It's only 3 weeks til my trip to go hunt with Karl, but I just got an e-mail from a close friend in Atlanta. He is a 22 year Delta pilot, and he will be my captain on the return flight from Joburg after the hunt. They have to have 2 crews I guess for such long flights, so we will get to visit some, and I will get to go up and hang out a little in the cockpit and see how they operate on one of those trans-Atlantic trips. Now...if I can get him to get me an upgrade to 1st class...

Now that is a great turn of events for you. Hope you and your friend have a good visit while flying over the big pond.

Tim,
while in the cockpit, maybe you could sweet talk the pilot into making a quick pitstop in Cuba and pick up few really sweet cigars?

best of luck on your hunt for spots!!

Good luck on your hunt. But I don't think you will get to hang out in the cockpit during flight. You can go up before or after the flight but FAA regulations will not allow a passenger in the cockpit during flight. If for some crazy reason you are offered a chance inside the cockpit during the flight you should decline so your friend the Captain as well as the other cockpit crewmembers do not get an early retirement.

Thanks RAC- didn't know that, and my bud is a straight shooter, so he wouldn't let me up there. I guess he was talking preflight and I misunderstood...

Now that stop over in Cuba...hmmmmm

quote:

Originally posted by Tim Herald:
Thanks RAC- didn't know that, and my bud is a straight shooter, so he wouldn't let me up there. I guess he was talking preflight and I misunderstood...

Now that stop over in Cuba...hmmmmm

Hope you have a great trip in Namibia - lovley country - I went there for the first time in February this year and fell in love with the place. Was not shooting though, chilling on the beach in Swakopmund!!

Have a great time even if you don't manage to get into the cockpit!!

Cheers
Gail

Tim,

Probably a lot more chance of getting bumped up into 1st class than there is of getting into the cockpit.......... esp in this present financial climate. 1st will probably be pretty much empty.

My trip over the pond to Namibia via South Africa was non-stop. But the return leg had a stop on Cape Verde Island for refueling where the flight crew departed and another continued on to Atlanta. Perhaps your flight will also. Better confirm with your captain.

Both my flights are the new non-stop Atlanta to Joburg, and as of right now, there are 23 empty first class seats open on the return flight. I have never understood as a Delta Gold flier, I get upgrades 70% of the time domestically or going to Canada/Mexico, but you are not supposed to able to get an upgrade on International flights??? But then I got an upgrade from London to Cincinnati last year coming home from Namibia???

If there is one thing I know...it is that I never understand the airlines.