How to Jumpseat?

[52vincent]

I am a little confused about the policies of jumpseating, having read many threads on this board. I was always under the impression that jumpseating was reserved for airline pilots, and family members (not sure about the latter, just guessing from posts I have read. )

Obviously you can tell from my profile Iam not or ever have been and airline pilot, nor related to any, one reason for my lack of knowledge on the subject.

The reason I ask this question is in the process of reading all these threads and posts I have looked at the profiles of the authors and noticed their lack of hours as well and yet they indicate they have jumpseated in the past. So I concluded they must have been related to someone.

Can you jumpseat when flying on a buddy pass?

Am I wrong; please set me straight!!!

 

[Andy Neill]

Jumpseating is a privilege extended as a professional courtesy by captains to other airline pilots in accordance with the rules of particular operators. When I am the recipient, I am most grateful for the assistance it brings to my travels.

As you get on with a carrier, you will be instructed as to the protocols and procedures to follow.

 

[bigD]

I know that some guys get internships through their school, which sometimes results in some jumpseat riding. FlyChicaga can probably answer more about this, since he's done it.

I personally have only jumpseated once on an A320. It was a charter plane carrying the NU football team down to Austin one year. I just happened to be in the right place at the right time, and was offered to go with them back up to Lincoln to pick up the girl's vollyball team. It was just one of those extremenly lucky things where a cordial conversation with the Captain yielded the chance. I'm not sure if this kind of thing would happen again Post 9/11 though...