How much flying does the FO do?
 

As an FO, do you alternate legs with the CA as the pilot flying the aircraft or is it up to the CA as to when you get to touch the controls?

most of the time...the F/O flies half the legs...but it is up to the CA which legs you fly

If you're flying in and out of your base, and you do every other leg, one person tends to keep landing at the base. In that case, the captain may suggest that you each alternate flying the round trips.

I'm sure most companies have rules that apply when the captain must land. For instance, at SkyWest, the captain must land at SBP (5300 feet long). Or the captain must land in certain wind conditions.

legs are typically split....

Unless weather or op specs dictate something other, and then usually it will be made up somewhere else along the way. I even had a CA years ago who would fly the first and last legs of a 4 day trip and let his FO's fly everything in between.

Fly with one guy every once in awhile that doesn't really care to operate the controls - so every leg is mine! LoL

But yeah - usually you alternate every leg or every two...Remember - it's our Job to learn to fly the thing, and it's the Captains to mentor us into the left-seat.

I let the good ones raise and lower the gear towards the end of a 4-day trip.

:D

At my airline, the accepted practice is to swap legs at the outstation. It keeps things interesting so one person doesn't just do hub landings. Of course it's the CA's discretion as far as weather, but honestly I haven't had anyone take the takeoff or landing since I've been off high mins.

If you want to fly more legs, or certain legs, just ask. Many CA's could care less.

I once tried to fly. Capt kept smacking my arm and asking what I was doing.

Then just take your fist and smack him/her in the face.

Haha, now thats what I call CRM!

At XJT, most guys will "reverse" the order at the hub (the guy who landed at the hub will do the takeoff going back out), so that you don't have to alternate round trips.

several captains i fly with will switch at outstations. that way everyone get to alternate. for example the captain would take it out. then i would bring it back to base and then i would take it to the next stop, and we would switch there again.

We do alot of outstation changes.

When I was new, I would lie cheat and steal to fly in bad weather to get experince. I have had CA's that do not want to fly at all anymore, and I fly the whole trip.

but it really does help to split the legs, it really does help break things up and give you a break from what ever chores you are doing

Reeves

my philosophy is if i dont have to touch the controls while on first year pay (or ever for that matter), then i wont. consider it a pay raise when youre not the one making the takeoff or landing. sure its fun to fly. lazy yes, but easy, yes.

I am just a "co-pilot" and we dont fly, we are there to observe for a few years and them right before upgrade we have magic dust sprinkled on us and then we are able to fly.

I know people who are more likely to believe this than an FO flying the plane. I had a FA ask me how we would land if the CA had a heart attack in flight. i explained that I would land to which she replied, "but you are not a pilot yet."

You should have asked her some other inane question like, "How would we get off the plane if you ever had a heart attack?"

(Or just said- "Dunno. They don't train us for that... let's just hope it never happens!")

on a short approach, I managed to leave the plane high and fast but managed to slow it down vapp before 500ft. I landed in the touchdown zone and in the centerline. Once we landed he talked to me while I was doing my postflight and said that was an unsafe approach. I just nodded, apologized and agreed! (give him the respect that he needs being the captain)

I don't think I'll be flying alot this month with this captain im paired with. :o

Respect is earned and a two way street. Courtesy is afforded to each as we are professionals.
Who is more of a risk? You who are gaining some experience or a Capt who allows an "unsafe"approach? Ans: The Capt is the bigger risk because he/she lacks the brass to act like a Captain. If you ever feel uncomfortable with an approach, you should take it around. That is covered in our cockpit CRM brief on my flights (anyone uncomfortable, we take it around and talk later). Fortunately, our company has a no fault go around policy. All the more reason to let you fly a few more legs. Anyone can get behind the 8 ball on an approach, lots of reasons. Important is recognition it is going "unsafe" and go around. Here is an example with Santa Ana winds in ONT
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ow96L...9E862C&index=3

For some reason, I fly the first leg and then nothing else for the rest of the trip. I haven't figured out why! :confused:

you're right! I should've considered a go-around but I had the plane under control, on speed, and on the glideslope.....It's not an excuse but I know Im not the first nor will be the last not going around at that point!(I still have lots of learning to do) On a lighter note my approach was not as unstable as the link you posted... hahaha :)

Meek-

One thing that you can do to alleviate a captains concerns in such an event is to make sure that you are both on the same page when it's actually happening-

I have no problem with deviating from standard profiles when operations dictate it's necessary. In fact, odds are that every flight crew deviates from standard in some manner everyday- it's simply a fact of life. (Ever notice how when you fly with somebody from training who absolutely must fly the book exactly, things just don't go quite as smoothly?)

Like I said- I have no problem with such deviations, as long as we keep each other in the loop! Gonna stay clean and fast to the marker because we're late? Okay- lemme know and prebrief it so that I don't get nervous. Want to climb out at 200 knots to 10000' because of low level level windshear or the fact we're flying in the wrong direction? Let me know that too.

When you're flying an approach that's on the ragged edge of stablity (at least per the book), let the other guy know that you know things aren't quite normal, but you have it under control. For example, as simple statement like- "I'm a bit high and fast right now, but I'll have it stabilized and spooled by 1000 AGL (or 500 AGL, whichever your company uses), or we'll go around" can alleviate a lot of stress the other guy might be having about your approach.

Finally, don't consider post flight debriefs as a bad thing. Any time I flew as an FO, I always appreciated things captains told me that I could improve upon (and often asked for suggestions about technique). As a captain, I try to find at least one or two things that I can offer suggestions about (in a friendly and mentoring manner of course).

Actually I said we would be in trouble because I am only trained in takeoffs, not landings.

flyerjosh is right. nothing is scarier than when somebody deviates from the norm without announcing that they are either doing it on purpose, or know that theyve deviated and are correcting. it makes the other pilot feel uncomfortable because they think that you are going to get them in trouble. If you ever have the luxury of flying with a flight engineer, this will become even more obvious to you. at any rate, just because you have an iffy approach doesnt mean the captain wont let you fly half the legs. hell still let you fly, but hell want to see that the first time was just a fluke. enjoy.

lol. Now that's funny ....

I once had a pax ask me as I was commuting to work: "So, are you the captain?"
Me: "No, first officer." (In uniform, wearing 3 bars)
Pax: "Oh...<long pause>...So do you fly the airplane if the captain needs to go use the bathroom?"

*sigh* :D

My response would've been the same one I use when the FAs ask who is flying...."George."

Depends on the FO if he/she is a good person then he/she gets half or more of the legs. If he/she is arrogant or ****es off the captain then he/she may not get any legs.

try flying the plane upright....maybe that'll earn you more legs to fly! hahahaha

You work for XJ or somebody else?

no....(i sit right seat in a saab)....but im assuming you were in a similar situation where the fo cut the approach high and fast.......

I get paid the same whether I'm flying or working the radio so it doesn't matter to me.

Yeah, but its easier to eat when you don't have to talk. I like to eat a lot.

Hmmmm....good point. Nothing like taking a big bite of turkey bullet just as center starts talking at you:D

Turkey bullet? ***? is that some kind of a sexual euphemism? No I do not give oral in the cockpit!

Haha...if you fly CoEx, you know what I'm talking about:D

:D :D

Turkey bullet...awesome! Haven't heard that one before.

At least one leg every trip until you make a name for yourself and everyone starts calling you "pancakes".

If I don't feel like flying for the rest of the trip (like when I have 4+ revisions to catch up on), I just overspeed the airplane for the entire leg and then pound the landing on. Usually, I don't have to fly anymore after that.