Back in the days when smoking was allowed on airplanes, were pilots allowed to smoke in the cockpit?

Yes . In fact when the FAA banned smoking on planes back in the 90’s the ban didn’t apply to the cockpit as it was figured that it was probably safer to let pilots smoke than have an habitual smoker cooped for hours going insane.

Historically, evidence has been found that on more than one occasion the pilots ‘got naked’ in the cockpit (apparently just for the hell of it). So I’m guessing that they can do whatever-the-hell they want up there.

So the next time you hear them describing something (”...that’s the Grand Canyon coming up on our left”), listen for the sound of, say…..dice rolling. They might be playing ‘Yahtzee’ up there while the plane flies itself….
.

Yes. It’s almost impossible to imagine today, but people pretty much smoked everywhere. If you went to an event at an indoor arena, the ceiling would quickly become covered with a smoke cloud. People smoked at the movies, on buses, and at their office desks. I believe that hospital patient rooms were off-limits, but there were smoking lounges on every floor. It was all so accepted.

You know, I’ve made myself a bit queasy just by writing this.

I don’t even think pilots rely on the windows for most of the flight. Not for Jet service, but during a near miss they might and for landing and take-off, which are pretty important times. They can’t see a foot in front of them when they go through the clouds. The pilot air is recycled, so I doubt there was a huge cloud of smoke.

When I was very little, I am 45, I remember my dad going to the back of the plane or the back of theatre to smoke. He worked for the US Surgeon General and would go out to the smoking section at work. LOL. My high school had a smoking section outside.

@JLeslie “My high school had a smoking section outside.”

My high school had indoor smoking lounges! That was during the 1970’s. Nowadays, it’s difficult to believe.

And, when I went to college, each classroom and lecture hall provided ashtrays. Students would simply light-up and smoke throughout every class.

@SadieMartinPaul I graduated high school in ‘85 in MD in the metro DC area. Actually, by then most public areas were smoke free, although restaurants still had smoking sections I think? Malls were smoke free, i don’t remember when they got rid of it innrestaurants? I moved to FL in 1990 and I only remember it being no smoking in public areas there, but maybe it was still in restaurants and changed during my years there. The bars still had smoke. When I moved to NC around 1999 my husband and I were shocked there was smoking still in restaurants, but then again it is tobacco country, then we moved back to FL. Then in 2005 we moved to TN and again they had smoking in restaurants, but eventually got rid of it a few years later, you had to either desginate your restaurant smoking or not, smoking sections were outlawed. Although, most restaurants allow smoking on their property ourside if they outdoor seating, except for chains that don’t allow it. Just a few years ago MI finally got rid of smoking in restaurants. I found it shocking how many states were really slow to make laws about smoking and second hand smoke.

I recall those days well, when people smoked on planes and movie houses even!

I am still not sure as to why there isn’t a ‘smoking section’ on planes today. In the UK smoking is even banned in rented homes. I do understand why but it is just hard I must say.

(To be honest I might expire on a smoking section flight, since it really does catch ones lungs smoker or not)