Pilot in command
The pilot in command (PIC) of an aircraft is the person aboard an aircraft who is ultimately responsible for its operation and safety during flight. This would be the captain in a typical two- or three-pilot aircrew, or “pilot” if there is only one certificated and qualified pilot at the controls of an aircraft. The PIC must be legally certificated (or otherwise authorized) to operate the aircraft for the specific flight and flight conditions, but need not be actually manipulating the controls at any given moment. The PIC is the person legally in charge of the aircraft and its flight safety and operation, and would normally be the primary person liable for an infraction of any flight rule.
Being that the Captain is the pilot in command, he is the final authority to the safe operation of the aircraft and therefore, the final decision maker. The Captain will delegate tasks to the First Officer to help fly the aircraft.
Being Airline Captain is easier than being First Officer
Randy Duncan, Boeing 737 pilot in One of the US major airlines, recalls on Quora;
‘When I upgraded from First Officer to Captain at my airline, I was absolutely stunned by how much my workload went down.
‘As a copilot, I was going crazy trying to keep up with the duties. Preflight, loading the FMS, getting the ATIS, getting the clearance, calling maintenance, setting up the cockpit, computing the runways, working with the flight attendants, running all the checklists, push back clearance, taxi clearance, taxi check, takeoff clearance, takeoff checklist. Flows. It was crazy.
‘Now as a captain, I just brief the flight attendants, brief the copilot, ask for the checklists I need, check over the cockpit setup and confirm the clearance and the FMS align. After engine start, I turn on the generators and then I steer the airplane around the airport which is fun.
‘IT – IS – SO – MUCH – EASIER!
‘My jokes are funny, My stories are interesting, my observations are astute. I set the tone in the cockpit. If I’m in a good mood everyone else is in a good mood. If I’m in a bad mood, everyone steers clear of me. It’s really wonderful.’
He continues;
‘It’s SO much better to be a captain that a copilot. I was a copilot for about 15 years and I didn’t know how much better it was to be a captain. If I did, I would have upgraded earlier.
Low workload compared to the FO
‘I think if I had to write this again, I wouldn’t use the word “easy”. I guess it makes it seem like I don’t respect the gravity of the environment. I was really trying to convey that my workload was very low compared to the FO. I like having a lower workload than a higher workload so it seems much easier to me. (See I used the word easy again!)
‘Flying an airliner isn’t terribly complicated or difficult. Most pilots that make it to an airline make it look easy. (There’s that word again!) There is a lot of judgement involved but usually it’s not terribly difficult to meet the challenges presented. The hardest part for me is compliance. There are a lot of rules and regs that need consideration and keeping all of them in mind is difficult. The rest is a skill and mostly common sense. As I’ve gained experience, I’ve learned that I have gaps in my understanding and that I sometimes don’t know what I don’t know.’
Duncan concludes;
‘That’s where the rest of the crew comes in. I rely heavily on the FOs for their input and judgement. Rocky said it best “I’ve got gaps and she’s got gaps… together, we don’t got so many gaps”.’
Photo by Eugene Butler via Wikipedia
