Can a child still visit the cockpit during flight?

8/3/2016 5:36:58 PM

You can still go in the c**kpit. I know this for a fact because my kids went inside a Southwest 737 c**kpit last year, when one of the flight attendants took notice of their interest in airplanes.

However, this was on the ground, before takeoff.

12/14/2018 4:30:30 PM

Officially: Unfortunately, it is not allowed for any passenger regardless of age to be admitted to the flight deck. This is according to the FAA (USA) and to the EASA (EU), as seen in:

Most of the world follow the above organizations, either directly or by implementing similar operating procedures and policies, I am not aware of any civil aviation authority that allows passengers to visit the flight deck.

Anyway, reality is a bit different as usual. Out of personal experience as a cabin crew member, here are few tips that could help you in getting your children or even yourself to the c**kpit:

  1. Ask a cabin crew member with a smile, while presenting your business card, to ask the captain for you if he will allow your child to go inside the c**kpit. The cabin crew member will go to the c**kpit and deliver the message to the captain. The captain might let your child in, asking to let child in has better chances than asking for yourself as an adult. If the captain refused, usually he will tell you through the cabin crew that you are welcomed on ground prior to leaving the aircraft.

  2. Captains in long flights usually take a walk around in the cabin to stretch their legs or when the other set of c**kpit crew (in case of double crew) are flying. Once you see him/her introduce yourself and your children to him, ask him nicely that the kids want to see the c**kpit. Most likely in this case he will agree. You just need some luck.

PS: I once around 2005 or 2006 was a passenger on a flight (different airline, not the one I work for) and I saw the captain in the aisle and we had a little chat. I ended up in the c**kpit having a cigarette with him 🙂

12/14/2018 5:19:22 PM

“It depends”. There are attempts to strictly limit the access to the c**kpit. The rules differ however from country to country. There are reports that people are still admitted to the c**kpit during flight. According to the FAA regulations, it’s not allowed. THE UK is said to have very strict rules, too.

I could not find any explicit rules that it is allowed to admit passengers to the c**kpit during flight, but given the huge number of airlines globally I can imagine that there is quite a big difference how they each treat this issue.

But what the rules and what the actual events are is differing as you can imagine. I was myself sitting in the c**kpit as a kid during the start of an airplane in the 80s where this was prohibited already.

Credit:stackoverflow.com‘

About me

Hello,My name is Aparna Patel,I’m a Travel Blogger and Photographer who travel the world full-time with my hubby.I like to share my travel experience.

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