Sat in the Pilot seat!
Feb 28, 2008, 11:33 am
#16
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: San Francisco
Posts: 408
The pilot said there was a ground stop at the destination and to sit tight for the next announcement. They then said that we could come into the cabin to say hi if we wanted. So I waited for the line of 20 or so people to clear, then made my way up there with my camera and asked if I could take pictures.
Feb 28, 2008, 11:44 am
#17
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Location: Newport Beach, California, USA
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My wife and I honeymooned in SF and flew, I think, CO up from LAX (this was many, many years ago). We mentioned the fact of our honeymoon to an FA and she invited us up to the cockpit. There, the pilots treated us like royalty. We were invited to sit in both the pilot and first officer seats, they gave us their hats to wear and took our pictures at the controls of the 737. I love this picture.
I showed it to my mother some time later and told her that, because it was our honeymoon, they actually let us fly the plane. My mother said she didn't believe it. I said, "Well, we didn't actually fly it, the whole thing is run by computer, but they did let us sit in the seats and press the buttons which controlled the plane. Of course, when we landed they took over." My mother said, "Really? I don't think that's a good idea at all."
To her dying day, she thought we flew our honeymoon flight to SFO.
I showed it to my mother some time later and told her that, because it was our honeymoon, they actually let us fly the plane. My mother said she didn't believe it. I said, "Well, we didn't actually fly it, the whole thing is run by computer, but they did let us sit in the seats and press the buttons which controlled the plane. Of course, when we landed they took over." My mother said, "Really? I don't think that's a good idea at all."
To her dying day, she thought we flew our honeymoon flight to SFO.
Feb 28, 2008, 12:11 pm
#18
Join Date: Feb 2008
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I hope not....last summer going on Ted from SFO to PHX with my 3 1/2 year old we boarded first the pilot was there and asked my son if he wanted to visit, let him sit in the pilots seat, wear his hat, and push some neat buttons. My son could not stop talking about it the entire flight. I wrote UA a nice letter praising the pilot (not mentioning the cool buttons), hope I did not get him in trouble.
Feb 28, 2008, 12:20 pm
#20
Join Date: Jul 2007
Programs: UA 1K MM, Alaska MVP Gold 75K, AA PLT
Posts: 1,082
The 777 cockpit is a little tight with 4 of us up there, but it's pretty easy to get in and out of the seats once you know how.
Most of the flying during cruise is done on autopilot, but that doesn't make it easier, it just eliminates the tedium. It's actually easier to hand fly the airplane for an approach and landing than to set up the autopilot to do it. And even when we do autoland, the autopilot does not manage the airspeed or control the flaps or landing gear.
My question is how many people know immediately which cockpit is shown in the picture?
And to confirm, it's perfectly fine to come into the cockpit, sit in the seat and take pictures, as long as the engines are shut down. It actually happens all the time. If the people don't have a camera with them, I'll take a picture and email it to them.
Most of the flying during cruise is done on autopilot, but that doesn't make it easier, it just eliminates the tedium. It's actually easier to hand fly the airplane for an approach and landing than to set up the autopilot to do it. And even when we do autoland, the autopilot does not manage the airspeed or control the flaps or landing gear.
My question is how many people know immediately which cockpit is shown in the picture?
And to confirm, it's perfectly fine to come into the cockpit, sit in the seat and take pictures, as long as the engines are shut down. It actually happens all the time. If the people don't have a camera with them, I'll take a picture and email it to them.
My guess is the photo of Karen is in a B747. Right???
Pilots like you who take an interest our enthusiasm are the Best!!!
Feb 28, 2008, 12:22 pm
#21
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Location: SFO
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I'm going to leave specifics out of this so I don't unintentionally get some pilots fired. I was on a flight this weekend which was delayed for over an hr. The pilot said there was a ground stop at the destination and to sit tight for the next announcement. They then said that we could come into the cabin to say hi if we wanted. So I waited for the line of 20 or so people to clear, then made my way up there with my camera and asked if I could take pictures. They said no problem, as a matter of fact, take a seat The pilot went out to grab a cup of coffee and the co-pilot was there answering all our questions. They were so nice and cool.
For a guy that's never been in the flight cabin, it was a pretty awesome experience. Does this happen frequently?
The pilot went out to grab a cup of coffee and the co-pilot was there answering all our questions. They were so nice and cool.For a guy that's never been in the flight cabin, it was a pretty awesome experience. Does this happen frequently?
second best flight deck experience i ever had...this was #1:
july, 2001, air france florence-cdg, ba146
i went up to use the lav and when i came out, the cockpit door was open and there was the capt and f/o making a little girl (maybe 3-4) laugh hysterically by flipping switches which made their little "alarm/whoop-whoop sound". she was priceless but here am i getting an incredible view at 30,000 feet. being a a pilot wannabe (missed my calling), i was pointing out the various instruments to myself and the capt noticed this. i was asked in french if i was a pilot and in my very bad french i responded no but i always wanted to be one. he played "20 questions" by asking "and what is this for", etc and i "passed" but when atc came on with the initial descent request, i said thank you very much but that's my cue to leave and he said "why don't you sit in the jump seat for the rest of the flight". i was floored and took him up on his offer with the caveat that i don't want him getting fired and he responded that i was not to worry. i had the thrill of my lifetime and to make it even better was that i saw the crew at dinner at the hotel at cdg that night and bought them all a nice after dinner drink
Feb 28, 2008, 12:31 pm
#22
Join Date: Jul 2007
Programs: UA 1K MM, Alaska MVP Gold 75K, AA PLT
Posts: 1,082
Brand new 777 at SAN
My favorite UA memory actually occured in San Diego around 1995. UA was celebrating 50 years of service to SAN and actually arranged to take a delivery flight of a new 777 from Boeing to San Diego to mark the occasion. My neighbor, the US station manager at the time (former PSA employee) offered to let me tag along with her to go to the airport employee tour of the new 777.
