Jumpseat Rides

[Piper Warrior Pilot]

I know this is going to sound like a ridiculous question but are there any airliens which are starting to offer Jumpseat rides again.

I am training fro my PPL and am desperate to try to get a jumnpseat ride on an outbound flight from Newcastle (EGNT).

I was thinking of contacting GO to see whether or not i could do a trip with them to stansted and back but i assume the answer will be no.

What do you think my chances of this are?

[InFinRetirement]

NO is correct!

[jonathang]

The CAA have banned unless you have a reason to be there. :(.

Anyone know what position on people with MOD clearance is ?

[Piper Warrior Pilot]

What about people with security passes from Airports.

[karaoke]

Sorry P.W.Pilot............

Passes can be forged, my company says nobody on the jumpseat except CAA ops inspectors or similar.

Not even the company owner.........:eek:

[A and C]

If you look at the last comunication from the CAA/DOT on this issue no one except crew and inspectors from the CAA or aircraft operatiors can ride on the jumpseat.

In fact if you read the rules strictly a captain employed by an airline is not alowed to ride on the jumpseat of his employers aircraft if he is off duty.

I an told that BA have an exemption from this rule to let pass holding BA staff ride on the jumpseat.

[scroggs]

Not a chance.

[Grafter]

Try this link for size. It's an insight to Jumpseat rides (http://www.avweb.com/articles/ceo/ceo0012.html) . Nothing to do with the CAA mind you and to be quite honest it's a load of old t0$$, so i don't really know why i posted it here :rolleyes:

[VFE]

Glad I had the opportunity to J/S when it was allowed. Great experience it was too..........but I guess that's not what you want to hear PWP. :(

My guess is it will stay a no-go zone too.

Have you tried the ITVV videos? Good insight into the working life on a commercial flight deck. Someone here will have the website address if you ask.

VFE.

[jonathang]

Yep Glad I had the chance,

BA 757 - 200 , Heathrow to Edinburgh.

One of the best experiences I have ever had.

Crew were great

:)

[OBK!]

I think I might reminice aswell if you don't mind...

KMCO-EGCC
Britannia 443B - Spent 4 hrs in the headmasters office ;) inc.landing :p
All the way telling jokes, couldn't stop laughing :D

Are you allowed to visit whilst the aircraft is on the ground btw? Everytime I walk on to an aircraft these days, the crew always have the door wide open, sitting there smug in there sheep skins....as if to say "please, do come in"...or is it "you can f**k off if your thinking about comin in here matey".
:rolleyes:

[Pandora]

Grafter,
CEO of the Cockpit is always close to the truth, and well worth posting a link to. I'd like to cut and paste the whole thing, but to save bandwidth I'll just paste my favourite line;

"Airline travel is a valuable product and, as a group, airline managements are not only destroying the quality of it by these stupid ticket prices, they are destroying its future."



OBK!

We like nothing better than to show off to someone who is easily impressed, and as a general rule what we tell flight deck visitors is gobbledy-gook to everyone except wannabes. On the ground you are welcome to visit the flight deck. Looking wistfully throught the door on the way on or off the aircraft seems to work well for small children, but you may prefer to take the more sophisticated way of actually asking.

Shame small children aren't allowed to visit these days. I was just starting to get the hang of talking to them.

[OBK!]

Pandora........I'm off to Gran Canaria next month from Manchester :D

Where abouts do you fly from? Just out of interest? :D

I know where your coming from, I would do the same. "Yes, I am the pilot, correct, I am incharge of this multi million pound aircraft which you stare at when you come to these places, and yes, I love my job :p "

[ModernDinosaur]

OK - I'm going to "jump" in and remember the glory days as well...

I was lucky enough to visit the flight deck on half a dozen occasions in total, including three approaches and landings (B737 (-200 ???) into Amsterdam, RJ100 into Gatwick, B747-200 into Orlando). Every time the flight crew were great, explaining things clearly and obviously enjoying the break in the monotony of 3-sectors-a-day flying. At the time I was a student pilot (my PPL was being minted on "the day the doors closed") and the crew were always keen to ask where I was learning, how was I finding it, what sort of aeroplane was I flying etc etc etc.

Since the horrible events of last year, sadly, flight deck visits have been off the agenda. I have been lucky enough to visit "the office" twice since then, but only while on the ground and only during delayed departures. The crew are very busy before the flight if they're trying to meet their planned slot, and also after landing if they're doing a "normal" turnaround, so much so that I have the courtesy not to ask. Sadly the rules that are currently in force mean that I have to leave just before engine-start, but I still find the crew seem pleased to have someone to talk to for a change!

I will second the opinion about ITVV's videos and DVDs - it's not the same as being there, but given the current regulations it is (in my opinion) the most cost-effective option open at the present time.

