An 2002 newspaper article on the retirement of the last Professional Flight Engineers (non-pilots) from American Airlines, when they retired their last 727-200s on April 30th of that year.
Interesting history.
Wednesday, March 6, 2002
As 727s retire, so do their flight engineers. Once crucial, they're being phased out
By KATIE FAIRBANK
The Dallas (TX) Morning News
Rich Royals remembers the days when it took several fuel stops for an airliner to reach its destination, airports had no security, and water lines froze on unheated planes.
Over 47 years at American Airlines Inc., he watched the airline industry change and monitored aircraft systems from a third seat in the cockpit on seven types of planes. Soon, though, American will retire the last aircraft in its fleet that holds a spot for him.
So, the 70-year-old professional flight engineer said he thinks he'll be retiring himself when American parks its Boeing 727s on April 30.
"Time moves on," said Mr. Royals.
He and other professional flight engineers are quickly becoming symbols of a bygone era: non-pilots flying in the cockpit.
In the old days, the flight engineer was often an airplane and power-plant mechanic who would perform maintenance on aircraft when they landed in small cities and far-flung locales.
"You were dealing with a different breed that [knew] the guts of the aircraft," said Allen Brock, one of the last 727 captains for American. "They were always the first person you saw, and they were tremendous people to work with, with great attitudes."
Today, flight engineers keep an eye on aircraft systems, including pressurization and hydraulics. But on newer aircraft, technology and automated equipment handle such tasks.
The trend toward using machines to do the flight engineer's job began in the 1970s when flight computers were introduced. Since then, they have taken over many of the duties that had traditionally fallen to the flight engineer.
Shrinking numbers
Airlines saw savings on weight and salary costs if they bought aircraft with only a two-person pilot crew and no flight engineer. Before long "three-holer" aircraft were no longer purchased.
"What it amounts to is economics. It is considerably cheaper to operate with two people instead of three," said David Dean, a senior career counselor at Air Inc., an Atlanta-based company that specializes in pilot career consulting.
Now that older aircraft with three seats in the cockpit are rapidly being retired, flight engineers are bordering on becoming anachronisms.
About 20 years ago, flight engineers made up about 25 percent of the flight crews, while pilots were the remaining 75 percent.
Retiring planes, people
The Sept. 11 terrorist attacks brought a steep decline in passenger traffic. Many carriers downsized their fleets, reducing the number of older jets and flight engineers even further.
"Now it's 1 or 2 percent,"
Executives at Continental Airlines Inc. and United Airlines Inc. phased out their three-seat aircraft in October. United saw a number of flight engineers retire then.
About 250 to 350 flight engineers with pilot credentials had to retire because they were too old to work as captain or first officer.
"They're all gone. All those pilots were retired as other pilots were furloughed," Mr Darby said.
Northwest Airlines Inc. also no longer has any professional flight engineers on its rolls. "We ... haven't had for some time," said spokeswoman Kathy Peach.
At Delta Air Lines Inc., professional flight engineers will have seats in 727 cockpits until the end of next year, when the Atlanta-based carrier retires the last of the aircraft.
Spokesman Anthony Black said there are fewer than 100 professional flight engineers and "most are above the age of retirement."
At American, only three professional flight engineers remain. Mr. Royals is 70 years old, and his two peers are 75.
Professional flight engineers have been able to fly for so long because the Federal Aviation Administration does not require retirement at age 60, as it does for pilots. Instead, professional flight engineers are allowed to fly as long as they pass their physicals and the company has jobs for them.
This is not the first time that the cockpit crew has been downsized. Navigators once were needed for long-haul flights, but progress eliminated those jobs as well.
"For years they said, 'You can't do without us. You'd get lost without us.' But of course, automation moved on," said Mr. Dean, who flew with professional flight engineers at United Parcel Service Inc. "The engineers are in the same boat. We'll see the engineers all gone at some point."
As one person after another loses a seat in cockpits, some pilots joke that they, too, are in danger of seeing their ranks decline.
Some day, instead of two pilots in the cockpit, they say, there will be a pilot and a dog. The pilot's assignment will be feeding the dog.
And the dog? Well, it's there to bite the pilot if he or she dares to touch the controls.
The departure of flight engineers and navigators shows that anything is possible. Only a few scattered passenger, charter and cargo airlines continue to fly with professional flight engineers.
"It's already very few," said Mr. Darby. "It's going to go away sometime soon."
RARE BIRDS
Flight engineers monitor electrical, hydraulics, pressurization, air-conditioning systems and engine indicators. They also keep an eye on engine performance while managing fuel burn and keeping log sheets.
Airlines' flight engineers:
Alaska: 0
American: 3
Continental: 0
Delta {lt}100*
Northwest: 0
Southwest: 0
United: 0
US Airways: 0
*Airline was not more specific
Interesting history.
