Quick interjection here from a young (30-odd) former glass pilot who for the last two years has had the chance to fly the 747-200... the F/Es I fly with are, almost to a man, knowledgeable, professional, capable and priceless when problems arise !
A little rough around the edges perhaps (ours are predominantly aussies
), but very fun to fly with.
More than once a sharp-eyed F/E has spotted things we pilots both missed, occasionally saving my bacon on sim or line checks.
I sometimes wish we hadn't traded an extra pair of eyes, brain and extensive technical knowledge with an EICAS/ECAM; I'll take my engineer's expression over a computer's assessment of the situation anyday!
I know when I eventually convert to the -400, I'll spend the first few hundred hours looking over my shoulder only to find a big gap...
