Cockpit

aviation · pilots · vehicles

Where pilots sit. The cockpit is located at the front of an aircraft, giving the pilot the best view of the sky and runway ahead. This is where the captain and co-pilot work together during flight.

Packed with controls. The cockpit is filled with buttons, switches, dials, and levers that let pilots control everything from the engines to the landing gear. Each control has a specific job to keep the aircraft flying safely.

In spaceships too. Spacecraft like the Space Shuttle and rockets also have cockpits where astronauts sit to pilot the vehicle and control its systems during launch and landing.

Command center. Modern cockpits have computers and screens that show the pilot exactly where the aircraft is, how fast it's going, and what the weather ahead looks like.

Team effort. Two pilots work in the cockpit on long flights, switching who is actively flying so no one gets too tired during the journey.