Originally Posted by
B757200ER
My, God. Captains have to start engines WHILE TAXIING??? Why not have the F/O (not doing anything but looking out the window) do it, so the Captain can taxi? And why not have F/O make "Prepare for T/O" PA???? Jeez, what kind of task saturation is that?
That's what I said in my suggestions. Their reasoning was that the F/O is not just looking out the window, he's busy setting up the TO data and bugs, working the radios and running the check list. (Whatever.)
As far as the "Prepare" PA, the reasoning was that, "We feel Captains have a better idea on when to seat the F/As then the F/O." To which I responded, "then why not have the CA tell the F/O to seat the F/As."
The MD80 is kind of unique in that the start switches are all the way on the CA's section of the overhead panel. That's why they do it. If the F/O were to start the engine, he'd be leaning almost horizontally across the center pedestal reaching for that start switch, i.e. heads down in the cockpit.
But you're right, AA's captains are very task-saturated on taxi out.