A good 767ER question from Frog Flyer

derg

derg

Apparently a "terse" writer
Staff member
Ok, on the 767ER operation at Southernjets, we have 1 captain and two FO's.

The FAA wants a type-rated pilot in the cockpit at all times so the captain and both FO's have 757/767 pilot-in-command type ratings.

Each flight has a designated "pilot flying" (dude with yoke in hand), "pilot monitoring" (dude with microphone in hand) and a "relief pilot" who is an FO that 'fills in' while the other pilot is on break.

There are three phases of a transoceanic flight.

On the ground, the relief pilot (always one of the FO's) does exterior and cabin pre-flight, does HF radio checks and plays general "go'fer". The flying pilot (either the captain or the other FO) loads the FMS and the non-flying pilot cross checks the FMS load and does a cockpit preflight. All pilots are in the cockpit until "top of climb"

In cruise, the "relief pilot" will take about a two hour break. Then after roughly two hours, the relief pilot will come back to the cockpit and the 'flying pilot' will take a two hour break. The relief pilot sits in the vacant seat. As you've noticed in both my and Staplegun's pictures, it could be the left or the right seat depending on who is the flying pilot. You take over the duties of that pilot that is on break.

After a couple hours, then the other pilot returns to the cockpit and the relief pilot sits in that seat and assumes the duties of the pilot that is on break.

How does the relief pilot get designated?

On a three day trip, there are only two landings. So the pilots most needing the landings for currency will fly the aircraft.

On a six-day trip, generally, everyone will get a takeoff/landing and one pilot may get two.

The relief pilot is always the FO so I'll be the flying pilot one day, then I'll be the relief pilot the next and it'll alternate for the duration of the trip.

Clear as a heavy lead curtain? :)
 
Nah, I like all three gigs.

Pilot flying - You get to wow 'em with your mad flying skillz. "Mon Dieu! C'est formidable!"

Non-flying pilot - You have no liability for when the "pilot flying" botches the landing and you get to talk to drunken "Sheck", I mean Gander and Shannon Control.

Relief pilot - A little left seat, a little right seat. You get to bark "Clocks, gentleman!" on takeoff and "callouts? Yes? Oh whatta wuss" before landing.
 
Nothing like being strapped into the seat for 12 hours watching the distance to go count down from 4000+. :panic:
 
Mine have been more like. Fly/eat for 2.5, sleep for 2.5, fly for 2.5 (snack if you want) land.

It's fast. I got way more reading done domestically.

I've really learned the art of watching a movie 45 minutes at a time before I fall asleep. Took me almost a month to finish "Letters from Iwo Jima" in May. Thank goodness for the 'video on demand" IFE system.
 
And getting paid more for it, and I hear Kristie thinks you are more stallion-like the way you handle that big plane, with all those babies, who you save - like Chuck Norris would.
 
Doug Taylor said:
Ok, on the 767ER operation at Southernjets, we have 1 captain and two FO's.

The FAA wants a type-rated pilot in the cockpit at all times so the captain and both FO's have 757/767 pilot-in-command type ratings.

Each flight has a designated "pilot flying" (dude with yoke in hand), "pilot monitoring" (dude with microphone in hand) and a "relief pilot" who is an FO that 'fills in' while the other pilot is on break.

There are three phases of a transoceanic flight.

On the ground, the relief pilot (always one of the FO's) does exterior and cabin pre-flight, does HF radio checks and plays general "go'fer". The flying pilot (either the captain or the other FO) loads the FMS and the non-flying pilot cross checks the FMS load and does a cockpit preflight. All pilots are in the cockpit until "top of climb"

In cruise, the "relief pilot" will take about a two hour break. Then after roughly two hours, the relief pilot will come back to the cockpit and the 'flying pilot' will take a two hour break. The relief pilot sits in the vacant seat. As you've noticed in both my and Staplegun's pictures, it could be the left or the right seat depending on who is the flying pilot. You take over the duties of that pilot that is on break.

After a couple hours, then the other pilot returns to the cockpit and the relief pilot sits in that seat and assumes the duties of the pilot that is on break.

How does the relief pilot get designated?

On a three day trip, there are only two landings. So the pilots most needing the landings for currency will fly the aircraft.

On a six-day trip, generally, everyone will get a takeoff/landing and one pilot may get two.

The relief pilot is always the FO so I'll be the flying pilot one day, then I'll be the relief pilot the next and it'll alternate for the duration of the trip.

Clear as a heavy lead curtain? :)
Click to expand...

I find it suprising that it is that firmly laid out. Ours are done a bit differently. Some trips are "relief" and some are "operating". We have trips that have both Capt or F/O as relief, but they only do the Capt ones when they are short of F/Os, for obvious reasons. They tend to go pretty senior as there is usually a lot of DH's involved, making them really commuter friendly (you get to officially start the trip from where ever you live, essentially).

Operationally, there is no set protocol on who naps when, the Capt decides and then the F/O takes the next choice, generally. Sometimes I've been awake and want to sleep first, other times I'm not tired and want to go later. As Capt I tend not to want to take the last nap, as I don't like to be groggy at top of descent, unless there are some operational issues on the first portion of the flight that I feel I need to be up front for.
 
If I can ask, if the CA is in rest and an issue arrises does he resume position (actually get back in the seat) or is that NOT done dependant on the issue?
 
Eric Moody the Captain of BA flight 9 (the volcanic ash incident) although took a lot of credit for it, was actually in the bathroom for most of the time.
 
ComplexHiAv8r said:
If I can ask, if the CA is in rest and an issue arrises does he resume position (actually get back in the seat) or is that NOT done dependant on the issue?
Click to expand...

Depends on the issue. If it's a "not sh-- GI, this is big!" we're going to wake up the resting pilot, if it's something minor, we'll leave the other guy on rest.

Three heads are better than two.
 
Relief FO or regular FO are both fun in my book. There are aspects of each job that are enjoyable.
 
I_Money said:
And getting paid more for it,
Click to expand...

Not quite, I can make more flying domestic and just pick up a greenie or two. The ER is way undermanned in ATL and NYC for this reason. I won't go over to it until I can at least get the days off I want on reserve. Of course, I'm sitting in TPA right now, so the layovers are better on the ER.
 
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