But FIRST you´re a COPILOT right? Explained by CAPTAIN JOE

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Dear friends and followers !

Today´s question is a absolute classic and I guess a lot of pilots would agree. I can´t even tell how often I´ve been asked this question. I´ll set you an example. I´m going out with my best friends and they introduce me to people yet I don´t know. At some point the question comes up, „so what do you do for living?“. „I work as an airline pilot on an Airbus A320“, “Oh wow, that must be so interesting, but you´re a copilot right? So you don´t actually fly the plane, the captain does, right?“. It always makes me smile, and I answer with a question: „Who do you think flies the plane if the captain doesn´t feel so well?“.

Okay let´s break it down to the key points. First to know, every airline pilot has been a copilot in his flight career before her turns captain.
Let´s compare a pilots career with a career of a doctor. Med students go to university whilst flight trainees go to flight school.
During the first five years after university, every graduate is an assistant doctor to gain skills and experience to eventually to become a qualified doctor, let´s say a surgeon. As an assistant doctor he´s allowed to operate on patients under the supervision of his head of department doctor. After five years he´ll be experienced enough to operate on patient by himself without supervision.

Similar to the career as a pilot.
After flight school, flight students are qualified to solo fly little planes. But flying big airliners, which require at least two pilots, young flight students act as copilots, meaning that they assist and work together with their captain. The „pilot in command“, so called PIC, will always be the captain, so he always has the full responsibility and authority over the plane. But a copilot can act as, „pilot flying“ meaning, he actually takes-off and lands the plane under a guarding eye by the captain.
I sometimes refer to, that my captain is my „flight instructor“ cause I can profit from his experience, and we work together as a team. As do the assistant doctor and his mentor.

So, yes every pilot is a copilot for some time in his career, and yes copilots do take-off and land the aircraft.
The average time to become a captain is approximately eight to twelve years depending on many factors which decide when you´re ready to become a captain or not.

How to identify a co-pilot / first officer? More about that in the next video blog.

Thanks for watching, if you´ve enjoyed this video, you may give me a thumbs up and subscribe my channel for more aviation related videos in the future. Spread the word :)

Your captain Joe

[stevenhollingsworth]

technically both the pilot and co-pilot are fully qualified to fly the plane.

[efoxxok]

Used to know a great hunting dog called co-pilot. Best hunting dog ever. Then some fool called him captain. Now all he does is sit on his ass and bark at everyone.

[jamesleesley]

Co-pilot for 8 plus years. Wow!

BTW, who designed your logo (the C and J from an outline of a plane)? Very clever design.

[mtsarch]

When the captain isn't feeling so well I'm pretty sure the plane is flown by an inflatable autopilot that pops up from his seat xD

[brucel.]

Captain Joe, Id be honored to be a passenger on any flight you are in control of. You are amazing! And a seemingly great person. The world needs more good people like you.

[edyta]

you're the best Captain Joe! I'm a Cabin Crew and love to learn from you every day. I love it when people ask what do I do, and when I tell them they say: "oh so you do that *gesture of showing exits in the safety demo*" lol.

[jimw]

Hey Captain, just found your channel. Great stuff & good job! Don't let any discouraging comments stop you from doing this great channel that benefits lots of guys. Aviation is all about sharing. Learning til the day you retire, or even after.

[Ali.Rahimy]

Hi dear Captain Jo

I am dead keen watching your videos one after an other almost every night after I come home from work. I truly value your knowledge, experience and attitude regarding sharing them with a beautiful smile.
The most important thing is that even IPs should always learn and learning does not end in any science or carrier.

Thank you heaps.
Ali

[diegoarpino]

Hey Captain Joe you should do a collab with Mentour!

[kevtheman]

When I clicked this video I was expecting him to address the name of his channel (CAPTAIN Joe) even though he is a first officer

[abdalabinladen]

I'm working on the latest edition of my company's MGO. One of our main points is to erradicate the word Copilot from every single one of our company's publications, and use the word First Officer instead. I'm also managing SMS, and we are working hard to improve CRM, especially the attitudes of ground staff towards FOs. In a lot of cases they feel they can just ignore the FO's instructions because "he is ONLY a Copilot".

[TimKollat]

Ok...so Im sure people are afraid to ask, but everyone wants to know..what is the average pay of a copilot and a captain of a major airline carrier? Do you get paid more depending on the size of aircraft?

[MrHalo]

If I fly larger planes (like a C-17 or KC-135) in the US Air Force for twenty years, would all those hours I spend flying in the military count for my hours in becoming an airline Captain? Thanks!

[adambotica]

Same in boating a Skipper is like a captain but it doesn't mean they are on the helm or steering more often they end up supervising and decision making

[tchaikovskytm]

I spoke to a man who flew for southwest airlines for many years and he stated that pilot/first officer is based purely on seniority. Meaning when you join you are at the bottom of the list and wait for your turn.

[whiskeyfur]

I always figured it this way: co-pilot, cooperative pilot.. not subpilot, co-pilot. He works WITH the captain, not under him.

[JonatasAdoM]

But you're the co pilot, right?
"Yes I get to be paid a high salary without ever touching the controls, ah and I also get to fly for free". This should be the answer for the those people.

[ZauberinNini]

Sweetest co- pilot of the world, even now that you're a Captain and I am an M.D. specialist

[jasemmohd]

Maybe your explanation over the pilot topics is bettee than anyone else over this youtube. But yes you do motivate me with your experience to look forward. It only removed my fear of being a pilot and also gave me alot of ideas based on starting a career in pilot.
Thank you pilot joe.

[hanozkmehta]

Very well explained and with a good sense of humour too.