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As a kid one of the highlights of any flight I took was the short visit to the cockpit and chat with the pilots. I have very fond memories of asking about all the gauges and lights, what would happen if you pull the lever, or the breathtaking view you had from the flight deck. I always had the impression the pilots liked the visit and the admiration from the visitors that came with it.

Given the new rules and the steel enforced doors, I have the impression that this is something of the past. Is this true, or is it still possible to have my kids have the same treat as I had as a kid?

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    Not officially... Usually they allow it on ground.
    – Nean Der Thal
    Commented Dec 25, 2013 at 11:12
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    Aeroflot Flight 593
    – hippietrail
    Commented Dec 25, 2013 at 13:58
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    If I was todays kid (who flew planes on them XBoxes), I'd cause some real anxious moments to those fellas who let me in the cockpit while in flight. Similarly, if I were the pilot, I aint letting no todays kid get into my cockpit. Just too risky with children.
    – happybuddha
    Commented Dec 25, 2013 at 19:48
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    Joey, do you like movies about gladiators?
    – travelot
    Commented Dec 27, 2013 at 11:11
  • Ah! The good old days when you were made to feel special if you were able to afford to fly.
    – Nick
    Commented Dec 14, 2018 at 18:59

3 Answers 3

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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 cockpit:

  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 cockpit. The cabin crew member will go to the cockpit 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 cockpit 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 cockpit. 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 cockpit having a cigarette with him :)

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    You can smoke in the flight deck?
    – sixtyfootersdude
    Commented Jan 22, 2014 at 15:27
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    Are you sure that "Captains in long flights usually take a walk around in the cabin"? I've taken 20+ long-haul flights and never even once seen a member of the flight crew in the cabin. OK, 20 isn't a huge number but it should be enough to see pretty much everything that's "usual".
    – David Richerby
    Commented Feb 24, 2015 at 22:35
  • @DavidRicherby I've seen this several times on long haul flights. I don't know if it's "usually" the case, but it seems common enough. I'd guess you're more likely to see it in the cabin(s) closest to the flight deck. For example, I was recently upstairs on a couple of 747s and saw flight crew walking around several times during those two flights. This was on a U.S. carrier, though I think I've also seen flight crew walking around in the cabin on Korean Air long-hauls.
    – reirab
    Commented Jun 10, 2015 at 16:56
  • @DavidRicherby I am pretty sure. In many of the long haul flights two sets of crew take shifts. The crew on rest are free to move. Although it is unusual for them to change their clothes and wear something light to help them rest. If your flight was around 8 hours then there is a chance that it is only one set of crew.
    – Nean Der Thal
    Commented Jun 11, 2015 at 5:56
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    @sixtyfootersdude I believe you can smoke on the flight deck on at least some airlines. I've smelled cigarette smoke on RJ a couple of times. Very unpleasant
    – Berwyn
    Commented Aug 4, 2016 at 12:46
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"It depends". There are attempts to strictly limit the access to the cockpit. The rules differ however from country to country. There are reports that people are still admitted to the cockpit 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 cockpit 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 cockpit as a kid during the start of an airplane in the 80s where this was prohibited already.

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  • rules do not permit it, on my experience the easiest way is on charter flight
    – Ale
    Commented Dec 26, 2013 at 15:13
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You can still go in the cockpit. I know this for a fact because my kids went inside a Southwest 737 cockpit last year, when one of the flight attendants took notice of their interest in airplanes.

However, this was on the ground, before takeoff.

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    This doesn't answer the question about visiting the cockpit during flight.
    – Berwyn
    Commented Aug 4, 2016 at 12:47

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