Cabin Crew Jumpseat Experience | Take Off & Landing

1. Incapacitation drill
2. Flight Deck Rule
3. My Experience
4. The Day I started
5. The Crew
6. My First Flight Deck Experience
7. Why I Like The Flight Deck

Today’s post is going to be about my first time flying in the cockpit, or the flight deck, as a flight attendant—especifically a Ryanair flight attendant on the Boeing 737-800 aircraft.

Okay, so my first time sitting in a jump seat or being in a flight deck literally was on a dummy aircraft at the training course, and I thought that was quite interesting. We had to perform the pilot’s incapacitation drill where we performed on each other. We basically perform this drill, which is a procedure for if, by chance, a pilot becomes incapacitated for whatever reason. If one or both pilots become incapacitated, the flight attendants need to know this drill. Additionally, an occasion when a flight attendant would have to replace a pilot in the flight deck is if the pilot is going to the toilet. So, if one of the pilots decides they want to go to the toilet, then one of the cabin crew needs to go into the flight deck and replace him. There must always be two people in the flight deck at any one time. This is for safety and security reasons, which I will not go into right now, but there have been occasions—or a specific occasion that I have in mind—where one particular pilot locked out the other pilot, and it didn’t end well. That’s why there’s a rule where there always have to be two people in the flight deck: two pilots or one pilot and one cabin crew.

Alright, so now let’s get on to my experience. My first time, after being in the dummy flight deck doing the pilot’s incapacitation drill at the training course, my first time in the flight deck, flying in the flight deck, was on my first supernumerary day, which is my first day of work after finishing the training course—my first day on the job. So basically, when you get your wings or when you qualify as a flight attendant, when you finish the course in Ryanair—this is just one of their specific rules—you do have to do three supernumerary days. So, I did that, and on my first day, I remember we had Krakow-Toulouse. Yeah, so we flew from Berlin to Krakow, back to Berlin, and then again from Berlin to Toulouse and back to Berlin.

The day started off well. I think I talked about my first day as a flight attendant in another video. I think it is the third video in this Ryanair playlist. Every video I’ve done in this playlist as a Ryanair flight attendant will be in the description, as well as generally on my channel within the playlist. You can find them in those two places very easily.

When I started my supernumerary days, I had my manual with me. I had everything I needed for a long day. I knew I would have a long day ahead, so I did my best to prepare so that I would have as nice a day as possible. Altogether, on the aircraft, there were four crew: four cabin crew, two supernumeraries (me and my colleague from the training course, another guy), and there were two pilots in the cockpit. There was no trainer, so altogether eight crew. Actually, the first officer, I think that was also his first day of work; I think that was one of his supernumerary flights. We ended up stuck in France for many, many hours. Some of us spent some time there; others just flew back home.

On my first supernumerary day, that was my first opportunity to fly in the cockpit. The number one, which is the cabin supervisor, asked me if I would like to do the takeoff and landing in the flight deck, and I said yes, of course. I think I ended up staying in the flight deck during takeoff, during the flight, and landing. It was so interesting and fascinating for me because I’ve never been that person who’s interested in flying, aviation, or being a pilot. I’ve never been that person that’s been keen because usually, those people start off from childhood, playing with airplanes. Then when they’re on the flight, they’re always peeping their head around into the flight deck, talking to the captain and the pilot.

So, this was my first experience actually being in the flight deck on the job. That’s why for me, it was almost like I was a kid. I wasn’t acting like a kid, but in my head, I was like, “Oh my God, this is so exciting!” Some cabin crew don’t actually like being in the flight deck. Some of them would just much rather be in the cabin. But I like being in the flight deck because I get to hear those radio conversations from ATC, I get to see out of the flight deck windows, and get a nice view depending on where we’re flying over. It’s just so interesting.

On the runway, you’re in the jump seat, so you can see everything. Your captain is to your left, your first officer is to your right, and you’re in the middle in that jump seat. You can see everything that’s going on. It kind of taxis along, and then they push the thrust, and it goes up into the sky. Before you know it, you’re just up in the sky, over the mountains, and it’s just a really, really nice experience. It’s really cool. I remember we flew over the Alps, and it was just so pretty and beautiful. I took many pictures.

I was given the option to either stay in there just for takeoff or to stay in there for the whole flight. Of course, I took the opportunity to stay in there for the whole flight because I wasn’t sure when I’d get that opportunity again. I knew that because I was a supernumerary, there were already crew taking care of the core responsibilities. It is just kind of part of the initiation of new crew to allow them to fly in the flight deck, at least for takeoff and landing. I really enjoyed that experience. I was talking to the pilots as well. I think it was very nice. It was really good for me. I just enjoyed it. I just liked it.

Of course, I didn’t get the pilot feeling because I’m not pressing buttons, I’m not doing the checks, I’m not pushing the thrust lever, I’m not stepping on the gas, I’m not communicating with ATC, I’m not checking the weather, I’m not doing what pilots do. I’m just sitting back and enjoying the ride, enjoying the views. I’m just loving it.

So guys, that is the story of my first experience in the flight deck as a cabin crew. To be honest, if I’m given the opportunity to do it again, I would love to. However, I am not a crew, and I’m not going to be barging into the flight deck on my holiday flights trying to chat up the pilots. If you just love being in the sky, if you love that feeling, it’s very, very nice, very cool to see what they get up to in there.

I hope you enjoyed this story and me sharing my experience. Let me know: are you a cabin crew, and what was your experience like the first time you were in the flight deck for takeoff and landing? Which one do you prefer—takeoffs or landings? When it comes to takeoff and landing, they discuss between each other who would like to do the takeoff and who would like to do the landing. The pilots discuss that between each other. Okay, you did the takeoff on this; I did the landing on this. You did the landing on this; I did the takeoff on that. I don’t know the technicalities of exactly what they have to do to land or take off a plane because I’m not a pilot, and I’ve never actually played any simulation games, so I don’t really know exactly what goes on with that.

I’m just going to end this video here. Please like if you liked this video, subscribe if you’re not already subscribed, and turn on your notifications so you know exactly when I’ve uploaded a video. Please head over to follow me on Instagram, and I will see you in my next video. Bye!