Flight deck visits
 

Feel like an intruder here as this is my first visit to this part of PPRune - I normally don't stray from Military Aircrew or Jetblast. However this forum seems more appropriate for my question.

At a family get together a few days ago, a cousin who I hadn't seen for a year, informed me that on a holiday flight in the summer on a major UK carrier he was invited onto the flight deck for a 15 minute visit. This on the strength of mentioning to a flight attendant that he was 10 hours into a PPL.

Correct me if I am wrong but I thought this sort of thing post 9/11 was illegal, and flight deck visits were a thing of the past. I've no reason to doubt said cousin, he's not given to spinning yarns so I can only assume it did happen. Any comments?

I think you will find that he only went on the flight deck while the aircraft was on the ground?? I find it very hard to believe that he would be allowed in there during flight. Someone correct me if I'm wrong......

Certainly not in my company, can't even get next of kin on the flight deck.:ugh:

Even more galling is the fact I get out of my 150t missile having just flown over half of Europes captial cities and can not get on the jump seat of another carrier to commute home. CRC and all.:*

No wakeup - this was in the air! I could hardly believe it myself, but both my cousin and his wife say thats what happened - they were a bit taken aback at my reaction as they thought this was quite normal. Maybe it was the captain's last flight!

For all UK carriers, in-flight passenger visits to the front are totally prohibited by statute law - I think it's the Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001. In essence, only those required on the flight deck for the performance of their duties are allowed there in flight. Any breach is regarded as cause for immediate dismissal.
Some other countries are not so draconian.

Possibly the flight was being operated on a sub-charter by a company from another country?

My guess is that he was not flying on a UK or USA airline. Most other foreign operators have long since cocked two fingers up to the Americans and resumed flight deck visits.

I know of several people who have visited and stayed up for landing with Spanish operators and I have a friend who regularly jump rides on Finnair's 757's.

It's only the Brits who pay homage to what the Yanks want, and even they aren't so worked up about it as they were post 9/11. Sadly we don't posess any politicians with the balls to tell the Americans that we are doing our own thing.

My own airline won't even allow flight deck visits on the ground anymore. Totally the wrong attitude for a holiday airline.

This is a question I have been wondering about myself, I flew recently, couple of months ago, on a UK domestic flight, not a G reg Aircraft.

I was seated in row 3 so had a good view of the flight deck.

A boy of around 12 or 13 years of age was allowed into the cockpit whilst we were on the ground and I thought to myself remember the days when I did the same thing, I was chuffed that the flight deck were so good with him, they even allowed him to make a PA.

The boy returned to his seat however to my surprise he was summoned to the flight deck again once we had reached TOC where he remained for the duration of the flight, he again was allowed to make a PA giving the flight progress.:confused:

Don't get me wrong, I thought it was a really nice gesture, I remember the dream coming true for me many moons ago, but are the rules different for non UK reg operators even when operating within the UK.

cockpit visits
 

A colleague of mine, travelling with a major European Carrier, has had at least two visits to a flight deck during the journey, on one occasion remaining there for the landing, so it appears that things may be relaxing a little with some airlines.

Can't visit a flight deck, but you can stroll into the White House uninvited and have your pic taken with the VP....

Flt deck visits are still very possible outside the US and UK as mentioned, so not sure who your cousin flew with, but I guess it wasn't a UK company.

Its a bloody joke and sums up the UK perfectly. Flight deck visits are still possible on some USA flights. I know, Ive been there!
Most non UK airlines allow it (or at least turn a blind eye) even when in the UK.
This country is a farce. Too many jobsworths and a culture of being seen to be doing something even when its bollocks.
Tankertrashnav, I hope your cousin enjoyed the experience. If it was a UK airline I salute the crew but they were taking a risk. Not with safety but with crossing a farsical and stupid line.

PS. Love the name, VC10's?

Have jumpseated a few times on Norwegian carriers, but I am a pilot though, and presented myself as such. Better seat and a friendly chat with those we share the skies with.

Those opposing the current UK rules don't feel that UK owned and operated airlines are seen as more of a target than European airlines then i.e. UK support and active participation in Iraq and Afghanistan is seen as quite OK by Moslem extremists?

Other countries do share the pain at least in afghanistan and some did share the pain in iraq, its not only the brits who are a target if it comes to that. But most countries are a tad more sensible in respect to flight deck visits.

Flt Deck visits
 

As crew we do allow Flt deck visits, but also pending on the PIC. Some time we allow them during flt, and sometimes on ground.
Children love it, and we don't have problems with it, by the way that's how many of us pilots became in love with flying, it was that one time visit that got us hooked on aviation.
Today, you need security check, background check, MI5, MI6 checks, CIA, NSA, what ever agency that's out there and may be x-ray before we enter the flt deck and just to see how it looks.
Let's hope this changes again, we can enjoy jumpseat again if you are crew from different airlines to see how different things are and enjoy talking about aviation.

Just to reiterate - quite definitely a UK carrier flying from a British airport - and I wont say which in either case - no point in risking dropping someone in it for what was after all a nice gesture which made his holiday.

No qwertyuiop - something much prettier - like this:

Handley Page Victor B1, 7850M, Royal Air Force

but without the nice white paint job and few extraneous bits and pieces stuck on :)

Not sure I have any of those in my immediate family.

Ella...NO COMMENT on your first posts...don't like it, stay on you little island in your tiny world...

Tanker...I belive you when you say it happened, however, I also believe you may be a journalist looking for some sort of conformation for a story...

Give the facts of the flight involved and you will get confirmation or not....

No, don't give the details please ! We don't want a witch hunt and somebody losing their jobs over this ridiculous rule.