Capt/FO responsabilities/workload

[Archer]

How much does each do, how is the workload split, what are the responsabilities of each?

HOw much does the FO do and how much does the Captain do?

Archer

 

[Tri-holer]

Easy division

The Captain says, "Are we ready to go?" The FO does everything else.

Seriously, generally the flying legs are split with one person being the flying pilot and the other, the non-flying pilot. Next leg, jobs are reversed. The FO is usually responsible to get a lot of the work done (such as preflights, weight and balances, and reading most of the checklists) while the Captain reviews the paperwork and weather and puts out fires.

Regardless of the amount of work the FO does, he or she has the easy job*. The Captain bears the ultimate responsibility. Even if the FO is making the decisions as the flying pilot, the Captain can and will overrule them. It is easy to sit in the right seat and fly while someone else is making the tough calls.

*Easy being relative. The FO must also sometimes be a psychologist in order to deal with some Captains and be willing to bite one's tongue rather than piss off a greybeard who came up in the era of the Captain being the ultimate dictator. Diplomacy is a skill you will develop (if not, remember the phrase, "Would you like to supersize that?").

 

[B737G]

I always felt as an FO I finished a trip physically tired and when I was a Captain, I was more mentally tired. Fly with a poor Capt. and you are all of the above.

 

[avbug]

The British Airways version...

"There appears to be some confusion over the new pilot role titles. This notice will hopefully clear up any misunderstandings.

"The titles P1, P2 and Co-Pilot will now cease to have any meaning, within the BA operations manuals. They are to be replaced by Handling Pilot, Non-Handling Pilot, Handling Landing Pilot, Non-Handling Landing Pilot, Handling Non-Landing Pilot, and Non-Handling Non-Landing Pilot.

"The Landing Pilot is initially the Handling Pilot and will handle the take-off and landing, except in role reversal when he is the Non- Handling Pilot for taxi, until the Handling Non-Landing Pilot hands the Handling to the Landing Pilot at eighty knots.

"The Non-Landing (Non-Handling, since the Landing Pilot is handling) Pilot reads the checklist to the Handling Pilot until after the Before Descent Checklist completion, when the Handling Landing Pilot hands the handling to the Non-Handling Non-Landing Pilot who then becomes the Handling Non-Landing Pilot.

"The Landing Pilot is the Non-Handling Pilot until the "decision altitude" call, when the Handling Non-Landing Pilot hands the handling to the Non-Handling Landing Pilot, unless the latter calls "go-around", in which case the Handling Non-Landing Pilot, continues handling and the Non-Handling Landing Pilot continues non-handling until the next call of "land" or "go-around", as appropriate.

"In view of the recent confusion over these rules, it was deemed necessary to restate them clearly."

 

[2000flyer]

Avbug,

I could have sworn the British spoke english too!

2000Flyer

 

[rfeathe1]

This sounds like the British TV comedy " Are You Being Served?"

 

[bobbysamd]

Who's on First

Or Abbott and Costello.

 

[MLS]

In a nutshell...

FO = You're right, clear right, I'll take the fat one captain.

 

[Archer]

who does take-offs and landings?

 

[dogg]

The flying pilot does the takeoff and landing. As someone else said, when you decide who is going to be the flying pilot(Capt. or F/O) the other pilot(Capt. or F/O) does all of the paperwork and radio work etc.... Usually it switches each leg of the trip. However, the captain is always responsible for the flight regardless of who is actually manipulating the controls.