POPA

Don't know if you Q4 guys make it down to IAH at all, but if you look around there's some stashes of plastic CAL wings around the express gates.

LineTroll

I have some pictures from when I was 10 or 11 of me sitting in the flight deck of a 737. That was the best part of the trip for me, the second time I had ever flown and I got to sit in the pilot's seat and press buttons for them.

spartanpilot

Same here! My mom was a res agent for TWA(RIP) and one of the first trips we took was to Hawaii. When we were boarding the captain asked if I wanted to come up later and see the cockpit. I don't remember much from that trip but I definitely remember seeing everything in the flight deck and talking to the pilots. To this day I still say that is one of the many reasons I became a pilot. To all the pilots who invite kids up to the flight deck I want to say thank you.

HoboPilot

The best birthday present I ever got was a trip with my Dad down to DC when I was in 2nd grade to go to an airliner memorabilia convention. On our way out of DCA we were supposed to fly on a Dash 7, my favorite airplane, to PHL. Unfortunately there was a maintenance issue with the Dash 7 and we got rebooked on a US Air Shuttle up to LGA. Needless to say I was bummed out about not getting to fly the Dash 7, I still haven't gotten to fly on one yet, and my Dad knew this. He got me a visit in the cockpit of the 727 and the pilots let me make a PA announcement to the FAs to raise the aft stairway. It may have been just a couple minutes long, but it's been something that's added to my love of aviation that's gotten me to where I am today.

It's really cool how through all the BS associated with the industry, that pilots are in a position to have a positive impact on aspiring pilots.

olympic

I know airlines in Europe that still allow Flight Deck visits even during flight. Ask nicely and you just might get it.

Ottopilot

I welcome visitors. If they have a camera, I put them in my seat and take their picture.

jrmyl

I get kids all the time coming up front in the CRJ. I really enjoy it. I try and show them how the plane "talks" to us. They seem to get a kick out of that.

I wish I had something to give to them also. I had a kid, probably about 5 years old, getting off the plane the other day and he asked if he could have a pair of wings. I apologized to him and told him that I didn't have any to give to him. He said, "What about those?", and pointed at a button on my blazer. I almost tore it off and gave it to him.

jrmyl

LineTroll

I was on my way to Hawaii as well when I got to go up there! Nice!

left seat

Flying on Continental over Canada when I was about 12 years old, the flight attendant took me to the cockpit while en route. The pilot twisted the autopilot knob and the wings banked for a second. I got a kick out of it!! I probably had a grin on my face for as long as I did when I first soloed.

dreamtofly

you can still do this on airliners before the flight?

I thought it would look shady b/c of 9/11 paranoia but I would LOVE to go talk to the pilots/see the cockpit.