Standard advice is for passengers on long-haul flights is to get up out of their seats periodically to keep the blood moving through their lower extremities and reduce the risk of deep-vein thrombosis. Even without the DVT risk, sitting for long periods is generally understood to be bad for your health.
So how do pilots on these long-haul flights cope? Each opening of the cockpit door presents a security risk, and of course it’s more challenging for a pilot to get in/out of one of those cockpit seats than it is for a passenger to get in/out of an economy-class seat. OTOH, it sure looks like the pilots’ seats afford even less room for wiggling around (to stretch, change posture, etc.). I know there’s an upper bound on working hours that pretty much requires a crew change at some point during long flights, but outside of that switchover, do pilots routinely get up and leave the cockpit to stretch their legs at all?
Sure. I wasn’t even thinking of “but who’s flying the plane.” Just a question of how much hassle it is to get in/out, what’s typical, what’s allowed, etc.
When I fly to Japan, I drink lots of water so that I get out of my seat and visit the bathroom about once per hour; after heeding nature’s call I take a couple of minutes to do some calf raises before heading back to my seat. If the two pilots were to do something like this, it would mean someone going in or out of the cockpit four times per hour.
When nature calls pilots have to get out of the cockpit, and on long flights, I have seen pilots leave the cockpit just to walk around a bit, but I’m guessing they are kind of stuck there for most of the flight making sure everything is working and checking in occasionally. On a really long flight, there is an extra pilot and co-pilot there to take over when the pilot and co-pilot need to sleep. There are special sleeping areas for crew to use as needed on bigger planes.
I’ll also point out that the pilots probably have more leg room, seeing as they need the space to manipulate the rudder pedals when required, and also to NOT have their feet on the pedals when they aren’t the guy flying the airplane, the other pilot is. I have been told by such pilots that their seats, even if more of a hassle to get into/out of, are more comfortable than anything short of First Class.
As far as how hard it is for the pilots to get in and out of their seats, the seats in the P-8A (which is based on the 737NG, and I assume most large airliners are similar) are on J-shaped rails and can slide back and to the side, so getting in and out actually isn’t difficult at all.
You’d probably find that short haul pilots can be in their seat for longer due to them being a two pilot crew and not having a mandatory inflight rest requirement.
I’m short haul and am quite happy in my seat for three to four hours unless I need a toilet break. In long haul after that amount of time I’d probably be off to my bunk for a sleep so I wouldn’t be in a seat for any longer really. Don’t forget our seats are a lot more comfy than an economy seat down the back. I can lean back and put my feet up on the footrests.
Further, it’s not really necessary to get up, but if you don’t get up you should do little leg stretches and toe wiggles. No doubt some people have health issues that put them more at risk of DVT and they would have to take extra precautions.
I find most guys will get up for a toilet break once on a longish short haul sector (~3+ hours). If one gets up the other will as well, once the first has come back, so it’s just the one toilet break really. It’s a disruption to the cabin crew so I try to minimise it.
No matter how comfy your chair is, you still need to get out of it sometimes.
I only fly once or twice a year, but it’s a 12 hour flight.
Try this experiment:
Take the most comfortable armchair in your house.
Sit down in it. Turn on the TV if you want.
Now STAY THERE for 12 hours straight.
Nobody in the history of the human race has ever done this voluntarily.
Why does this disrupt the flight attendants? There are always passengers walking the aisle during a 12 hour flight.
But, come to think of it, I have never seen the pilot do so. Maybe I was just asleep?
When pilots leave the cockpit on domestic US flights, the cabin crew often put a drink cart in the aisle backed by one of the flight attendants to keep anyone from rushing the cockpit while the door is open. This means they have to stop drink service (or whatever else they’re taking care of) and start up again afterwards.
I believe Richard Pearse is based in Australia; I don’t know whether they block the aisle there, but even if they don’t, I bet the cabin crew is on alert any time the cockpit door opens.
Either way, I can see how it would be disruptive; it’s considerate to avoid making extra work for colleagues in any office, including ones in aluminum tubes.
In New Zealand now. The basic concept is the same. A flight attendant has to come in to the cockpit while the other pilot is out and meanwhile, as you say, they have to block the galley off. I will only do it if I’m busting on a domestic sector, for the trans-Tasmans I’ll get up if the other pilot is having a break otherwise I’ll just stay put.
Whenever the pilots are coming out for a toilet break, that area gets closed off beforehand (curtained off, or blocked physically by a cart or flight attendant). In planes with curtains you may catch a glance of the cockpit while the plane is on land, but you won’t while it’s in the air.
i remember as a kid they used let you chat with the pilot and see them fly the plane for a few sometimes youd “steer” for a few seconds (it was auto )……. ya cant do that anymore
You couldn’t do that then either, the “steering” bit that is, but attitudes were different, I have no doubt that it happened a bit. It is a real shame that world events have put a stop to flight deck visits. About 20 years ago my girl friend and I spent about 20 minutes in the flight deck of a B767 flying across the Tasman from NZ to Aus.
Or, if drink service wasn’t happening, they have to get up from their own seat and go get a cart. And either way, I assume they hang around the cockpit door until the peeing pilot is ready to return.
