Who is the Commander?

[Jeremy Cooke]

If within an airline, it was necessary to roster two Captains for a trip (alarm bells!) one Captain was the fleet manager, and the other was a Training Captain higher up the seniority list than the FM.....who would normally be put in command of the flight?

[M.Mouse]

It is a little academic. In the airline world Captains are not usually chasing hours so it would be agreed between them depending on what they were doing and why. No formal system in place at least in my company.

As an example I completed my command conversion and passed my final check and then went on leave. It is a requirement that you must then fly within 4 days (I think). So my first sector in command had to be with a training Captain as my co-pilot! I was the legal commander and signed all the paperwork.

Hope that answers your question.

[Arkroyal]

In our splendidly organised outfit, it is quite common to find two captains flying together. :rolleyes:

All capts are 'rhs trained' which means they are sim checked to land single engine from the rhs in event of capts incapacitation.

Sooooo... the captain in the lhs signs the book, acts as PF and is the commander for those sectors. Then they swap.

[DownIn3Green]

No big deal for most of us. Scheduling assigns a trip (sequence of flights) and only one person is designated as PIC.

According to company procedure, the PIC may offer the left seat to his flying partner at his discretion, but he remains PIC and responsible to the company for the safe conduct of the flt., etc.

Myself, if I'm rostered to fly in the RHS with another Capt on the LHS, no matter what his/her seniority, I tend to sit back and enjoy it, as the weight is not on my shoulders...(this time)