Answers not very useful... Correct fact...
I mentioned that all airlines have a different way to define a Second Officer.
So, is it useful or not...?
xxx
It appears to me, that generally, with most airlines, it is a "junior" co-pilot.
Looking at what was done with some airlines - in the Hue-ess-hey...
United Airlines (UAL) called their new hires S/O Second Officers.
These were new hires, who were assigned Flight Engineer positions.
And they nicknamed the "3rd crewmember" as "GIB" (guy in back) in the 737.
That is when they had 3 crewmembers to fly a 737-200...
Same applied to Western Airlines (WAL) who also used 3 pilots for 737.
xxx
With PanAm... I got hired as Flight Engineer (on 727, later on 707).
My position was then F/E - Flight Engineer. Licence minimum: CPL + FE...
I had 3 regular stripes as such.
The Professional Flight Engineers (PF/Es) we had, were NOT pilots.
They had 2 regular stripes. Licence: FE + A&P "Mechanic" (FAA Gnd Engineer)
Then I qualified as 3rd pilot on 707, my title became First Officer.
Yet my function was "IRO" - International Relief Officer.
I sat in one of the pilot seats on long flights. Communications and charts.
At times, we played "musical chair", I recall sitting as F/E, or pilot...
xxx
And recall, we also had Navigators, until about 1975/76 in the 707.
I even used to get them to teach me the basics of sextants and Loran-A...
I recall counting the "beeps" on "Consols"... Stavanger and Quimper.
Even tuning BBC Droitwich on LW 198mHz for a LOP with the ADF.
You "geeks" and your GPS make me laugh. You know nothing about real "NAV"
xxx
What I gather, nowadays, a Second Officer, is a JUNIOR co-pilot.
I hope this is somewhat "useful"...
And again, every airline does it differently.
xxx
Hàppy contrails