temporary FO

[sleddriver71]

The air ambulance company I work for has recently decided that we will have two pilots sit up front in the King Air because the autopilot is MEL'd (in order to fly in IFR conditions). I know it says in the MEL that 2 pilots can be used in IFR conditions when the autopilot is MEL'd but we don't have any first officer training nor were we trained to fly from the right seat. I would like to get some opinions from you all as to whether this sounds legal or even iffy.

 

[NJA bound]

www.ibt1108.org

 

[NW Flyer]

It is my belief that you need an SIC training program in place in order to use said SIC to fulfill a regulatory requirement.

If he was just sitting there at the request of the customer or insurance company, that would be different. But, using an SIC in lieu of the inop autopilot requires a 135 qualified SIC, and you can't be one of those without a 135 SIC ride, and you can't be one of those without completing an approved 135 SIC training program.

(I've been down this road before!)

 

[Photoflight]

unless its another captain

another capt can fly right seat but to be a real FO you'd have to have a training program/checkride etc...

 

[sleddriver71]

unless its another captain

another capt can fly right seat but to be a real FO you'd have to have a training program/checkride etc...

We are all captains. My concern is that to operate in lieu of an autopilot in IFR conditions, the right seat pilot has to be qualified (i.e. trained) to fly from the right seat, doesn't he/she? Avbug?

 

[2dumb2drive]

We are all captains. My concern is that to operate in lieu of an autopilot in IFR conditions, the right seat pilot has to be qualified (i.e. trained) to fly from the right seat, doesn't he/she? Avbug?

If your op specs do not specifically say that you are permitted to use a two captain crew with one designated as PIC and one as SIC, then it is in no way legal. When it comes to questions like this its always in the ops manual/op specs. Check the one that applies to you.

 

[Nolife]

When you went to initial school did they have you do a right seat landing. If so that may have been your SIC check. At least that's what they did for us... however the above post is right. Check your ops manual and make sure you're approved for SIC's.

 

[Prof. ATP]

... we don't have any first officer training nor were we trained to fly from the right seat...

Flight Safety has us fly an approach/landing from the right seat for our SIC qualification. They check the SIC box as well as the PIC box on the 8710.