Hi!
At least one airline in Britain, and 1 on the continent, trains ALL their CC how to help the sole pilot in the cockpit. So, their SOP is to send at least one CC to the cockpit.
SOPs don't replace common sense, but they help to reign in the pilots (usually Capts) that want to do it "their way" even though it goes AGAINST common sense.
The USAF did not have checklists, as they saw no need. Then, their BEST pilot and best crew, was test flying a B-29, and it crashed, because they screwed up the procedure. Someone pointed out that capt/crew wasn't good enough, and they just needed to find better pilots.
BUT, thank God, someone in the AF, WITH common sense, pointed out that the Capt was considered "The Best" pilot they had, and that the B-29 was simply too complicated, and they needed to devise some way to ensure that things were done properly, in the correct sequence: The Checklist, and SOPs.
cliff
LFW