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Matthew at Live and Let’s Fly posted earlier today around his feeling that passengers should be able to visit the cockpit during flight. I disagree and will take it a step further in saying that the visits pre-flight should also stop. The pilots are there to do a job and passengers crowding their space is unnecessary and potentially dangerous.
Yesterday, while boarding a flight from Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) a parent of two young children decided it was a good idea to pay a visit to the cockpit while boarding. This held up boarding on an already delayed flight and even with the flight attendants trying to get them to move, they insisted on taking photos and chatting away while others waited in the jet bridge.
United Airlines and the Federal Aviation Administration are investigating how a passenger gained access to the cockpit of a 757 at cruise altitude in violation of the company’s policy and FAA regulations. pic.twitter.com/E2yQwSbEy8
— Breaking Aviation News & Videos (@aviationbrk) April 19, 2024
Last month, I wrote about a passenger being able to sit in the cockpit and have his photo taken while the charter flight was at cruising altitude. This is dangerous and completely unneeded. The cockpit should remain sterile. The tragedy of 9/11 still looms for many (including those who lost loved ones). Passengers do not need to be in the cockpit while it is in flight. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is still investigating what happened here along with United Airlines who operated the flight.
If you really want to see the cockpit, take a peek on your way out and keep it moving.
Anthony’s Take: I say keep the cockpit door closed. Children don’t need to go in there to bug the pilots and passengers certainly don’t need to be in there. While I agree with Matthew that everyone goes through security, sheer physical strength and guards being down might be enough to turn the aircraft into a weapon.
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2 comments
Leave the regs as they are. Preflight visits have never been a cause for delay if you know how to manage your time. And it’s not going to be a security problem either. Nobody is going to commandeer a parked airplane.
Agree with you completely. Don’t need more chance of less nefarious things happening either by accident. Remember what happened with that LATAM 787 a few months ago just from a flight attendant bumping a switch on the back of the captains seat in flight?