China Eastern (MU) pilots flying airbuses single pilot?
 

Hi,

I've flown China Eastern as a passenger several times recently. I've begun to notice that when reaching cruise, if first class is empty, one of the pilots comes out of the flight deck, sans tie and epaulettes, and sits in 1st class for several hours.

I'm sure you're thinking it's probably a relief pilot on a long haul flight staffed with 3 or more pilots. No. This is on short hops such as HKG-PVG in an A320 series. At first I assumed that the white shirted individual was some sort of cabin crew supervisor but no, they clearly come out of the flight deck at TOC, then re-enter the flight deck at TOD and don't re-emerge.

The resting pilots returns to the flight deck near top of descent. However, I am a bit concerned that they are flying the majority of these flights single pilot (for hours at a time).

Please, someone allay my fears and tell me that MU staffs their short haul flights with 3 or more pilots. I hope this is the case and that I'm just being paranoid.

China Eastern (MU) pilots flying airbuses single pilot?
 

In China at some airlines, and I'm not completely sure if China Eastern falls into this category, they have one Captain and two FO's.

The FO's would be junior FO's that have not yet reached landing the stage where they are granted landing privileges. There is a six stage process in China for FO's to become full fledged FO's, and during the F1 and F2 phase they fly in pairs.

So, there may very well have been another pilot that you didn't see in the flight deck and there was in fact two pilots flying the aircraft. Or maybe not..... It is China after all.

The Chinese over crew everything. The "loss of face" mentality would never allow this accusation to be true.

Tell us...he woke you up when he started slurping?:E

HKG-PVG would not be more than 120 minutes I would think. Did you say several hours?

JammedStab,

Can be over 12 hours with Chinese flow control delays.

It's more than 120 minutes.

Had I had serious doubts about crewing, I'd have probably asked for a cockpit visit after the flight, saying that I am an enthusiast or fellow pilot. :ok: Or is that something completely out of the question in China?