Originally Posted by
The Love Doctor
Are Cathay still making SOs do that? Far out there is no way in hell I'd be doing that. Totally demeaning to the profession
Cathay has never
made SOs do "that" (ie make the captain's bunk). For starters, there is no "Captain's" bunk; there are two bunks, shared by four pilots (at different times
). In days gone by when Cathay normally operated ULH flights with a Captain, two FOs and one SO, the SO was often a loose wheel during the pre-flight preparation. At the time they weren't allowed to do the walk-around, so they would normally check the safety equipment in the flight crew rest area and while they were there they would make up the two bunks. In most cases the Relief FO and SO would take the first rest, so the SO was in fact making their own bed. As for being "totally demeaning to the profession", there are plenty of occasions where I, as a Senior Captain, would put the SO in the seat during the preflight and go back and do the bunks myself. Funnily enough, I didn't find it the least bit "demeaning". It's all part of the teamwork that goes with ULH flying and it makes life easier for everyone.
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