Originally Posted by
TaylorPilot
I would think that as PIC you are still responsible, so even if allowing a student pilot to work the radios, you should be listening to every call and every response. If the student pilot misses something, or says it back wrong, there is nothing wrong with making corrections or clarifications, just don't miss the calls because "he was handling it". I agree that they will take that excuse as a BS answer. You are PIC and responsible tip to tail. This is one example where ****** doesn't roll down hill.
Yes, but this is not always reality... Something as seemingly simplistic as letting another work the Comm radios can go off the rails. Especially when neither pilot has experience in a multi crew environment. In these cases it introduces a different dynamic, one that neither pilot may be used to, or even realize. The PIC can also succumb to two different possibilities. They can become more vigilant on overseeing the person with the Comms, or it can lull then into a false sense, that they are being slightly unburdened. Either is a bad deal. The additional responsibility of overseeing can detract from other responsibilities and end up as a distraction; alternatively, if the PIC sees themselves being unburdened, it can lead to them letting their guard down and being distracted in other ways, with either distraction type causing the PIC to miss a transmission. That's when things can get ugly...