Reinstate the F/E
HotDog. I'm on your team mate. I have made the same point on previous posts. Quite apart from the other contributions made by us, the distribution of pre-flight work load including the F/E extracting the performance data for independent checking by the non-handling pilot is very beneficial. The responsibility for the correct fuel uplift into the appropriate tanks resting with the F/E, who is/was going flying, was another benefit as was the thorough check on the walk-around pre-flight inspection and such niceties as initialising INS's and cockpit checks etc etc. They won't put us back mate, our in-flight rations and the return to a heavier, more comprehensive, MEL is too big a weight penalty. Besides that, the jargon used these days is too much like text messaging for us old buggers to familiarise ourselves with. Maybe we should just let comments like those from Obie "slip through to the 'keeper"