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command.” If flying as captain, they tend to invite comments and suggestions, but in the end, know that the final decision is theirs. In turn, if flying as SIC, they will certainly contribute to the discussion but almost automatically defer to the captain’s judgement when the question arises. The business of understanding the chain of command, with the command position usually held by the pilot with the most experience, also contributes to safety and is something purely Part 91 pilots some- times do not do that well.
Perhaps the most difficult situation to encounter as a professional pilot is sud- denly finding yourself flying as the SIC with a new “captain” (often a new owner/ pilot) who has little experience flying to professional standards in an aircraft re- quiring a crew of two. Even though trained for the aircraft in a simulator and appro- priately type rated, many of these pilots tend to fly every leg personally regardless of circumstances, and vastly underutilize the more experienced pilot sitting on their right. Sometimes these guys are good, but sometimes not. This problem is almost unique to Part 91 operations because with the airlines, seniority rules generally put
the most experienced pilot in the left seat. A fellow professional contract pilot ac- quaintance of mine from the Southeast recently told me that flying in role like this was the most dangerous and scary fly- ing he had ever done and his background even included military experience where he had been shot at. Although it may be tough on the ego of the new pilot/owner, it would be safer in such circumstances if it was decided well before takeoff that the captain would be the pilot with the most experience.
Even pilots with extensive crew ex- perience can sometimes get in trouble if the same two individuals always fly together. This rarely happens in Part 121 settings because airlines rotate crews, but is often the case in business or Part 91 operations. The problem is that unless they are careful, these crews get to know each other’s patterns very well, start tak- ing short cuts and drift into sloppy habits that a pilot new to the scene would recog- nize and question right away. There was a fatal Gulfstream crash recently wherein two perfectly qualified and highly ex- perienced pilots died on the takeoff run simply because they left the control lock in place. This would have readily been
caught with better checklist discipline, something a good captain would insist upon every single time.
What makes a “good captain” for any given f light is dependent upon experi- ence, attitude, training, discipline and a willingness to not let the boredom of routine professional flying get in the way of safety. Other factors aside, generally the best person to take on the role is the one with the most experience – a little grey hair also seems to help a lot.
Kevin Ware is an ATP who also holds CFI, MEII and helicopter ratings, has more than 10,000 hours and is typed in several different business jets. He
has been flying for a living on and off since he was 20, and currently works as a contract pilot for various corporations in the Seattle area. When not working as a pilot he is employed part time as an emergency and urgent care physician. He can be reached at kevin.ware2@aol.com.
Ad Index
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January 2019
TWIN & TURBINE • 29