# can an airline CEO sit in the cockpit of an airliner? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 15, 2015, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-airline-ceo-sit-in-the-cockpit-of-an-airliner/737653 "2015-11-15T22:00:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2015, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-airline-ceo-sit-in-the-cockpit-of-an-airliner/737653/1 "2015-11-15T22:00:22Z")
Can an airline CEO (a non-pilot) take a fun flight ride sitting in the airliner cockpit as other pilots fly it on a normal flight route (an airliner that his company owns,) or is that illegal? ---
**Author:** ![dolphinboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dolphinboy/32/330_2.png) [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2015, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-airline-ceo-sit-in-the-cockpit-of-an-airliner/737653/2 "2015-11-15T22:08:56Z")
Why would it be illegal? Is there a specific law you can cite? If there is a jump seat available a pilot would be allowed to sit in it. I can’t see why the CEO wouldn’t be allowed… but first class is a much more comfortable place to sit. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2015, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-airline-ceo-sit-in-the-cockpit-of-an-airliner/737653/3 "2015-11-15T22:28:51Z")
> [@dolphinboy](#): > > Why would it be illegal? Is there a specific law you can cite? If there is a jump seat available a pilot would be allowed to sit in it. I can’t see why the CEO wouldn’t be allowed… but first class is a much more comfortable place to sit. I may be wrong but I thought only authorized crewmembers allowed. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2015, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-airline-ceo-sit-in-the-cockpit-of-an-airliner/737653/4 "2015-11-15T23:08:35Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > I may be wrong but I thought only authorized crewmembers allowed. No, I’ve seen a flight where the pilot invited a teenage young man to ride in the jump seat for part of the flight. Of course, this was before the TSA and all that madness – possibly there are new rules now. ---
**Author:** ![D18](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@D18](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D18)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2015, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-airline-ceo-sit-in-the-cockpit-of-an-airliner/737653/5 "2015-11-16T00:51:55Z")
Ya think? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2015, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-airline-ceo-sit-in-the-cockpit-of-an-airliner/737653/6 "2015-11-16T01:03:42Z")
[From here.](http://www.brighthub.com/science/aviation/articles/73940.aspx) Can’t vouch for the accuracy. > [@](#): > > Each airline sets its own rules regarding who is allowed to be inside the cockpit. These rules must be studied and approved by the Federal Aviation Administration before an airline is even allowed to begin selling tickets. At some airlines, off-duty pilots or flight attendants are allowed to ride in a small foldout seat in the cockpit called a “jumpseat”. At other airlines, no person is allowed to enter other than airline cockpit crews essential for the flight. [Sterile Cockpit.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sterile_Cockpit_Rule) ---
**Author:** ![fisha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@fisha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fisha)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2015, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-airline-ceo-sit-in-the-cockpit-of-an-airliner/737653/7 "2015-11-16T02:41:55Z")
Nm, sounded like stealth bragging. Short answer; I don’t know. ---
**Author:** ![JohnGalt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johngalt/32/184_2.png) [@JohnGalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnGalt)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2015, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-airline-ceo-sit-in-the-cockpit-of-an-airliner/737653/8 "2015-11-16T02:46:33Z")
The most obvious answer is “yes!” - if the plane is parked on the ground and nothing is running. What? That’s not what you mean? ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2015, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-airline-ceo-sit-in-the-cockpit-of-an-airliner/737653/9 "2015-11-16T03:03:50Z")
In my company, which basically just follows the Australian rule set, any staff with an ID card are allowed in the jump seat provided they have approval from head of flight ops (chief pilot). The CEO would certainly fit the criteria. Up until recently we used to take kids on work experience in the jump seat on the basis that they were a temporary employee, but our head of security put an end to that. Pre 9/11 riding in the jump seat was much more common. I’ve ridden in the jump seat just by asking the flight attendant when I was a young lad. ---
**Author:** ![coremelt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@coremelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coremelt)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2015, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-airline-ceo-sit-in-the-cockpit-of-an-airliner/737653/10 "2015-11-16T04:54:14Z")
Presumably even if there is some safety certification you have take in order to ride in the jumpseat, the CEO can put themself through it if they want to. As I understand it cabin crew will also sometimes ride in the jumpseat if they need to be in another city to work on a flight and the plane is full. So it’s not only Pilots that can sit there. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2015, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-airline-ceo-sit-in-the-cockpit-of-an-airliner/737653/11 "2015-11-16T06:32:47Z")
In addition to the above, our current guidance is that the “passenger” has to be supporting our contracts. We can take an engineer with us to an outport when the purpose is for the engineer to spend time at the port performing their engineering functions, or a charter operations staff member when we are flying an ad hoc charter, or crew members (cabin crew or pilots) who will then crew another flight, but we can’t take a flight attendant who wants to travel to Melbourne to visit her mother. This is a fairly new rule for us, we used to take company passengers travelling privately quite regularly in the jump seat. ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2015, 7:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-airline-ceo-sit-in-the-cockpit-of-an-airliner/737653/12 "2015-11-16T07:11:59Z")
