My thanks, Takata - I should know better than to estimate! I flew the RR on an A333.
Thanks for the information on AF cruise procedures. It is important to understand that there are no "Relief Pilots" but all F/Os are fully-licensed on the airplane and can take off and land.
Canada has seen fit to create the CRP - Cruise Relief Pilot License, a non-flying position where the RP sits in the front seat during cruise only and never handles the aircraft. I don't think that's appropriate but we lost that battle years ago. They have ATPLs and get the full airplane course but competency on the aircraft is not renewed and instead, recurrent training covers the basics and the Emergency Descent, which the RP must be able to do from the LS when replacing the captain. The RPs I flew with were superb crew members but to me the creation of the "CRP" license comes from the same thinking that permitted the creation of the MCPL: It just doesn't cut it when the going gets tough. It's part of the same kind of thinking that states that demonstrating and training the approach to the stall is not required for FBW aircraft. It's all about the illusion that automation solves all the problems of flight. And....it's all about money.
It's not the aircraft that is the problem. It is the hubris engendered by "automation" that fools those who don't fly but who think they understand aviation.
Last edited by Jetdriver; 4th Jul 2011 at 17:42.