I put this scenario to you;
The CSA Expat Captain attends the briefing with his FO and a Chinese Captain and his FO, who will be the relief crew for the sector. After the dispatcher briefing the Expat Captain decides how much fuel is required and signs the dispatch documents. He then briefs the cabin crew. He then settles into the left seat in the cockpit and signs the load sheet, NOTOC, etc.
He then acts as PF for take off, climb and cruise. (Chinese Captain is in the jumpseat or already asleep in the bunk).
During cruise he retires for a few hours rest and returns prior to TOD to conduct the Cat II landing into a crappy European morning. He then parks at the gate, informs the ground crew all is well and signs the log book and arrival documents. Input from the Chinese Captain throughout, nil.
My question, why are you describing this Expat Captain as a Relief Captain and why can he not log this flight as PIC?
Mastema,
My question in return would be: Are you sure you understand what the definition of Pilot In Command is?
You may be doing all of those things and your Chinese compatriot may be doing none of them but he is the designated pilot in command and you aren't. Whatever you are doing it is under his authority and direction.
To review:
Pilot in command means the person who:
(1) Has final authority and responsibility for the operation and safety of the flight;
(2) Has been designated as pilot in command before or during the flight; and
...
The scenario you described did not include you either being designated as the PIC or holding the final authority and responsibility for the operation. If, despite that fact, you still wish to log your hours as PIC time then that's a matter between you, your logbook and your employer. But if you do and subsequently toddle along to another employer and allow them to believe that you were the pilot in command for all those flights when it was somebody else who held the authority do you really think you're being honest about your experience?
Alternatively, will you trot out some explanation of how you recorded all the time as PIC regardless of that fact because somebody found a 20 year old interpretation bulletin that said it was acceptable for a private pilot to do so if he was the "sole manipulator of the controls" while another "safety pilot" was the designated PIC?
Personally, I'd suggest that if you are caught out in the first instance, or attempt the explanation in the second instance, you're likely to be shown the door pretty quickly at most airlines, whether or not you consider the recording of the PIC hours as justifiable by what you did during the flight.
Now, please don't get me wrong, there are many reasons why a job at CSA may be attractive, and for some the matter of who logs the PIC time no longer holds much concern. Beyond a certain number it only really matters in terms of proving recency. If that describes you, then why bother putting something in your logbook which might cause you grief later on? But if PIC hours really are important to you, perhaps it would be better to be working someplace where, without question, you are the PIC.
As a practical matter, the real reason why one would want to be the PIC has nothing to do with what you'll put in your logbook. In China probably more so than anywhere else I've been you are going to want to have the privilege of being the "final authority" when things go sideways. I'm not sure how much time you've spent here, but the actual conduct of an abnormal situation with a 4 man Chinese crew will not be anything like what you've experienced elsewhere. Hands will be flying in various directions un-commanded, there will be 3 voices all speaking in Chinese at the same time and somebody will insist on ringing up the chief pilot on the satcom before any decision is taken regardless of the circumstances. Often frustrating but usually manageable if you are the PIC and can assert that final authority, but if you are not, you're likely to quickly become about as relevant to the outcome as the number of pillows in the crew bunk.
Last, for what it's worth, I've found the Chinese pilots to be a good bunch to work with overall. Usually amiable, co-operative in intention and with reasonable ability, just not particularly strong on SOP, systems knowledge or the finer points of airmanship which can make a big difference in pinch. The working day, though, is certainly far more pleasant than it was at another carrier located somewhere east of a west sea.
Regards,
ELAC