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In aviation, the cockpit refers to the area where the pilot operates the aircraft, controlling its flight and navigation. It’s found in both commercial and military aircraft. In the iconic movie Star Wars, Han Solo and Chewbacca spend most of their time in the cockpit of the Millennium Falcon.
The term ‘cockpit’ is widely recognized, yet its origins are somewhat mysterious. But how did this space become known as the cockpit?
According to General Aviation News, there are several theories behind this term, all with a logical progression. What’s clear is that ‘cockpit’ was first used in the 1500s to describe a pit where roosters were made to fight. These pits were typically dug into the earth to prevent the birds from escaping, hence the name ‘cockpit’.
This has little to do with airplanes, especially when considering that the concept of flight wasn’t a priority in the 16th century. However, one potential connection is The Cockpit, a London theater built on the site of a former rooster fighting pit—giving it its name—which was demolished in the 1600s. In its place were structures that housed government officials.
It’s likely you can see where this leads. The Cockpit was so familiar to Londoners that the new buildings that replaced it were known by the same name. Since these buildings housed the country’s leaders, ‘cockpit’ began to be associated with a command center.
Pilots may have drawn inspiration from another meaning of the term, which came to describe any war zone. Since fighter planes were engaged in aerial battles, they could be seen as flying cockpits.
Another theory: ‘cockswain’ (now usually spelled ‘coxswain’) was used to describe the person responsible for steering a boat. The cockpit came to refer to the area of the boat where the steering took place. It’s possible that this term eventually made its way into aviation.
The term ‘cockpit’ was also used in automotive contexts as early as 1904, and in 1909, The New York Times referred to it in relation to an ‘airship.’ Some of the earliest airplanes wouldn’t have needed such a term. In 1903, Orville Wright piloted his aircraft simply by lying on top of the wing.
