2 Pilot Aircraft - Leaving the Flight Deck.
Kicking the football around today over a coffee, one of the guys asked a question, but we cant find a definite anwer in the regs.
You have a 2 pilot aircraft. In cruise, one pilot decides he needs to visit the bathroom. Thats fine, the other pilot goes on 02 and the other goes to spend a penny. The question is, how long is acceptable to be absent from the flight deck.
The regs say that one pilot must be at the controls with his seat in such a position as to have full control over the flight controls, including the rudders. But nothing on what is acceptable about the other being out of the flight deck.
Say on a long overwater flight, can one have "lunch hr' down the back.....hypothetical question.
So whats the generally accepted practice.