Origins of Cockpit?
Tony Paton
the word "Cockpit" used to describe the flight deck area of an
aircraft? I know some word come from the french but have never known
why the "Cockpit" is the Cockpit?
Any ideas?
\
------------ >-==- TONY PATON to...@tpg.com.au
/
cow...@ram.net.au
"Tony Paton" <to...@tpg.com.au> (Tony Paton) wrote:
> The usual puns and innuendo aside. What were the origins or why was
> the word "Cockpit" used to describe the flight deck area of an
> aircraft? I know some word come from the french but have never known
> why the "Cockpit" is the Cockpit?
> Any ideas?
>
My understanding is that it is a nautical term and was the area from whence
the ship was steered back in the GOD's under sail. Like a lot of terms, they
came to aviation via the flying boats, ie, the cabin, stewards,purser,flight
deck, navigator, pilot,hull, rudder, cargo hold, etc cowboy
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From: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
........
3. (Naut.) (a) That part of a war vessel appropriated to the wounded during
an engagement. (b) In yachts and other small vessels, a space lower than the
rest of the deck, which affords easy access to the cabin.
Webster's again:
cock-pit \'ka^:k-,pit\ n(1587)1a: a pit or enclosure for cockfights
1b: a place noted for esp. bloody, violent, or long-continued conflict
2 obs: the pit of a theater
3a: an apartment of an old sailing warship used as quarters for junior
officers and for treatment of the wounded in an engagement
3b: an open space aft of a decked area from which a small ship is steered
3c: a space in the fuselage of an airplane for the pilot or the pilot
and passengers or in large passenger planes the pilot and crew
hi from the top to down-under
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Dwight Siemens
fighter pilots dueled to their deaths in a way similar to what happened
when they used to put 2 roosters in a "cockpit" to fight it out in a duel
to the death. Dwight Siemens Clovis, CA. USA
Dwight Siemens
Tony PatonTony Paton <to...@tpg.com.au> wrote in article
<3735745...@goofy.unixpac.com.au>...
> The usual puns and innuendo aside. What were the origins or why was
> the word "Cockpit" used to describe the flight deck area of an
> aircraft? I know some word come from the french but have never known
> why the "Cockpit" is the Cockpit?
> Any ideas?
>
Graeme Hogan
front of the acft, just like a cockpit.
T.A.
the time refused to wear ( or didn't have)parachutes, as a result after a
crash the pilot's area resembled a bloody pit similar to that of Cock
fights, a sport apparently very popular at the time. I don't know how much
of it is true, but that's what I have found out!
Cheers
T.A.
Paul Saccani
wrote:
> [during world war one].... Pilots... ....refused to wear ( or didn't have)parachutes,
Pilots didn't use parachutes because they had not been invented yet.
Cobblers, I hear you say ;)
Well you are right. :) Whilst static line type parachutes had been
developed, and were used by ballonists, the modern style of parachute
with a pilot chute had not been developed. Hence there were no
practical parachutes to use in aircraft, other than for special
purposes such as infiltrating spies and the like. The allied
parachute used for this purpose was a type known as the "Black
Gaurdian", and it used a hand deployed drogue to start the main
canopy.
Re: the flying boat origin of the term cockpit, this theory is
unlikely to be correct, as contemporay literature from before the days
of flying boats already used the term "cockpit".
John Brandon
T.A. wrote in message <7i62bi$a7r$1...@news.loxinfo.co.th>...
As with many aeronautical terms cockpit comes from the days of sailing
vessels when it referred to the well in the decking of smaller vessels where
the helmsman stood and which was subsequently applied to the piloting
(another nautical term) position of the early enclosed fuselage aircraft.
The term is still used in yachting circles. Of course the nautical usage
was derived from well arena used for cock-fighting.
John Brandon
bulla
Tony Paton (Tony Paton) wrote:
> The usual puns and innuendo aside. What were the origins or why was
> the word "Cockpit" used to describe the flight deck area of an
> aircraft? I know some word come from the french but have never known
> why the "Cockpit" is the Cockpit?
> Any ideas?
>
> \
> ------------ >-==- TONY PATON to...@tpg.com.au
> /
My understanding, is that it originated during the world wars when
pilots would take those willing young girls into the 'cockpit' or flight
deck. This is the reason why cockpit is considered a sexist term by many
women in the aviation field. (then again I could be wrong, but it is
rather funny!)
cheers
Chunch.