My first experience of the FD was on an LGW - Tenerife flight. I was travelling alone and had only done a quick flip to Guernsey on a turboprop before. A more seasoned traveller got the cabin crew to find out if I could visit the sharp end. Absolutely fascinated. I remember sitting watching Madeira on the approach radar.

Since then I've had the rare privilege of sitting in the cockpit for the duration on a late evening flight from Jersey back to London, much to my wife's consternation. I've also sat in the right hand seat on a twin-engined rinky-dink thing flying from St Kitts to Antigua. Was under strict instructions not to touch anything.