In today’s “Ask Oscar the Pilot” post, we aim to answer the famous question: Who flies the plane? Is it true that the co-pilot can fly, or do they just sit to help the Captain only?
Who flies the plane?
My answers are primarily based on an airline environment.
In a two-pilot operation, the roles are designated as Pilot Flying (PF) and Pilot Monitoring (PM). Before the flight starts, the Captain and First Officer meet in the briefing room to jointly decide who will fly the first leg and who will fly the second. In my previous airline, captains were very friendly and often asked the First Officer’s preference for the leg unless a restriction prevented it.
What do PF and PM mean in aviation?
Let’s clarify this using an example:
I’m “Oscar,” a First Officer, flying with “Alpha,” a Captain, from London to Barcelona and back. In the briefing room, we decide who will fly the first leg (London to Barcelona). If it’s me, I’ll be the one flying the aeroplane, acting as the Pilot Flying (PF). Captain “Alpha” would then act as Pilot Monitoring (PM). On the return leg from Barcelona to London, we automatically swap roles. “Oscar” would act as Pilot Monitoring (PM), and Captain “Alpha” would act as Pilot Flying (PF).
What are the roles of Pilot Flying and Pilot Monitoring?
The Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) of each airline outline the roles of Pilot Flying and Pilot Monitoring; however, here are a few general roles:
Pilot Flying:
- The PF is in charge of controlling the aircraft’s flight path and issuing commands to the PM according to the SOPs.
- The Pilot Flying is in charge of controlling automation.
- The PF is the one who flies the take-offs and landings.
Pilot Monitoring:
- The PM is responsible for monitoring the actions of the PF and confirming actions before they are taken, as per the SOPs.
- The Pilot Monitoring is responsible for radio communications.
- The PM must call out any deviations as early as possible—this is a vital role, especially during both the take-off and approach phases.
PF and PM duties may change during a flight. For example, the Captain could be the PF during taxi but the PM during take-off and landing. Check out the next pages that I extracted from the Flight Crew Operations Manual found on the 737ng.co.uk website [here].
It shows the change in the area of responsibility based on three different scenarios:
- Preflight and Postflight Scan Flow.
- Captain as Pilot Flying or Taxiing.
- First officer as Pilot Flying or Taxiing.
Who flies the plane?Observe the change in duties over the course of the flight. Keep in mind that the main duty of flying doesn’t change unless the crew decides otherwise.
Common Roles on Who flies the plane:
Although roles are designated, flexibility is still present, meaning that both pilots are responsible for maintaining their overall situational awareness through cross-checking each other’s actions.
Pilot Flying and Pilot Monitoring at Once:
When one of the crew leaves the cockpit to use the toilet, for example, they transfer the controls to the other crew member, who will then act as both Pilot Flying and Pilot Monitoring simultaneously.
Example:
If First Officer “Oscar” is Pilot Monitoring and Captain “Alpha” is Pilot Flying, and the Captain needs to use the toilet, he would inform me and then transfer controls to me. At this point, I would be flying the aeroplane, doing radio communications, and performing the roles designated for both Pilot Flying and Pilot Monitoring. The same applies if First Officer “Oscar” leaves the cockpit.
What are the roles of the Captain and First Officer?
If the crew flies the aeroplane as PF and PM, then why do we have titles such as “Captain” and “First Officer”?
The answer lies in seniority, experience, and legal responsibilities.
The cockpit is manned by two pilots, and someone needs to make the final decision, especially in ambiguous scenarios. This responsibility falls to the Captain, who is usually more experienced than the First Officer. That’s why the Captain is also called the Commander; he has the final word and takes responsibility for all decisions on board the aeroplane. If anything serious happens, both crew members will be questioned, but the Captain will bear more responsibility, depending on the circumstances and other factors, which are beyond the scope of this short post.
I said “usually” earlier because, in some airlines, you might find that some First Officers are more experienced than the Captains. However, they are not in the left seat due to their seniority; they probably joined the airline after the Captain, giving the latter priority for promotion.
I hope this article answered the question: “Who flies the plane?” and gave you a general idea of how a multi-crew environment works.
References:
CAA. (2013, February). Monitoring matters: Guidance on the Development of Pilot Monitoring Skills – CAA. Retrieved March 2022, from https://publicapps.caa.co.uk/docs/33/9323-CAA-Monitoring%20Matters%202nd%20Edition%20April%202013.pdf
FAA. (2015, November 17). Roles and Responsibilities for Pilot Flying (PF) and Pilot Monitoring (PM). Retrieved March 2022, from https://www.faa.gov/other_visit/aviation_industry/airline_operators/airline_safety/safo/all_safos/
The Boeing Company. (2005). Flight Crew Operations Manual. Retrieved March 2022, from http://www.737ng.co.uk/737NG%20POH.pdf
