Ask Captain Lim

Hi Captain Lim,

I would like to ask you if it is true that a co pilot on duty for the first time, would be in the cockpit of a commercial airplane controlling the aircraft?

I am assuming that the copilot is already trained on a stimulator and the small training airplanes but not on the commercial airplane yet - would he be allowed to fly the plane in the real cockpit?

I hope you can answer me this question!

Thank you!

Zheng

Hi Zheng,

A copilot would have to be trained and qualified on a simulator on a particular plane first before he is allowed to sit on the right hand seat of a commercial airliner for the first time.

Yes, depending on the airlines, a copilot, after the simulator check out, have to fly on a smaller jet first before he is allowed to handle the controls of a bigger jet. Before that, they have to do a certain number of observation flights from the back seat, mainly learning copilot duties.