Two Captain Cockpit

[DangNang]

Any of you out there have any opinions on the two Captains in the Cockpit ?

[ksjc]

2 captains flying together can work well..we do it exclusively. We have a 3 captain flight department all with more than 10K hours each. GLEX (Part 91).

Each trip is assigned a "PIC" and that guy is responsible for managing the trip, paperwork, pax liaison, etc. PIC assignment is rotated to the next guy on next trip.

There is no "seniority" and no power trip so CRM is pretty good. We often get compliments from sim instructors on our CRM. We rotate legs and weather, fuel, flight planning is shared equally.

2 equal but highly experienced captains can work well together. Works for us at least but it all comes down to personality. Might be a struggle with the nervous, insecure type....and we all know a few of those.

[cavortingcheetah]

Went to an interview once with a British company to fill a slot as captain on an ex pat contract in western Africa. Towards the end of the interview I asked if the first officers would be nationals only to be told that there were no first officers, only captains and commanders. All pilots were ex pats. Insurance requirements were so high in that part of the world that no real first officer would have met the standards required by the insurance companies. Therefore the company was advertising for experienced pilots who were already captains to work in Africa, live in a compound and fly as first officers with commanders.
I found the description of work and living conditions to be distorted and not very conducive to sane and structured operations.

[Jet Jockey A4]

We operate 3 aircrafts (2 GLEX and a 604) in almost the same matter as ksjc's operation with 10 captains and we have no issues.

[Oceanic815Pilot]

We do mostly two captains in the cockpit. I think it works well. I think it works the best when the captains are of about the same experience level.

[con-pilot]

I agree with ksjc's post.

I flew in all captain cockpits for over 30 years. In the 727 many times all the pilots in the cockpit were rated captains, even in the FE seat.

With very few exceptions, it worked fine.

[MotCap]

I flew 32 years for a corporate operation that used the two captain "most of the time".

If they needed a fill in/contract pilot to cover a trip that's what they did, and we just naturally reverted to a captain/first officer operation.

My only problems with the operation came when they would bring on a new hire, who had no experience on the aircraft, put him/her through school, then, first trip on the line, assign them as captain, as if they had been flying the aircraft for years..

There was no opportunity for the new guy/gal to get a feel how we operated, and let he/her just come out of the box and just start doing things the way they had picked up from previous experiences, and then often looked sort of "limited" in operational expertise.

It just seemed logical to me that the new "captain" should spend some time under "supervision" until everyone was was comfortable with how things were working out. It happened numerous times.

[His dudeness]

2 captains, no F/O, corperate FD, nil issues for 7.5 yrs now

[wondering]

I reckon it depends if your employer is willing to fork out captain salaries for every cockpit crew member. Why pay two captain salaries if one captain and one F/O get the job done just as good? Mind you both crew members might be more than qualified to fly as captains and the current F/O might have been a captain in a previous life.

[MungoP]

Not sure why this should be an issue.. we operate mostly with two capt. crews in a sometimes very difficult flying environment..(Afg.) we have SOPs and stick to them and while individuals have their own flying styles we leave our egos in the office and get on with the job.. if you can't do that you have no business being in the cockpit under any title.

[CL300]

I reckon it depends if your employer is willing to fork out captain salaries for every cockpit crew member. Why pay two captain salaries if one captain and one F/O get the job done just as good? Mind you both crew members might be more than qualified to fly as captains and the current F/O might have been a captain in a previous life.


If the owner pays two captains, it is a good sign ; and as flexibility is concerned it is easier to plug in a F/O if required than a Captain whom does not know a thing about the principal's preferences.. ( which is the uttermost important thing in the plane, not flying it, flying it is 'granted', service is the Challenge)

[LRdriver III]

same here, very similiar to KSJC...Operate with only captains on our 604/605 fleet.. Not a problem with professional pilots.

Yes, one of us has to be nominated the "responsible adult" ie Commander and get stiffed with doing the annoying paperwork that comes with AOC ops these days.. But on the whole its a good concept.

if you have to ask the question if its an issue, then either you are an insecure captain who needs the 4th chip to lean up against and abuse your authority with or cant find the buttons whilst sitting in the RHS.

(Wierdly enough, its been the English and French pilots who have been dismayed that a two captain cockpit can even thrive.. Must hark back to the times where a stiff command gradient and massive egos ruled..:} old habits die hard I guess..)

[falconeasydriver]

Two Captains? dangerous I tell you! almost as dangerous as the dreaded two training Captains cockpit....:E

[Global_Global]

Two captains in the cockpit? No issues as long as the other SOB just listens to me and calls me sir! :E

[the boy]

Just an observation but with plenty of experience in both worlds.............

Airlines - Two Captains - Carnage!

Corporate - Two Captains - A slick and efficient operation

[737drvr]

The Boy: AMEN!