Originally Posted by
codex57
Do pilots still allow kids to check out cockpits? They still hand out wings? What other cool stuff are pilots allowed to do for kids?
We have kids in the cockpit all the time during boarding or deplaning. Usually put them in one of the seats and let the mom or dad get pictures.
We have pilot wings, passport (activity) books, and airplane trading cards that we can hand out to them.
Had a young teenager, a month or two ago, out of SXM who knew so much about the 737 that I thought he'd been through ground school! He even knew to get a window seat on the right side so he could see the people on Maho Beach as we taxied onto the runway!
And how does "open time" work?
"Open time" are trips that don't yet have a pilot assigned to one, or more, of the required positions. Line-holders can pick up open time on their days off to increase their pay for the month. Reserves can pick up open trips the day before the trip starts on their reserve days. This lets those who want to fly fly (commuters) while those who'd rather not fly (locals) stay on reserve.