Cockpit visit
 

Does anyone know if CX still permits cockpit visit now? Should I ask next time when I fly with CX?

Presumably nothing in the rule books against it. This happened less than a month ago on CX. Upon boarding, a friend of mine mentioned to the ISM he was very interested in planes and would appreciate a cockpit visit after his flight HKG-TPE. The ISM came back a short while later asking him to go to the cockpit now as the captain thought it would be more convenient to have the visit now than after landing at TPE. While chatting inside the cockpit, the captain invited him to sit in the jump seat for take-off after teaching how how to use the oxygen masks etc.. He stayed in the cockpit for much of the flight, wearing a headset and listening to the cockpit chatter. It was quite a dream come true for him.

On the return, he mentioned the same to that flight's ISM but didn't get a cockpit visit.

I think it really just depends on your flight crew.

Maybe a welcome relief from the boredom of crewing long-haul?

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Wow on a jumpseat during takeoff??? That would be amazing!

I did a visit to the 744 last year- just walked up during boarding and got a cool pic taken. Lots o' room up there!

There are no regulations against doing this during flights on intra-asia routes?

Wow, I wish I had asked on my previous CX flights. I know it is ultimately up to the captain and some may say no. Still, I hesitate to ask in our post hypersensitive 9/11 world. Would be a dream come true to be able to sit up front on takeoff or landing.

I did ask the FA on a QF 747 flight recently from LAX to JFK for a visit while still on the ground in LAX. I was seated on the upper deck and boarding had just begun. All of a sudden, she got all serious, asked what I did for a living and asked for my passport and took it to the cockpit. She came back and said if there is time after we land in JFK, I could go up. At the end of the flight, the FA invited me up front to the flight deck after all the other upper deck pax had left. The captain was very friendly and it was cool to see a 747 cockpit up close. The other time I asked was on after arriving in LHR on an AA 777. The FAs weren't thrilled as I was one of the last to get off the plane but the captain was more than happy to welcome me to the cockpit and even took my picture sitting in his seat.

Wow. Damn, should have asked on my HKG-TPE. I was told that nobody except CX staff and those on staff tickets are allowed in the cockpit during the flight.. So I never bothered about asking. It seemed quite clear to me that this was a CX policy.

I'm not sure asking is the best way... perhaps just talking to the cabin crew and hope the jumpseat isn't occupied for the whole flight (that would be a long flight in one of those seats :o)

We get asked this question a lot. I have to say I do find your friends claim rather hard to believe. That is totally against company rules and can result in instant dismissal. Captains are allowed to show people the cockpit while on the ground and the door is kept open at all times.

hence saying rules are made to be broken. you'd say no doesnt mean every crew would say no. afterall what happens in the metal tube stays in the metal tube.

Ah yes, that's why it's being discussed on a public forum :rolleyes:

no names were named so what's your problem with that? you can certainly report it to HK CAD/HKPF if there's anything in the hk law against that.

or write to CX to complain.

since none of us are aware that there's a public rule against a visit then it's of course ok to discuss on a public forum :rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

or click on the back button

I hesitate to quote your own post back at you, but it's warranted. You said that what "happens in the metal tube stays in the metal tube". Clearly not, because somebody's friend told somebody who posted it here. Whether there's a "public rule" ( what is a "public rule", by the way?) about it is irrelevant. You just contradicted yourself when trying to make a point.

+1 especially with CX being strict when it comes to these things and I don't know anyone including myself who would want to break that rule. Exceptions for the jumpseat other than crew are parents and spouse of the crew. And yes we are allowed to show you the flight deck on the ground but we can always say no in certain circumstances ex: quick turnaround.

Whilst exciting for the person involved, this is totally unacceptable and against HK CAD regulation and CX company policy. Visitors are only allowed when aircraft is parked on ground. Under no circumstances can a passenger ride in a jump seat or be permitted in the cockpit at any time during flight - unless they are authorized to sit in a jump seat e.g. deadheading crew.

I mean anyone can pose as an aviation enthusiast and pretend to be interested in the aircraft.... The Jump seat is behind flying pilots. I would feel very uncomfortable as a pilot or passenger knowing there was a complete stranger sat directly behind one of the pilots. There is a reason this rule exists, and actually some rules are there NOT to be broken, this is one of them.

Whilst I would not want someone to lose their job over this, I'd want them to at least be talked to for this should not happen ever.


I take this kind of thing very seriously. Cockpits should never be compromised. Not to add wild speculation, but who knows if a passenger had been let inside the MH370 cockpit?? The point is, to ensure a safe and sterile environment cockpit should never have passengers inside or near during flight. Its perfectly fine though, when the plane is on the ground.