[Spoon Poetic]

Well I think there are some safety reasons the cockpit is supposed to be accessible from the passenger area. But I don't know too much about it. Sounds like it might work, but I'm just not too sure.

[J m HofMarN]

The cockpit should be accessible incase the pilots pass out or are asleep, both of which have happened. Also because the pilots require the stewardesses to keep them from going to sleep by arousal.

Unless its that stewardess from Catch Me If You Can "We will be traveling at a speed of 25000 miles an hour at an altitude of 300 feet" hehe.

[civilian_number_two]

So give them a stewardess. If they fall asleep, what would the passengers be able to do? Or the stewardesses? I think the pilots should take off, then set the automated navigational system while they take turns napping, and their personal stewardess should watch DVDs and make coffee. The food service shouldn't apply to them; they should have thir own meals and a microwave oven. At the end of the flight, both pilots should be wide awake for the landing.

[Spoon Poetic]

I hope you're being sarcastic? You ever seen a cockpit? Tiny. No room for keeping their deluxe lunchbox and microwave oven, let alone a whole personal stewardess. The entire design for the airplane would have to be completely overhauled to make a "deluxe superlarge cockpit no-exit edition!"

[Simperin' Fool]

If they fall asleep, what would the passengers be able to do?

Go into the cockpit, raise the control tower on the radio, and configure the computer to land the plane automatically. Or smack the pilots and wake them up. Either would do.

[J m HofMarN]

I think this thread has been in sarcastic territory too long for any of us to need to ask if Civ is being sarcastic. Hell, I can keep up hope that this damned DHS memo was meant to be sarcastic.

[civilian_number_two]

Yes I am talking about a redesign of the cockpit area. This is something that has been discussed for decades, and lots of planes have been built since. It's about the best idea anyone has come up with for airplane security, but it wasn't considered necessary since hijacking is relatively rare. As an idea it gained a resurgence of popularity after 9/11, but again that was a rare event. And of course a security risk still exists since the pilots and any attending staff they have on board are all human and may themselves hijack the plane.

SF, You can't "reconfigure the computer to land the plane automatically." If you could you wouldn't need pilots. For takeoff and landing pilots are essential.

[Simperin' Fool]

For takeoff and landing pilots are essential.

There was an episode of Mythbusters about a passenger landing a plane with guidance from the control tower. They mentioned that, even though it's possible to do that, it's completely unnecessary because modern navigational equipment is so advanced that it can land a plane on its own. All you have to do is punch in a few numbers. You still need pilots, but if they die while the plane is in the air, you're not totally fucked.

This post has been edited by Simperin' Fool: 25 February 2008 - 07:54 AM

[J m HofMarN]

Instead of redesigning the cockpit why not just add full body restraints for all apssengers and one of those Hannibal masks so they cant bite the stewardess into untying them, then hijack the plane.