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Old 01-09-2009 | 06:25 AM
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Ottopilot
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Joined: May 2006
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From: 737 CA
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I think all the planes you mentioned are 2-pilot aircraft. Older aircraft had a FE (flight engineer) that may or may not have been a pilot. You don't have to be a pilot to be a FE. They also called them "second officer".

Now most of those aircraft fly long legs, so additional pilots are required to give the other pilots a break. At my airline, after 8 hours of flying you get a third pilot and after 12 hours you get a fourth. Two pilots fly and two rest, then they switch places after halfway. On three pilot crew rest, you split the flight into thirds for rest.

Note: flight crew includes flight attendants. They are required crew members on the flight. Flight deck (can't say cockpit anymore) are pilots or pilots/engineers; those crew members on the flight deck.
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