A good First Officer would...

[Flyerdan]

Starting a thread like this may not be a good idea but maybe there will be some positive responses.

I am looking to compare notes with other FO's & CA's about how best to grow as an FO and prepare for upgrade.

For the CA's - what kinds of things did you start to do as a FO before you upgraded? And are there some things you would like to see your FO's do that they are not doing (be nice please)?

For the more seasoned FO's - are there things that you do now on a regular basis that you didn't do when you first started?

 

[J and E's Daddy]

A Good FO will not try and be a right seat CA. They will also do their job and do it to the best of their ability. They will be assertive if need be. They will also take no nonsense from CAs who try to micromanage or bully them. They will aslo cover the CA's a-- if he's messing up. (It's your butt on the line as well) They will also treat the other crew members with respect and dignity, even if they are non deserving.
Above all, maintain their professionalism, even if the others don't.

 

[Max Q]

Things I do now that I didn't do when I first started:

"One to go..." (spoken through half a creamcheese bagel)
Self Initiate Checklists
"Jorge's flying!"
"Up and after"
Take out the trash
Better express my feelings towards CA's: ("Go f(beep)ck yourself" for instance)
I can land now without setting off the ELT

-Brett

 

[probablecause]

A good FO always clears your right, eats the chicken, and dances with the fat chick.

2 cents
When it comes time for upgrade, you can already fly the plane. Try to start thinking like a leader. Don't step on your captains toes but try formulate your own decisions about the situation at hand. Be prepared to be more of a manager as a captain.

 

[SpauldingSmails]

When you're getting close to upgrade, tell the captains you're flying with. Most guys will give you little pointers they use in day to day operations, and some will have let you a little more latitude with decision making.

 

[ASACRJFlyer]

The best advice I can give is to start thinking how you would handle tough situations (holding, diversions, pax issues, mtx problems, misc delays, etc.)if you were the Captain. That doesn't mean step on the Captain's toes by being overly assertive but think about what you would do in the situation, because when you upgrade, everyone will be looking at you for the answers and that's when you earn that huge bump in pay (yeah, right) over what you make as an FO. It also helps you to be a better FO because you may think up an alternative that the Captain may not have thought about, and any good Captain is always open to suggestions before making a final decision.

 

[damnflyboy]

You're upgrading soon? Sheesh. What airline do YOU work for? The rest of us are moving backwards.


A good First Officer would...

1) Distract (and seduce if need be) the fat chick at the bar so the Captain can score with her hot friend.

2) Take credit for all bad landings.

3) Learn how to take a hint (Sudoku and Crossword Puzzels = shut the hell up).

4) Do your job and stop inventing procedures.

 

[Uncle Bunkle]

A good FO (and CA, for that matter) will NOT wear cowboy boots in the cockpit. We are not cowboys, we're pilots.

 

[Jon Rivoli]

All that I ask is that you anticipate what I want before I realize that I want it.

And, I wear Justin Ropers.

 

[viper548]

Ask the captain to walk through decisions with you. Ask if you can make the call to MX when something needs to be deferred. Most captains are more than willing to help you prepare for upgrade

 

[ground stop]

read the weather reports, notams and any mel's on the paperwork.

 

[91100 100 set]

All of the above!

 

[SpyFlysDOTs]

Keep your igloo cooler with 2 months food supply towards the back of the flightdeck, or on top of your flightbag or behind your seat, I'm OLD and not nearly as limber as you are. Don't want to break a hip climbing into or out of the seat.

Express interest in Captain flows. Participate in decision making re MEL's, Fuel, alternates..etc.

Always try and encourage the FO to think like a captain, especially once holding comes up by asking them what our BINGO fuel number will be and why?

I have asked many captains what the hardest thing about upgrade was. Without a doubt, dealing the the FA's is the most common answer.

Ask the captain if you can do the crew briefing to get use to it and feedback on what could be included. Ask the captain if you can do the PA's on the ground. Try and get to the lobby 5 min prior to van time, so you don't keep others waiting.

That's all I've got, good luck during upgrade!

 

[ImbracableCrunk]

Lot's of good advice up there. I agree with:

Let the captain know you're upgrading so he-or-she/it can give you pointers and give you insight on decision a captain needs to make (wx, mx, dx, etc.).

 

[makersmarc]

As a new FO, you should resign yourself to being a high-speed secretary. Figure out which way each CA wants it and do it that way. You'll be happier this way, and after a year or so you'll start to see a pattern of the way different CA's do things differently.

Don't hang out at the crew lounge or read Flight Info. If you do, you will soon come to the conclusion that pilots are just a bunch of whiners and complainers. I assure you, they are not.

Company procedures are generally well thought out and are logical. When a procedure calls for the CA to call for a checklist, it's because someone who devoted a lot of time to thinking about it decided that it would be good for TWO people to be involved in the selection of the correct checklist. Anyone here ever skip something because the FO self-initiated a checklist?

Always treat your crew with respect. Always. The people that you work with every day are more than company units. They are people with feelings, outside problems, and egos, just like you.

One last thing: don't get into a bitching contest. The best possible outcome is that you win a bitching contest.

 

[Raskal]

Wow, some nice responses...am I still on flightinfo?

All of the above, especially the part about listening and watching more than just flying the airplane-that's what so many fail to understand. Flying the aircraft is a given, the left seat is all about decisions/safety/legality and when to tell the FA to shut up.

 

[xkuzme1]

...

Be aware that you are not in charge. Too many FO's that I fly with try to make all kinds of decisions that they should not be making. ex. Fo's doing the walk around and when the comping back up to the flight deck and saying, "I ordered fuel for you". Well I am sorry, but that is not cool.

Someone already said, you are not the right seat Captain, you are a Captain in training. So most of the time, it is more important to listen than to make your point. Even if you succeed in making your point, it still probably wont be done your way. Try to take something from each Capt that you fly with and make it your own.

Everyone can learn from someone else, that includes Captains learning from FO's. Most likely the Captains that you fly with have developed a system that works for them and they will rarely stray from a system that has worked for them for years.

For the Captain, actually flying the airplane is only about 10 percent of the job, the other 90% is trying to foresee what might be needed 500 to 1000 miles down the road. You can be the best FO in the world, but untill you are put in the left seat, you wont understand. Not to say that it is a harder job that the right seat, but it is different.

The fact that you come on here and ask your peers how to be a good FO gives great insight to the type of FO you will be.

X

 

[PA44Jockey]

A Good FO will not try and be a right seat CA. They will also do their job and do it to the best of their ability. They will be assertive if need be. They will also take no nonsense from CAs who try to micromanage or bully them. They will aslo cover the CA's a-- if he's messing up. (It's your butt on the line as well) They will also treat the other crew members with respect and dignity, even if they are non deserving.
Above all, maintain their professionalism, even if the others don't.

It will be interesting to see how well this works out with 7 years Captains being downgraded to FOs.

 

[Raskal]

It will be interesting to see how well this works out with 7 years Captains being downgraded to FOs.

In all seriousness, that is a situation I can't fathom and wish all that go through it the best of luck.

 

[OttoPilot]

Make your crossing restrictions and land on the CL in the TDZ.

Is that really too much to ask?