Light general aviation airplanes are designed to be flown by one pilot, but some of the most fun you can have in them is flying with a second pilot. Flying is a pleasure, and sharing it with a like-minded soul serves to enhance that pleasure. Besides, the most qualified person to truly appreciate the consummate skill demonstrated by the pilot in command - that would be you - is another pilot.
Be careful, however. Two pilots in a single-pilot airplane can add up to less than one. Cockpit communications, assumptions, and egos all contribute to the outcome of the flight. How those factors are managed, or mismanaged, determines whether the flight will be a positive experience or, as I learned, stressful for all involved.
The airlines and corporate flight departments that operate two-pilot aircraft learned a long time ago that crew coordination is fundamental to safe flying. Professional two- and three-pilot crews are trained to operate as a team and follow company standard operating procedures (SOP) that take the guesswork out of the who, what, when, where, and how in the cockpit.
Not so in a light general aviation cockpit. A number of people on the ground assist your efforts - air traffic controllers and flight service station specialists, in particular - but the total airborne crew is you. You make all of the decisions; you perform all of the functions; and you do all of the flying.
Transitioning from that do-it-all mindset to one of sharing or splitting cockpit responsibilities isn't easily accomplished. Consider the built-in difficulties. If you are like most GA pilots, you have no checklist-like, printed and laminated two-pilot SOP at the ready for those times when you and a friend agree to go flying together. The professionals already have studied and learned the company's SOP, and they are prepared to fly by it.
Think about the atmosphere in the cockpit. In an airliner or corporate aircraft, it's all business - literally. The pilots are professionals working at their jobs. The ranking is specific and understood by all - one crewmember is the captain or pilot in command, and the other is the first officer or second in command. Each crewmember clearly understands his or her duties and responsibilities as well as those of the other crewmember. Ambiguity is anathema in a professional cockpit.
That's much different than two friends in a Cessna or Piper four-seater out for an afternoon of practicing takeoffs and landings, or on a mission to find a $100 hamburger. If there is any preflight discussion about who will do what and when, it may be no more comprehensive than deciding who will take the first leg and who will work the radios.
The lack of a plan of action can easily lead to confusion, sloppy flying, and frustration on the part of both pilots. On the other hand, peace, harmony, and good flying are possible with two pilots in a single-pilot airplane - provided each pilot understands and abides by the rules, whatever they may be.
The simplest way to allocate cockpit duties, and the one I prefer whether I am flying or in the right seat, is for the pilot-in-command to do everything - fly the airplane, navigate, and communicate. The right-seater scans for traffic and stands ready to assist the pilot with checklists and actions, but only if called upon.
It has been my experience that when two GA pilots attempt to divide up cockpit duties, neither does as good a job as would one of them acting alone. It is distracting to share the flying unless you are used to doing so, and a distracted pilot is a pilot performing at less than 100 percent.
A second important reason I prefer not to do any first-officer flying when I'm in the right seat, other than scanning for traffic, is that it gives me a great opportunity to observe the PIC. As many flight schools have learned, having a second student in the back seat of a trainer observe another student at the controls is a terrific way for the second student to gain insight and understanding about pilot technique and habits, both good and bad.
I learn something each time I observe another pilot fly. It may be something that they do very well, or it may be a weakness in their technique or even an honest mistake. The good stuff I resolve to adopt, while the pitfalls and mistakes I learn to avoid. It's simple: Watching other pilots fly helps me to hone my own skills.
If sitting with your hands folded on your lap and watching the other pilot fly isn't in the cards for you or your fellow pilot, then you should at least try to work out the ground rules for sharing cockpit duties before leaving the ground.
Once the two of you have decided who will be PIC, you must then agree that the pilot not flying should consult the PIC before touching any switch, knob, dial, button, or lever. The exception would be communication and navigation radios. Even then there must be an agreed-upon protocol for the right-seater to handle communications and navigation. For example, the radios and any electronic displays should be configured to the PIC's preferences even though the nonflying pilot will work the boxes during the flight. That allows the PIC to monitor communications and navigation without becoming confused by unfamiliar configurations.
Although it's fraught with peril, critiquing one another is a useful benefit of sharing a cockpit with another pilot. One way to avoid the obvious potential for severely bruised egos is to put together a critique sheet in advance. Decide which performance factors you will evaluate in each other, such as use of checklists; ability to maintain target airspeeds, altitudes, and headings; and adherence to proper procedures.
The challenge in critiquing each other is to avoid creating a tense, flight-test type of atmosphere in the cockpit. The reward is an interesting, fun, and instructive day of flying for both pilots.
Mark Twombly is a writer and editor who has been flying for 35 years. He is co-owner of a Piper Twin Comanche and recently obtained his commercial multiengine rating.
Related Articles
