Can You Really Visit The Cockpit While Flying With Your Child?

If your family loves to travel, you probably put a lot of work into preparing for a flight with your kids so that you can keep them (and yourself) as relaxed and happy as possible throughout your journey. However, before you get your children settled into their seats with ear protection and an iPad, you might be able to have a fun and educational experience at the front of the plane. Believe it or not, a lot of pilots will let kids come into the cockpit and learn about how they fly the plane.

To find out more, Islands spoke to Captain Richard Levy. Today, Levy is a flight crew training instructor for a major airline and testifies in cases dealing with aviation litigation, but before retirement, he flew planes for a major international airline for more than 40 years. During that time, he often gave tours of the cockpit to children on his flights. "I always enjoyed showing all the 'bells and whistles' to visitors, especially a passenger with their child."

It's theoretically possible to be allowed to see the cockpit after landing, but according to Captain Richard Levy, pilots often have to rush off to their next flight or a flight home right away, so they may not have time to show you around once you've reached your destination. He said the best time to ask for a tour is before takeoff. All you need to do is ask the flight attendant who greets you as you walk onboard if it's possible to go forward and visit the flightdeck. "Most likely, you will either be escorted up there, or a phone call will be made to clear the way."

While that might seem like a busy time to ask for a favor from the flight crew, Levy said that as long as the flight isn't running late, maintenance isn't actively working on the plane, and there's enough room on the flightdeck to accommodate your family, bringing you up shouldn't be a problem. So, next time you're flying with children, it's definitely worth asking. Still, Levy advises being mindful of when your pilot needs to get back to work. "When you begin to sense the pilots are getting busy, politely offer to leave and go back to your seat."

The most exciting thing about going onto the flightdeck is probably the opportunity to take a look at the controls. (Captain Levy warned that it's extremely important that nobody touches the controls unless they're explicitly told it's okay, so make sure your kids know not to go around pressing random buttons.) It's also the perfect time to ask questions about the plane, learn more about what pilots do, and get answers about any aspect of flying that makes you nervous. Hopefully, armed with this new information, you can make traveling with your kids a more stress-free experience for everyone.

While every pilot is different, Levy told us that he always liked answering passenger questions about flying a plane — especially for children who might be inspired by the experience. "It is a perfect opportunity to answer questions about aviation — mostly honest misconceptions about aircraft, and how we get this huge airplane weighing some 777,000 pounds into the air and then find our destination some 17 hours later!" Levy said. "Of course, a child will certainly not understand the conversation, but hopefully the maze of computer presentations and lights will make a lasting impression that may possibly lead to a future career as a pilot."