Obviously, there were lots of SAN employees and UA officials there and we were allowed to walk around the plane and then climb up for a flight deck tour. I was lucky enough to take the left seat for a while and the volunteer UA crew members gave me a demonstration of the systems. The thing I remember most is the ease of use of the "point and click" nav system that would enable the crew to command the aircraft to any possible diversion station if necessary.
Seeing the new 777 sitting in SAN made the airport look small. It was a great way to spend the afternoon during those "good times" at UA.
Obviously, there were lots of SAN employees and UA officials there and we were allowed to walk around the plane and then climb up for a flight deck tour. I was lucky enough to take the left seat for a while and the volunteer UA crew members gave me a demonstration of the systems. The thing I remember most is the ease of use of the "point and click" nav system that would enable the crew to command the aircraft to any possible diversion station if necessary.
Seeing the new 777 sitting in SAN made the airport look small. It was a great way to spend the afternoon during those "good times" at UA.
Last edited by kenhawk; Feb 28, 2008 at 12:49 pm
Feb 28, 2008, 12:32 pm
#23
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Between SFO and SJC
Programs: UA 1K-MM
Posts: 1,406
This was in Sydney in January, then I got offered again on a LX-HKG flight a few weeks ago. I basically asked the pilot if I could take pictures of the cockpit, and he said "would you like me to take a picture of YOU in the cockpit?"
Feb 28, 2008, 2:50 pm
#24
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: SFO
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 23
I just have to add my favorite photo from last October on a SFO-FRA 747
http://gallery.yaresse.com/v/vacatio..._1340.jpg.html
http://gallery.yaresse.com/v/vacatio..._1340.jpg.html
Feb 28, 2008, 4:49 pm
#25
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I don't have it online yet, but on my first B6 flight a few weeks ago a very nice FO took a shot of me in the left seat. I hadn't been in a cockpit since I was about 6, and I'm closer to 30 than I care to talk about. I remember flying somewhere with my father as a kid, getting up front, and the Captain was nice enough to push the stick forward while at the gate and show off the stick shake.
Feb 28, 2008, 7:38 pm
#26
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: NoVA
Programs: US Airways Dividend Miles
Posts: 25
OH...and I've got to sit jump on an E-3 AWACS for landing
Last edited by soloban; Feb 28, 2008 at 7:51 pm
Feb 29, 2008, 12:47 am
#27
Join Date: Nov 2002
Posts: 583
Surprisingly, all the photos here are in the 744. The screens look a bit like the 777, but the giveaways are the round dial standby instruments (the 777 has EFIS standby instruments), and as LarryJ said, the 4 engine parameters on the upper EICAS screen.
Feb 29, 2008, 1:03 am
#28
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: SNA
Programs: UA Platinum
Posts: 1,536
Back when UA was flying a JFK-SEA A320 nonstop, we were in a ground stop for ~4 hours at JFK due to thunderstorms in the area. Being an aviation geek and sim junkie, I ended up on the flight deck talking with the F/O for a good hour as the Captain had left the plane to talk to operations. After about 10 minutes, he said "do you want to sit down?" and there I was in the left seat.
I recall asking about particular approaches he found difficult, what hydraulic systems powered what when they did a single engine taxi, flying techniques, and all sorts of other stuff that you could ask about without being considered suspicious before 9/11. Aside from my 2 flights with Capt. Molly Flanagan, it's probably my best memory from a UA flight. It didn't hurt that as a lowly 2P at the time, I was in 6A, had an empty middle, and the gentleman in 6C was a 1K or similar, because the first class F/A brought him a sundae...and then asked if I wanted one too.
Not bad, when you think about it: a 4 hour delay is one of the best flights I've ever had on UA, and it was all about customer service.
I recall asking about particular approaches he found difficult, what hydraulic systems powered what when they did a single engine taxi, flying techniques, and all sorts of other stuff that you could ask about without being considered suspicious before 9/11. Aside from my 2 flights with Capt. Molly Flanagan, it's probably my best memory from a UA flight. It didn't hurt that as a lowly 2P at the time, I was in 6A, had an empty middle, and the gentleman in 6C was a 1K or similar, because the first class F/A brought him a sundae...and then asked if I wanted one too.
Not bad, when you think about it: a 4 hour delay is one of the best flights I've ever had on UA, and it was all about customer service.
I remember an experience not more than a year after 9/11...we were boarding and the FA gave my brother the Captain's hat and said to go give it to him and I could go along (I wouldve been about 12 at the time). We talked with the pilots and got to sit in the captain's and FO's seats. Still looking for a picture of that....but it was a cool experience.
Last edited by UnitedF1RST; Feb 29, 2008 at 1:11 am
Feb 29, 2008, 9:42 am
#29
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Toronto
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While not the same as the Jumbo's...
...the seat beside the pilot is always available for anyone flying from downtown Vancouver to Victoria on any of the cariers like Island Air. I love these flights, flying over the islands, and at only 4000-8000 ft. some times you can see whales.
Feb 29, 2008, 10:24 am
#30
Join Date: Jul 2007
Programs: UA 1K MM, Alaska MVP Gold 75K, AA PLT
Posts: 1,082
Similar to HomerJ...I flew in the right seat of a small CapeAir plane from Nantucket to Boston. The experience of flying a visual approach to BOS at dusk was very cool. It was windy and the passengers behind us looked terrified, but I thought it was great to watch the approach from that perspective, along with all the Capt was doing to keep the plane level in the winds. Once on the ground, taxing around 777s and 767s, you realize how small the plane actually is!