Space Time
2. May 2024Introduction Video: How Flying Krebbs Airways got created
9. March 2025My Jump Seat Experience
I still cannot believe it - I really had the opportunity to fly in the cockpit on the jump seat: MUC - BCN - MUC.
In the morning: I have already been "briefed" at breakfast on how to prepare for a flight/routing. Everything is now available on a tablet: Instructions, checklists, calculation for runway takeoffs and landing distances, weight calculation, kerosene consumption, flight plan, current weather report, etc.
It's amazing what you have to know and be able to do.
My respect to the crew of the flight deck.
In the afternoon:
Everything was arranged, both boarding passes in hand - and I was waiting at the gate for boarding. The Captain and the First Officer gave me the OK that I could be in the cockpit with them for 2 flights, weather and flight conditions permitting. And it looked very good!
Once all the passengers were on board, the Chef de Cabine took me to the front of the cockpit. I was greeted in a friendly manner, the jump seat and its belts were explained to me, and I was already sitting on it with my headset and microphone, looking through between her two seats, over the center console to her monitors. Amazing - you really have to know your way around and know what is where.
I waited anxiously to see what would happen next:
Various checklists were worked through, the last items were discussed with the ramp agent and the push-back was requested.
Once in position and after saying goodbye to the push-back driver and the ramp agent, the engines were started.
Various radio messages were exchanged with the airport management (tower, apron control, etc.) and we were already on the taxiway on our way to the runway. Once there, we joined the queue for take-off. In between, we saw other planes taxiing or watched the landing from close up.
Then it was our turn: onto the runway, thrust lever forward and accelerate... and after a short time the nose of the Airbus went up and we took off very easily and climbed up to our flight altitude.
The flight followed the pre-planned route along NAV points, so the pilots merely monitored it and adjusted to the auto-pilots if instructed to do so by air traffic control. So there was enough time for cockpit talk: the instruments were explained to me and we talked about the most embarrassing radio messages that the two of them had already accidentally sent out incorrectly ... and stories from the pilots' lives.
In any case, it was very entertaining and very interesting. I was also able to listen to the radio traffic and the announcements to the passengers via my headset. But even without a noise-canceling headset, it was very quiet in the cockpit compared to the cabin.
Unfortunately, it was very cloudy over the Alps, so you couldn't really see much of them. What the heck - I can see the Alps from the back row of seats on another flight.
In between, the Chef de Cabine also asked if we wanted something to eat and drink. There would be enough crew food available so that I could also eat something - after all, I had only booked economy, lol...
And yes, the pilots ate different dishes.
Approaching BCN from the sea. I could see the airport and the runway. Before we landed, the plane that was currently blocking the runway had to take off. A brief scare - but then it accelerated and took off. So we were able to land without any problems.
A soft touchdown, which could be felt more strongly in the cockpit, and the Airbus braked itself fully automatically. Landed. Now just to the gate and my first flight in the cockpit was over.
The best(!!!):
I got off with the passengers, went to the gate and boarded the same plane again for the return flight to MUC... and have the same great experience again - because the pilots were the same.
Thank you for this great experience! I am still totally flashed!