Wednesday, March 6, 2002
As 727s retire, so do their flight engineers. Once crucial, they're being phased out
By KATIE FAIRBANK
The Dallas (TX) Morning News
Rich Royals remembers the days when it took several fuel stops for an airliner to reach its destination, airports had no security, and water lines froze on unheated planes.
Over 47 years at American Airlines Inc., he watched the airline industry change and monitored aircraft systems from a third seat in the cockpit on seven types of planes. Soon, though, American will retire the last aircraft in its fleet that holds a spot for him.
So, the 70-year-old professional flight engineer said he thinks he'll be retiring himself when American parks its Boeing 727s on April 30.
"Time moves on," said Mr. Royals.
He and other professional flight engineers are quickly becoming symbols of a bygone era: non-pilots flying in the cockpit.
In the old days, the flight engineer was often an airplane and power-plant mechanic who would perform maintenance on aircraft when they landed in small cities and far-flung locales.
"You were dealing with a different breed that [knew] the guts of the aircraft," said Allen Brock, one of the last 727 captains for American. "They were always the first person you saw, and they were tremendous people to work with, with great attitudes."
Today, flight engineers keep an eye on aircraft systems, including pressurization and hydraulics. But on newer aircraft, technology and automated equipment handle such tasks.
The trend toward using machines to do the flight engineer's job began in the 1970s when flight computers were introduced. Since then, they have taken over many of the duties that had traditionally fallen to the flight engineer.
Shrinking numbers
Airlines saw savings on weight and salary costs if they bought aircraft with only a two-person pilot crew and no flight engineer. Before long "three-holer" aircraft were no longer purchased.
"What it amounts to is economics. It is considerably cheaper to operate with two people instead of three," said David Dean, a senior career counselor at Air Inc., an Atlanta-based company that specializes in pilot career consulting.
Now that older aircraft with three seats in the cockpit are rapidly being retired, flight engineers are bordering on becoming anachronisms.
About 20 years ago, flight engineers made up about 25 percent of the flight crews, while pilots were the remaining 75 percent.
Retiring planes, people
The Sept. 11 terrorist attacks brought a steep decline in passenger traffic. Many carriers downsized their fleets, reducing the number of older jets and flight engineers even further.
"Now it's 1 or 2 percent,"
Executives at Continental Airlines Inc. and United Airlines Inc. phased out their three-seat aircraft in October. United saw a number of flight engineers retire then.
About 250 to 350 flight engineers with pilot credentials had to retire because they were too old to work as captain or first officer.
"They're all gone. All those pilots were retired as other pilots were furloughed," Mr Darby said.
Northwest Airlines Inc. also no longer has any professional flight engineers on its rolls. "We ... haven't had for some time," said spokeswoman Kathy Peach.
At Delta Air Lines Inc., professional flight engineers will have seats in 727 cockpits until the end of next year, when the Atlanta-based carrier retires the last of the aircraft.
Spokesman Anthony Black said there are fewer than 100 professional flight engineers and "most are above the age of retirement."
At American, only three professional flight engineers remain. Mr. Royals is 70 years old, and his two peers are 75.
Professional flight engineers have been able to fly for so long because the Federal Aviation Administration does not require retirement at age 60, as it does for pilots. Instead, professional flight engineers are allowed to fly as long as they pass their physicals and the company has jobs for them.
This is not the first time that the cockpit crew has been downsized. Navigators once were needed for long-haul flights, but progress eliminated those jobs as well.
"For years they said, 'You can't do without us. You'd get lost without us.' But of course, automation moved on," said Mr. Dean, who flew with professional flight engineers at United Parcel Service Inc. "The engineers are in the same boat. We'll see the engineers all gone at some point."
As one person after another loses a seat in cockpits, some pilots joke that they, too, are in danger of seeing their ranks decline.
Some day, instead of two pilots in the cockpit, they say, there will be a pilot and a dog. The pilot's assignment will be feeding the dog.
And the dog? Well, it's there to bite the pilot if he or she dares to touch the controls.
The departure of flight engineers and navigators shows that anything is possible. Only a few scattered passenger, charter and cargo airlines continue to fly with professional flight engineers.
"It's already very few," said Mr. Darby. "It's going to go away sometime soon."
RARE BIRDS
Flight engineers monitor electrical, hydraulics, pressurization, air-conditioning systems and engine indicators. They also keep an eye on engine performance while managing fuel burn and keeping log sheets.
Airlines' flight engineers:
Alaska: 0
American: 3
Continental: 0
Delta {lt}100*
Northwest: 0
Southwest: 0
United: 0
US Airways: 0
*Airline was not more specific
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