I was just wondering if there is a chance to be in the cockpit during takeoff/landing. If I ask a pilot before the flight can I stay in the cockpit, is there any chance for him to let me?

Hi Pawel747,

I think the short answer with the regulations as they are to - day, is a simple, Not a chance in hell!!

Furthermore, even polite requests for Flight deck rides, may result in your being interviewed by some rather large & unfriendly gentlemen.

Unfortunate, but these days, I would definitely, not even ask.

You might have some luck with an airline somewhere outside of Europe or the USA.

Do you know any fairly senior pilots? I know of a person that got a jumpseat ride all the way across the pond in an A330 with a well known, long established, European carrier. However it took a lot of paperwork and a lot of cooperation from that pilot and the airline. That may be a good place to start.

In terms of just rocking up and asking if you can sit in the cockpit when you board your next commercial flight then the chances will be next to nothing apart from, as FT says, trying a carrier outside of the US/Europe.

Well in the next month Ill be flying:

Manchester - London Heathrow - JFK - San Francisco - Newark - London Heathrow - Manchester

Then

Liverpool - Warsaw - Liverpool

So Ill be flying on few of these airlines (Continental, KLM, Lufthansa, Virgin, AA, Wizzair)

can I get any luck on those flights?

Not unless you happen to know one of the captains on those flights, then no. Even then the paperwork would take time.