Passengers

[stevefranks]

Hi,

This might sound silly, but are passengers ever allowed on freight flights? I heard about someone at university that worked for DHL and was able to fly on DHL planes providing there was room..

Steve.

[arugbarbarroja]

That´s right, my friend.

[Intruder]

"Passengers" are limited to employees of the company operating the airplane, required couriers, Feds, and other off-line flight crew if allowed by the company.

[RampTramp]

SF,

It isn't quite as easy as it seems. Jumpseats are very restrictive these days, in the USA, as Intruder says, the Feds have clamped right down & here in Europe, while not quite so restrictive, you have, generally, to have a business reason for travel and the required approvals from the company.

Unfortunately the good old days of hopping on a company aircraft for a few days vacation are long gone!

RT

[Rollingthunder]

In that Tom Hanks film the Fedex (unknown type) has a small passenger compartment behind the flightdeck for non-operating company personnel. Was that factual?

edited for type.

[BlueEagle]

Once upon a time Cargolux would take staff pax from other airlines upstairs on their B747 freighters, IF they didn't need the seats for positioning crew etc. Entirely at your own risk if it diverted, was re-routed etc. etc. About US$35 per head if I remember correctly. Security requirements have probably changed all that now?

[CR2]

BE, we only take family now on a space available basis (and since our -400s only have 6 seats....). Definition of family is also highly restrictive: wife & kids (or live in partner if you can prove you live together). Parents and others are a no go.
Furthermore, wrt security, all wives & kids are registered with TSA as being allowed to fly on our a/c.

Many moons ago, in the -200 days, joe public could buy a ticket to one of our destinations.

[RampTramp]

CR2,

Aahh, the 'good old days'. Remember taking my dear old Mum, sadly no longer with us, on a CV -200 LUX/YQX/MIA & then back HOU/BGR/LUX. First class seats & an CA as well on the upper deck. Picked up live lobsters in BGR & feasted well when we woke up back in LUX.

Sadly, the 'regs' these days will no longer allow that but it was fun while it lasted!

RT

[ALLDAYDELI]

Tom Hanks travelled on an A310F of Fedex in the film you refer to.

[non sched]

Actually it was an MD-11 in the film if I'm not mistaken:ok:

[Onan the Clumsy]

I thought there were carriers who had palletised seating so that when freight was light they could put the seats in and take pax instead, or as well I suppose.

[RampTramp]

Onan,

'tain't that simple. Once you have pax in the cabin it downgrades from a class E cargo compartment and that means there's all sorts of things you can't carry.

What you're thinking about is a QC aircraft where they roll pallets of cargo out and then roll seat pallets in so the aircraft goes from full cargo to full pax.

The other occasion is when carrying horses on a full charter. There's normally a pallet of seats at the back for the grooms and you don't worry about the down grade of the cargo compartment if you're only carrying horses.

With the latest security legislation, if you're going to carry pax in any form, other than certain company employees, on a freighter, then you need a reinforced cockpit door and that costs money!

Hope that's clarified it for you.

RT

[CR2]

On the 747, a seat pallet can only be carried in P29 if the aircraft is a converted pax a/c. Reason for this is that on the pure full freighter, door 5R does not exist. Should an evacuation be required, and the left side is blocked/on fire etc.......

[Flip Flop Flyer]

On some freighters there is indeed a small-ish compartment between the cockpit and cargo-deck with chairs installed for the carriage of "additonal crew members". Different from type to type, but generally to be found on the bigger ones. The A300's we operate have 3 airline type seats + a jumpseat by the door. Our 757SF, whilst having a small "lounge" behind the cockpit, does not have any seating there. Your MD11s will usually also have a couple of seats.

The upper-deck on most 747s will have a seating/rest area of some sorts. Have seen a -200F where the original bar was still installed, complete with ovens and fridges. It also sported 8 FC seats and in the very rear, hidden behind a curtain, 4 mattresses on the floor.

PS
The aircraft in "Castaway" was suffering from a bit of identity crises. On the ramp it was an A310, but enroute it was suddenly a MD11. Then again, when was the last time Hollywood got anything even remotely associated with aviation right?