Perhaps the fat controller should stick to his train set....we at 'the only Dutch airline' have been flying the 747 with GE qualified Flight Engineers for many many years. This saves the company a literally fantastic aount of money.....100,000 euros in hong kong alone!! This method of working is utterly dependent on two things....strong engineering support on the end of the phone/satcom, and a adherence to a robust flight time limitations policy. These, together with the support of the other crew members, makes this a very efficient (and safe) way to work.
