Crew numbers

[Aerofoil]

Hi everyone

Iv just got a quick question, i was talking to a Dragonair Pilot the other week at Liverpool airport (hes based at MAN) about air freight and the work patterns etc but this got me thinking.
If lets say that you were operating a cargo flight, working for Dragonair@MAN, how many persons will there be on board?
Is it just 2 pilots and maybe an engineer usually?

The reason i ask is because iv seen the upper decks on some cargo 74's and there are a few seats up there and i couldnt understand what for?

Thanks in advance

Dave

[HotDog]

Dragon Air operate Classic 747F-200 aircraft which is crewed by a three man crew i.e. Capt. F/O & F/E. Thre are some more pax seats on the upper deck used for dead heading crew or crew rest.

[Fr8t M8te]

Thought Dragonair had 300Fs? So room for even more seats!:ok:

[arizviking]

Some cargo 74's also carry onboard mechanics and loadmasters on their longhaul flights.

[alatnariver]

Those seats can be used for any additional crewmembers like loadmasters or engineers who might be required at an outstation. Further those seats might be used for deadheading crews or for persons who are needed to be on board e.g. if horeses or any other live stock is transported.

The big number of seats in the upper deck of a converted frighter like the B747-300SF used by KA is only due to the fact that these aircrafts are converted passenger aircraft. The clasic B747F was in general a B747-200 and had only the short upperdeck.

As there is in general no need for a long upperdeck for a pure frighter the B747-400F has only the short upperdeck of the "old" B747-200F.