Passengers in the cockpit? For some reason, I’m reminded of Peter Graves as a pilot with a young passenger. I don’t know why. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2015, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-airline-ceo-sit-in-the-cockpit-of-an-airliner/737653/13 "2015-11-16T13:45:44Z")
> [@t-bonham@scc.net](#): > > No, I’ve seen a flight where the pilot invited a teenage young man to ride in the jump seat for part of the flight. > > Of course, this was before the TSA and all that madness – possibly there are new rules now. Yeah, when I was a kid I got to do this quite a bit. My dad was SVP at a carrier and we got to deadhead everywhere. Sometimes they’d put me up there with the crew if I promised to be good. ---
**Author:** ![Llama\_Llogophile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@Llama\_Llogophile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Llama_Llogophile)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2015, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-airline-ceo-sit-in-the-cockpit-of-an-airliner/737653/14 "2015-11-16T21:36:11Z")
Yes, at the regional I flew for. I had the CEO in my jumpseat once, as well as various other employees of the airline. ---
**Author:** ![pilot141](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e0b2c6/32.png) [@pilot141](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pilot141)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2015, 10:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-airline-ceo-sit-in-the-cockpit-of-an-airliner/737653/15 "2015-11-17T10:31:19Z")
It completely depends on the airline, the rules they operate under, and the CEO. So the real answer is “maybe”. For most commercial passenger carriers, the answer is probably yes. But a few years ago (during contract negotiations, natch) the head of UPS Airlines tried to get on one of their 747s. The Captain asked to see his pilot’s license, which he of course did not have. Since UPS 747s do not have a secure cockpit door, every person (including jumpseat riders) are considered to be in the cockpit, therefore cockpit access rules apply. One of those is a valid pilot’s license. The 747 taxied away with the UPS Airlines CEO fuming on the ramp, but there was nothing he could do - the captain was correct. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2015, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-airline-ceo-sit-in-the-cockpit-of-an-airliner/737653/16 "2015-11-17T14:16:32Z")
Ha! I’m glad we don’t have that rule. We often take non-pilot passengers in our freighters. I’m guessing that if it wasn’t contract negotiation time the captain might not have been so pedantic? ---
**Author:** ![pilot141](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e0b2c6/32.png) [@pilot141](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pilot141)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2015, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-airline-ceo-sit-in-the-cockpit-of-an-airliner/737653/17 "2015-11-18T00:25:06Z")
Well, there is no telling at UPS. Those guys have the worst labor-management relationship I have ever seen. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2015, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-airline-ceo-sit-in-the-cockpit-of-an-airliner/737653/18 "2015-11-18T01:08:09Z")
Orville Wright had been a CEO of the Wright Company until 1916 and sat on a lot of aviation boards until his death in 1948, and Eddie Rickenbacker was the leader (President? CEO?) of Eastern Airlines until 1959, and I suspect neither was licensed to fly a commercial airliner. I’d love to meet a pilot ballsy enough to kick either of them out of a cockpit, though! ---
**Author:** ![40below](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/4/51bf81/32.png) [@40below](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/40below)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2015, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-airline-ceo-sit-in-the-cockpit-of-an-airliner/737653/19 "2015-11-19T17:21:21Z")
If you’re flying around the west coast on short-hop seaplanes, the twin otters don’t usually carry a co-pilot and you can ask the pilot if you can sit in the right-hand seat if it’s vacant. Best seat in the house. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2015, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-airline-ceo-sit-in-the-cockpit-of-an-airliner/737653/20 "2015-11-19T22:09:21Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > Can an airline CEO (a non-pilot) take a fun flight ride sitting in the airliner cockpit as other pilots fly it on a normal flight route (an airliner that his company owns,) or is that illegal? > [@dolphinboy](#): > > Why would it be illegal? Is there a specific law you can cite? If there is a jump seat available a pilot would be allowed to sit in it. I can’t see why the CEO wouldn’t be allowed… but first class is a much more comfortable place to sit. As a general rule in US aviation, unlike in US society at large, absolutely anything and everything you can imagine is prohibited. Unless explicitly allowed for in some rule someplace. Federal Regulations prohibit non-essential personnel in the cockpit of an operational airline flight except under a fairly rigid hierarchy of specific authorizations, qualifications, and reasons for being there. The CEO can be admitted provided he/she has in his/her possession FAA Form 8430-6 signed by an appropriate FAA manager and the appropriate VP of flying operations at our company. And provided the Captain agrees to admit him/her. And provided there’s also a seat reserved and blocked in the back for him/her. How hard is it to get FAA Form 8430-6 signed by the relevant FAA representative? Beats me but in 25+ years I’ve never seen one. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-airline-ceo-sit-in-the-cockpit-of-an-airliner/737653.md?page=2)