Flying with the chief pilot

[Nicholas49]

Does the chief pilot at large airlines (such as easyJet) regularly fly on the line? Is it common for any F/O to be paired with him for standard flights? I ask because I've just watched the ITVV Go documentary in which the captain is the airline's chief pilot and wondered how common this is.

Thanks, Nick

[Aerofoil]

Hi Nicholas

Yes chief pilots do fly the line and yes any FO could be rostered to fly with him/her. I think in most cases the chief pilot is pretty busy in the office at HQ but they do still fly the line probably with varying amounts from airline to airline but i know that in my airline the chief flies a couple of times a week depending on the time of year.

Cheers

Foil

[Northbeach]

Nicholas49

There are line pilots why fly the monthly schedules year in and year out. Then there are management pilots who fall into several categories: instructors, instructor evaluators, fleet Captains and then the “Chief Pilot”(different airlines have different titles for them, there can be many more levels). Often these types become loaded down with administrative tasks that tend to consume more and more of their time keeping them away from actually flying revenue flights. But the gained status, better schedules, professional advancement and more pay consummate with their positions become much more important to most of them (notice I did not say ALL of them) than maintaining any kind of regular connection with “flying the line”(my opinion of course).

Unfortunately what tends to happen is their actual flying skills begin to deteriorate. This doesn’t mean they are “bad pilots” or that they can’t “fly”. But any skill that is not used and exercised regularly begins to decline, flying is no exception. I have watched many management pilots (having been one myself at one time) specifically request senior and extremely sharp first officers to be pared with them when they do go fly the line. They do this in recognition that their skills are not as razor sharp as they would be had they been flying the line rather than dealing with the myriad of details that consume their time and energy.

Flying with high ranking management and instructor pilots on the line is often like watching fish out of water flop around the deck of a boat. These guys and gals are by no means “The Ace of the Base” – and neither am I for that matter. Give them a few sectors under their belt and they do just fine.

So yes a “Chief Pilot” could be rostered with any first officer. However I wouldn’t be surprised if you were to find the management pilots themselves actually selecting more senior, and personal friends/acquaintances to fly with. Think of this as a sort of professional insurance policy.

Having a management pilot, who doesn’t fly very often at all, paired with a new and relatively inexperienced first officer and then mix in challenging flight conditions; that set of circumstances can be a recipe for problems. Google American Airlines+MD80+Little Rock Arkansas and you will read of a fatal accident where a “Chief Pilot” (Airplane type) was pared with a brand new First Officer. These guys landed in terrible weather conditions and ran off the runway killing the Captain (management pilot) and several of the passengers.

Hope that helps.

[411A]

Google American Airlines+MD80+Little Rock Arkansas and you will read of a fatal accident where a “Chief Pilot” (Airplane type) was pared with a brand new First Officer. These guys landed in terrible weather conditions and ran off the runway killing the Captain (management pilot) and several of the passengers.


If you dig just a little deeper, you will find that said ORD-based CP was hell-bent on getting the airplane on the runway, come what may (instead of diverting as he should have, due to wx) all the while the F/O was telling him his actions were rather foolish.
Lets face facts here.
A little bit of plain 'ole common sense will go a long way toward preventing this sort of very nasty accident, no matter just whom is flying the airplane, CP, brand new F/O, or many other combinations.

PS:
Altho I'm listed as a CP, I fly just as much as anyone else, and my present F/O is a very bright young guy who can handle the airplane as good as anyone, a superb fellow, in every respect.

[londonmet]

411A,

"My F/O" - are you related?

L Met

[parabellum]

L Met, think 'crew', think 'team!';)

It certainly doesn't apply to all management pilots but there is a saying that Management pilots are like seagulls, if you want them to fly you have to throw rocks at them!

[Tsinogatna]

"Management Pilots are like seagulls": excellent :D:D

[411A]

"My F/O" - are you related?


As has been stated, think crew (IE: team)...there really is no other way.

OTOH, if you think that the F/O does not belong as part of the team (with the Commander firmly IN charge) then I would suggest that you do not belong at the pointy end.:ugh: