Where does the term cockpit come from?
Thread Starter
Joined: Jan 2002
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From: Chicago
Where does the term cockpit come from?
Was watching the movie - concorde yesterday and there is a joke in it when the stewardess tries to make a pass at the captain and says , "oh so this is a real mans job." His reply, " honey , they don't call it the cockpit for nothing!!!". .. .Anyway, just wondering where the term 'cockpit' comes from?
Joined: Oct 2001
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From: melbourne
Back in the early days of aviation the "cockpit" was so named because this was the location of a/c controls such as the fuel cock etc.. .So there you go. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="smile.gif" />
Joined: Nov 1999
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From: South East UK
An alternative suggestion is that it is derived from the "cock pit" used in cock-fighting days -- the small area where the intense activity was focused. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Cool]" src="cool.gif" />
Joined: Mar 2000
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From: Bermuda Shorts and Cessna Caravans
No No No. .. .All male flightdecks are cockpits. .. .All female ones are box offices. .. .Oh 'eck, are we going to jetblast ?? <img border="0" title="" alt="[Big Grin]" src="biggrin.gif" />
Joined: Jul 2001
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From: Germany
Like the box office. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Big Grin]" src="biggrin.gif" /> . .Cockpit was a depression in the deck of a boat. . .In yachts the pit aft of the cabin occupied by a helmsman.. . . . <small>[ 16 March 2002, 14:55: Message edited by: Captain104 ]</small>
Joined: Aug 2001
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From: At home
I think Captain104 has it correct - the person manning the tiller on a boat is the coxswain or cox so the original term was perhaps derived from the combination of cox and pit - thus cox-pit which was modified to cock-pit. Of course I could be talking rollocks or even rowlocks!