One thing I would love to do is to visit a full-motion simulator, although sadly the commercial opportunities available are too pricey - I'd rather spend that sort of money on flying myself in a Katana! I would love to sit in on an ATPL sim-check, however I suspect most ATPL holders find these quite stressful enough without another person sitting in the sim asking stupid questions!

Sadly (for all concerned) jump-seat rides are very, very unlikely in the present climate, and the situation is unlikey to change in the foreseeable future :(

Cheers,

MD.

[faacfi]

a friend of mine who is pilot for a big big airline placed a letter in the captain box in the dispatch telling him that a friendpilot(me) would like to visit the cockpit during his next flight .
half way of the flight in a B373-500 the copilot came to me and asked me to follow him. I saw the capt, we chat a little and then he left his seat I took his place.I continued to chat with the copi who was very friendly. we talk about INS, and radio systems...
20 minutes later, captain came back, and I sit on the jumps seat for the rest of the flight.I had lot of fun. thank you guys!
(I will not tell you what is the airline who let me the captain seat, but a request letter was given to the dispatch for me)

[Mister Geezer]

It might seem very harsh however I can understand why they have done it. I was lucky enough to experience many jumpseat rides and quite a number of them were down to me providing my PPL with a little note for the guys up front, whenever I boarded. I have to say that it nearly always worked! However if you have a terrorist who has a PPL then that brown book is providing that person a path to controlling an aircraft with many people on board. I very much doubt if we will see it again - which is a great shame!

On the other hand having a genuine jumpseat traveller can actually boost security, in certain circumstances. Try barging into the flight deck on a 737 for example when you have a bloke who is parked on the jumpseat. You ain't gonna get past in a hurry!

[152small]

If we are getting into remembering jump seat rides, I have fond memories of getting on the jump seat and remembering the landing since 11/09, although like faccfi and moderndinosaur would not wish to tell reveal the carrier or person, although will say that in spite of favourable circumstances of the time, most here would still not be in a position to do so.
It is a shame that this option is no longer viable:( , as it provides a real insight into what the role we all want so much is all about. Have to agree with the safety argument as well, you'd have to be an olympic hurdler to clear any one sitting in the third best seat in the house before the pilots have the axe! Sorry to anyone like PWP who would love the oppurtunity, though if oppurtunity ever rises, I am sure you would confirm your career of choice is the right one. Crews are always fantastic at sharing their knowledge and enthusiasm. Heres hoping we all get there in the front 2 seats in the end.:)

152small

[Kenny]

Fellas,

I just started flying with a United Express carrier a couple of weeks ago and one of the perks is that I get to jumpseat on United to commute to/from DC to Florida. I tried it for the first time this weekend and still haven't stopped grinning.

On the way down I was on an A320 and on the way back a 757. I hope one day all those that want to get a chance because there's nothing like it.

I really didn't have the heart to tell the wife why I was really grinning like an idiot!!:D

[moku]

oh yes those were the days....

My last jump seat prior to 9/11 was a Delta 767-400 HNL-SFO
great plane huge Flight deck!
Last jump seat ever was Aloha HNL-OAK 737-700. Good JS was taken, back was full so I was stuck with the crappy one for 5 hours. Was worth it though.

[Sky Goose]

Those jump seats shure were fun,

SAA 747-300 landing in Cape Town
BA 747-400 Landing Heathrow
SAS MD82 Landing Landvetter
BA 737-400 entire flight from Gatwick to Aberdeen.

If those idiots who flew into the WTC wanted to take away some of our freedoms, they succeeded in getting one of our good ones !

[no sponsor]

I did my fair share of Jump seat rides. A shame, although moderately understandable, to stop them these days. Ironic that the FAA prior to Sept 11 had a policy of no visitors to the flight deck.

Anyway my jump seat experience is: Two couple of arrivals/dep on a 76 into the old Athens airport, an entire flight on a 76 back to London from Athens, a 757 dep from LGW and arrival into a very snowy Moscow, one other 757 into LHR. A 777 from Boston and arrival into LHR, two other 777 arrivals into LHR, and the best were 2 744 dep from LHR, a 744 arrival into Cape Town and a dep from Cape Town. All BA, and I must say I miss my trips to the flight deck - you got more cups of tea than sitting in first class, and the company was always excellent. I came back from Los Angeles on Monday, and really envied the good old days. Now, I'm in fear of someone finding out I'm a pilot.

I had a fair share of refusals for the departures, but often managed to get up to the flight deck during the flight, always taking my pilot licence. I'm due to go back to Cape Town on 18th Nov, so I'll guess I'll have to get a window seat to look at Table Mt again.

[Sky Goose]

no sponsor,
sight for sore eyes, old Table Mt.,
have a few Castle's and think of us poor sods freezing our butts off up north
cheers