Originally Posted by
piratepete
At one time I worked for a carrier whose base was 8000 feet amsl.After quite a few take off and landing tailstrikes on the big jets, only Captains were allowed to conduct landings.There were still landing tailstrikes going on however the frequency reduced by 75%.As I was/am a quite experienced instructor, I let some copilots do the landing, once I had observed them and determined that they were competent.I immediately understood why the Managers put this policy in place.Several times, I had to take control during the flare or earlier as the required touchdown accuracy was not going to be met plus the pitch atttitude was creeping up too close to the tailstrike range.I stopped this "act of kindness" and just did all the landings myself.These types of operations are best conducted not only by the most experienced pilot (usually the PIC), but also by the pilot with the most exposure to doing it.
Totally in agreement. But it should not be mandated by the company as it is not always the case. It should be decided by the crew. You, as captain, are not necessarily a better handling pilot. You are a more experienced pilot and you make the decision about who flies the leg. If your decision is that its best if you handle, handle. We are all different - some captains will be very happy to monitor an FO landing at a more challenging airport, some won't. That ability to assess our own attributes and those of our crew is part of what makes us good commanders.
Consider this. How many of the FOs you flew with actually had a tailstrike while you were flying? How much did they benefit from flying with you and understanding how it had got out of shape when you took over and explained it to them afterwards. Talk to them now - some of what you let them "discover learn" will have prevented them making the same mistake now they are in the left seat. That learning goes away when companies dictate that you only become a competent handling pilot when you are also capable of command.