7.5 hours in a 747 cockpit!
 

I am putting this in GT instead of trip reports as I think it will share some good tips on how to score a ride in the cockpit.

Earlier this month I visited Berlin. My flight back to the States was on a NW ticket with the flight being operated by KLM. I thought this would be a good chance to visit the cockpit of a 747. Here is my story:

While waiting in Schipol I saw the pilot and copilot walking toward the gate to board the plane. Summing up my courage, I walked up and introduced myself. They were both a bit taken aback but smiled and introduced themselves to me and we shook hands. I said that I was extremely interested in aviation and asked if I could visit the cockpit for a few minutes once we were enroute. The Captain (who I think should remain nameless) said, "Would you like to be my guest during the take off procedure?" I practically did a back flip and exclaimed, "Yes!" They advised me to board through the front part of the plane and to tell the purser that I was to be the guest of Capt (Name.)

I was escorted by her upstairs and into the cockpit. They were just wrapping up the preflight stuff and I looked around.

The cockpit on a 747-400 is pretty spacious. There were four seats with the right rear seat (the one I occupied) having access to a table and some radio equipment. All of the seats had 5 point harnesses for seatbelts and each one was motorized.They moved left and right, up and down, and had adjustable lumbar supports.

To make a long story short, I was briefed on what to expect, given a radio headset to wear, shown how to switch my headset between ground control, ATC, crew telephones, and the PA. I was advised NOT to touch the transmit button!

The take-off was awesome! The loaded plane lumbered down the runway as the copilot flew and the pilot called out "V-1" and other things. Visibility from the cockpit was great and I could see lots of other air traffic around the airport.

Once we were up to cruising altitude they [the pilot and copilot] asked if I had any questions. I kept asking and they kept answering. Once you are at crusing altitude and on auto-pilot the cockpit is actually a very mellow place.

As we chatted they asked what I did. When it came out that I work in IT they started asking questions! I answered their computer questions for a while and then said, 'I don't want to overstay my welcome. Should I be leaving now?' They said I could leave if I wanted but that I was welcome to stay for the remainder of the flight if I wanted! I thought I had died and gone to heaven!

In the interests of brevity, I'll abbreviate the next 5 hours to simply say that I learned how flight maps, weather maps, TCAS, and all sorts of other cool things work. The FA's served my meal to me in the cockpit along with the pilots meals. Once the pax had been served and the movie had been started the FA's would come by and flirt and chat for a few minutes at a time. (That must be where they are when you want a drink!) One FA commented to me that she had never seen anyone who was not a pilot stay in the cockpit for more than a few minutes. The Captain said that I was a 'future pilot in training" and winked at her.

About an hour before we were to land, the guys briefed me on what would happen. They explained that during landing I needed to be quiet and keep my hands to myself.

The landing is probably one of the top 5 neatest things I have EVER experienced. It was gusting wind so we didn't land on autopilot. A female computer voice was calling out our altitude "500" "100" "50" "40" "30" "20" "10" and then bump!, we landed.

As soon as we had slowed on the runway and begun turning towards the taxiway to get to our gate in MSP, the pilot had me jump up and go through the door in the cockpit to the crew rest area. He had explained earlier that sometimes the FAA is waiting at the gate to perform breathalyzer tests and to check paperwork. He said it wouldn't be good if they saw 3 people in the cockpit.

The crew rest area had a bunk bed and two first class seats. It wasn't super plush but I am sure it would be decent on a long flight. The crew also had their own lavatory.

Anyway, after we landed, I hung around for a bit and said my goodbyes and thank yous. The captains parting shot was "Don't thank me! Someday you may be cursing the d--n dutchman that showed you the cockpit and turned you into a pilot!" The copilot said, 'next time you fly KLM see if either one of us is crew and if so, you are welcome back anytime."

It seemed like my bag took forever to arrive at the carosel, the customs officer was extremely curt, and I had a long layover until my flight to SLC. I couldn't have cared less. I was on cloud 9. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

The moral of this story is:

1. You won't get to visit the cockpit during flight on a US airline so don't bother asking. (It's against FAA regs.)

2. If you are especially polite you may very well get a visit to the cockpit on non-US airline.

3. If you are really lucky you may get to fly the whole flight in the cockpit.

4. It NEVER hurts to politely ask . . .

ps. I know this is already way too long. I tried to keep it as short as I could. If anyone is interested though, I will be glad to answer questions as best I can about the flight or the procedures or the cockpit as best I remember/learned them.

That is an awesome story! When I visited an Air New Zealand 747 cockpit last year, the funniest thing I saw was the gas cards in the holders on the inside of the cockpit doors. Of course, they didn't let us stay for takeoff and landing! The other funny thing was that there was a third pilot who was in the rest area when we came in, and the co-pilot called him on the intercom to fetch something to show us (once we told him where we worked, he had to show us a printout of "Microsoft Wife 1.0" that was in his flight manual)

Great story eastwest!

Wow! You are so lucky!

Last year on a flight to Montreal from Tel Aviv on A/C, I saw light coming from the cockpit door. That didn't make sense to me. So I call over the purser (we were in 1st class or whatever A/C calls it) and ask whats going on. OK. So now we visit upfront. Very cool.
But wait, later in the flight the purser asks if I'd like to sit up front for landing.
You bet, I say. Those last 25 minutes flying over Quebec City into Montreal was the best time I've ever had in my life.
And since I'm a flyertalker, you know I mean it.

Dan

7.5 hours in the cockpit of a 747?!!!!

You are my idol http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

awesome, dude!

Better than a double upgrade!(most of the time). Lucky Dog, Lucky Dog, Lucky Dog.

Awesome story eastwest - the ultimate upgrade!! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

FewMiles..

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Is there an emoticon for "green with envy"?

eastwest, you lucky devil. Great report, wish it could have been me.

bj-21.

My flightdeck ride also happened in a KLM 747-300. Flying MSP-AMS, I was seated upstairs and was having a friendly conversation with the lead FA. I mentioned how beautiful flying over Greenland will look during the sunset. She asked me to follow her as she ducked into the flightdeck. She came out a few moments later and asked if I would like to see Greenland from the best seat in the house. The flightcrew was exremely friendly and enjoyed all of my questions. After learning I live in Seattle, they returned the questions and asked much about life in the Pacific Northwest. I did not stay in there for landing but did enjoy the company and environment for a good 2 hours.

Eastwest, Congratulations on your lifetime memory!

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Congratulations on a superb experience, and a great report. What an experience... http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

[This message has been edited by Gaucho100K (edited 05-25-2001).]

The question is ... did you give up a first-class seat?

WOW you are the bomb - how extremely exciting and definitely a lifetime experience thanks for sharing!

Wow. What an experience!

Last October I was flying IAH-EWR on a Continental DC10 with my family. Before take off the pilots invited my son (4 years old) into the cockpit, put him in the left seat, raised it all the way up, put on a pilots cap and let him touch all the buttons and play with the controls. They helped him press the "right" buttons so you would hear "Pull Up Pull Up" with those whooping sirens in the background. It was very exciting for him and me and I videotaped it so we can look back and enjoy it when he is older. I guess that is the best experience one can have in the USA, but I'm not complaining. But eastwest, your experience makes all of us jealous. Thanks for the great post!

Good going, eastwest! Glad you had such a memorable flight.

I thought I was lucky to have been invited to the cockpit twice in a row (including landing each time) on BA back in 1995: 757 IST-LHR and 747-100 LHR-ORD but your 7.5 hour ride - including takeoff, which is what I'd love to experience from the cockpit, blows me out of the water.

Congratulations!