First officer
Encyclopedia
In commercial aviation
, the first officer is the second pilot
(sometimes referred to as the "co-pilot") of an aircraft
. The first officer is second-in-command of the aircraft, to the captain
who is the legal commander. In the event of incapacitation of the captain, the first officer will assume command of the aircraft.
Control of the aircraft is normally shared equally between the first officer and the captain, with one pilot normally designated the "Pilot Flying" (PF) and the other the "Pilot Not Flying" (PNF), or "Pilot Monitoring" (PM), for each flight. Even when the first officer is the flying pilot, however, the captain remains ultimately responsible for the aircraft, its passengers, and the crew. In typical day-to-day operations, the essential job tasks remain fairly equal.
Many airline
s promote by seniority
only within their own company, the first officer may at times have more flight experience than the captain, by virtue of having experience from other airlines or the military. Traditionally, the first officer sits on the right-hand side of a fixed-wing aircraft
and the left-hand side of a helicopter
(the reason for this difference is related to the fact that in many cases the pilot flying is unable to release his right side from the cyclic control to operate the instruments, thus he sits on the right hand and does that with his left hand).
In the rank of Senior First Officer the pilot will also sit in the right hand seat. Often the Senior First Officer position is used within airlines to mean someone who has passed all the requirements for Captain
, but there are no Captains positions within the company as yet, and therefore they are "on hold" until a position as captain becomes available when they will receive their Command Line Check.
Commercial aviation
Commercial aviation is the part of civil aviation that involves operating aircraft for hire to transport passengers or cargo...
, the first officer is the second pilot
Aviator
An aviator is a person who flies an aircraft. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887, as a variation of 'aviation', from the Latin avis , coined in 1863 by G. de la Landelle in Aviation Ou Navigation Aérienne...
(sometimes referred to as the "co-pilot") of an aircraft
Aircraft
An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air, or, in general, the atmosphere of a planet. An aircraft counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines.Although...
. The first officer is second-in-command of the aircraft, to the captain
Pilot in command
The pilot in command of an aircraft is the person aboard the aircraft who is ultimately responsible for its operation and safety during flight. This would be the "captain" in a typical two- or three-pilot flight crew, or "pilot" if there is only one certified and qualified pilot at the controls of...
who is the legal commander. In the event of incapacitation of the captain, the first officer will assume command of the aircraft.
Control of the aircraft is normally shared equally between the first officer and the captain, with one pilot normally designated the "Pilot Flying" (PF) and the other the "Pilot Not Flying" (PNF), or "Pilot Monitoring" (PM), for each flight. Even when the first officer is the flying pilot, however, the captain remains ultimately responsible for the aircraft, its passengers, and the crew. In typical day-to-day operations, the essential job tasks remain fairly equal.
Many airline
Airline
An airline provides air transport services for traveling passengers and freight. Airlines lease or own their aircraft with which to supply these services and may form partnerships or alliances with other airlines for mutual benefit...
s promote by seniority
Seniority
Seniority is the concept of a person or group of people being in charge or in command of another person or group. This control is often granted to the senior person due to experience or length of service in a given position, but it is not uncommon for a senior person to have less experience or...
only within their own company, the first officer may at times have more flight experience than the captain, by virtue of having experience from other airlines or the military. Traditionally, the first officer sits on the right-hand side of a fixed-wing aircraft
Aircraft
An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air, or, in general, the atmosphere of a planet. An aircraft counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines.Although...
and the left-hand side of a helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
(the reason for this difference is related to the fact that in many cases the pilot flying is unable to release his right side from the cyclic control to operate the instruments, thus he sits on the right hand and does that with his left hand).
In the rank of Senior First Officer the pilot will also sit in the right hand seat. Often the Senior First Officer position is used within airlines to mean someone who has passed all the requirements for Captain
Pilot in command
The pilot in command of an aircraft is the person aboard the aircraft who is ultimately responsible for its operation and safety during flight. This would be the "captain" in a typical two- or three-pilot flight crew, or "pilot" if there is only one certified and qualified pilot at the controls of...
, but there are no Captains positions within the company as yet, and therefore they are "on hold" until a position as captain becomes available when they will receive their Command Line Check.
See also
- Captain (civil aviation)
- Second Officer (civil aviation)Second Officer (civil aviation)A Second Officer usually refers to the third in the line of command for a flight crew on a commercial or non-military aircraft. Usually the Second Officer is a flight engineer who is also a licensed pilot. A Second Officer on some airlines is part of a relief crew. Rarely, such relief pilots are...
- Third Officer (civil aviation)Third Officer (civil aviation)Third Officer is a lesser used civil aviation rank. It was primarily used by Pan American World Airways, particularly on its "Clippers" during the infancy of extended range airline routes...