Originally Posted by
B2N2
What is considered “operate”?
A loadmaster is not required to fly the aircraft.
Getting into the realms of semantics here it seems but any Mil Loadmaster in particular would "less than politely " inform you otherwise.
As for crew compliments, yep, the AN 124 has two drivers, two F/ E's , a Nav and a Radio Op along with....a Loadmaster. The rest of the crew are a mix of ground engineers / loaders butt they all get involved it seems with constructing the loading ramps. They live, literally, at the rear and there's a tunnel to get forward when required, but, as we were informed by the Loadie, there's a demarcation zone as it were and it was suggested we didn't venture past it. That said, on the ground, they were happy for us to have a look at the cockpit. The Loadie has his own station on the left at the rear.
That's all now as it were, but surely some of the American / Russian heavy bombers carried a large compliment in the past until they were designed out by technology.