. But I think there is an envirinment of seriousness which we attain when the cockpit is viewed as off limits durin flight.
We can, I think, dispense with the kabuki dance in which pilots and FA’s engagre when a pilot needs to go potty or when the pilots get fed.
“Have we no trust in the TSA?”
Absolutely! How many guns go unnoticed each year? 95% from what I recall, so yeah, not a good idea.
Pre-911 obviously, I was on an LH flight from FRA to PHL. First, someone had also been assigned my economy seat. I was moved up to business. Sweet! Crossing the Atlantic I noticed the cockpit door was open. I asked the FA if I could have a look. She asked the captain and he said sure. I was standing in the doorway and he told me to take the jumpseat. I sat up there for about 20 minutes.
The two things that caught my attention is how expansive the view is from up there. And second, what a slow job it can be at times. The captain had his foot up on the forward panel. It was an Airbus 330 or 340. I don’t recall.
I was also once on LH, FRA-SFO for me. I and a family member were the only two people in the upper deck F cabin, and we were invited to visit the cockpit mid-flight. Shortly before descent, the purser came up and invited one of us to go to the cockpit for the landing. So, I’ve had the privilege of riding jumpseat on a 744 into SFO. One of the coolest things I’ve ever done.
What an idiotic proposal.
@lavanderialarry … +1 .
Not no, but hell no !
Our daughter is now 15, but on an Air France 777-300ER flight from LAX to CDG five years ago she was invited to sit in the cockpit jump seat for approach and landing. To this day she still talks about the experience, and the autographed flight map that hangs on her bedroom wall is one of her most prized possessions. When quizzed at the time about the legality of that generous offer, the pilot stated it’s entirely permissible but only within France’s air space and only with the unanimous consent of the flight deck crew.
So cool! Thanks for sharing.
An Aeroflot Airbus A310 captain let his two children in the cockpit on a flight to Hong Kong. The older son accidentally disengaged the autopilot by applying too much pressure on the yoke. The plane crashed killing everyone.
No, I do not want passengers in the cockpit during flight. Before or after flight is different. During United Airlines Family Day at SFO, ok.
I once was a passenger on a Britten Norman Trilander where I sat behind the pilot so that I was occupying the seat and nobody else. I didn’t want a psycho to crash the plane. A family member also occupied a seat in that row behind the pilot.
There’s a crucial detail in that Aeroflot story you missed in that boy didn’t just “accidentally” disengage the autopilot while observing his father. His dad (the captain) acted recklessly by letting his son sit *in the captain’s seat* and “pretend” to fly the plane… while it was actually in the air. Every thing that boy did was at the suggestion of his egotistical father, and most other pilots know how reckless and stupid that is. There’s a difference between observing the pilots in the cockpit, and *sitting in the actual chair* with the yoke in your hands.
That was a freak incident. I would think NO PILOT would allow anyone to sit at the controls.
Did you read the story? The coach from the Colorado Rockies was allowed to do exactly that. Sitting in the captain’s seat and pretending to fly the plane.
After the LATAM flight attendant pushed a seat button that put the plane into a nosedive, I not confident anyone should visit the flight deck.
Sadly for children interested in aviation this will be a missed opportunity to inspire.
As a cabin crew member what you suggest is insane. Leave the whackos in the back locked away from the car clout.
While I was based at the American Embassy in Manila 84-88 I flew on many Philippine Airline flights regionally and long haul. At that time I held a commercial multi-engine rating license. After awhile I got to know many cabin and cockpit crew members. Then many pilots would leave the door open. All I had to do is tell the Purser I was a pilot and he would get the Capt. and bingo I was invited in the flight deck. I flew many trips sitting behind the Capt. on DC-10’s from MNL-SYD and return or on reginal flights to BKK and HKG. Was a lot of fun. Met a lot of nice guys. It also flew before 911 with Lufthansa in and out of FRA. Then all it took was to show your pilot’s license to the LH Capt. Got to do several 737 landings in FRA sitting behind the Capt.
Sadly we got hit with 911 and that all went away.
@Karl … Did you ride through any typhoons ? That’s living .
@ alert.
Oct 30 2000 spent too many hours in a 747 flying through a major typhoon. Rocked the front of the plane like a car wash mid pacific for hours. That storm followed me into Thailand, then the islands for days. Good times.
@maryland … +1 . The 747 could handle it ; not so sure about the passengers , though .
Oddly the rocking became hypnotic. Except for the blast of an occasional gust that hit the big bird like a baseball bat. Upfront no one was stressed. The 747 was the queen alright. However I would not wanted to be the pilots.
what’s the feeling on bullet proof/tamper proof window that lets you peer into the cockpit?
@JD … No professional would want morons to look over one’s shoulder .
NO. You can’t predict the sanity or insanity of people’s behavior these days.
…I visited the flight deck of an Air Canada flight way back in the 1990’s and the captain started talking about salaries and job benefits of pilots but I wanted to talk about the flight computer, the FMC, the flight management computer.
No, we do not trust TSA. Last week a male TSA agent rubbed his hand up an down my covered penis a few times instead of looking for guns or bombs in suitcases. I did not complain because as a man I realize that a complaint from a male does not carry the same weight at a complaint from a female. I found it deeply humiliating and embarrassing and it angers me my complaint would not have been taken seriously.
You could charge passengers a fee to enter thr cockpit too.
The bean counters will love this one
On my first international trip with my Dad when I was maybe 8, we were on a flight from Copenhagen to Bergen on SAS. Mid flight one of the flight attendants invited me to the cockpit, and I spent a few minutes with the pilots. They explained the controls to me and even let me change the heading on the autopilot. It was one of the most exciting things that ever happened to me at the time. I remember it very well to this day and I decided right then and there that I wanted to fly planes.
Years later I got my private license and have visited 60 countries and counting, all because some kind pilots did something nice for an excited little boy who loved airplanes.
Perhaps it’s time to ban stupid dumb bloggers/shittyproduct-pushers/2024 dumbos!
I remember spending about 20 minutes in a cockpit of a long haul flight when I was 10 years old full of wonder. It was my first long-haul flight in the non-smoking section (they had playing cards but no games for kids). The captain was a friend of my family. Wish we could have those times back.
I flew CGH-RRJ two weeks ago on a single engine Cessna operated by Azul. Being seated in 1A, I basically flew in the cockpit. I didn’t pose, nor detect, any safety threats.
Perhaps it’s not a problem on a charter flight but not a snow ball’s chance on a regular flight. Too many crazies in the back. Please refer to the videos you send us of said crazies.
Sorry Matt, but it seems tone-deaf to suggest this in the current sociopolitical environment, I mean look at the people yelling “death to America” on the streets of major US cities, do you really think letting random people in the cockpit is a good idea?
Meanwhile in-flight disruptions by unruly passengers is still above 2019 levels. This article is ignorant.
How about basing your argument on facts instead of emotion. I miss it, so it should happen?