How many pilots fly a plane?

Our undercover pilot explains why a minimum of two pilots are still needed to fly a plane, and why there may be four...

Let’s start with one of the most iconic planes in commercial air travel – the classic Boeing 747. When it first launched in February 1969, this aeroplane required two pilots at the controls plus a flight engineer on the flight deck to monitor the equipment.

With the development of more modern computer systems, the role of the flight engineer was gradually replaced by technology. With computers even more advanced today, why do we still need two pilots? This is the trajectory of modern aviation – and a question airlines and aircraft manufacturers are actively discussing. But for now, a minimum of two pilots is required on commercial aircraft.

FLYING AND MONITORING

On a typical short-haul flight, from say London to Paris, you will be escorted to your destination by a captain and a first officer. One is designated Pilot Flying (PF) and one designated Pilot Monitoring (PM). These designations will change depending on the airline, but the roles are the same.

The PF pilot will make the decisions, direct the manipulation of the automatics and computers and, when required, manually handle the aeroplane (such as for landing and take off ). They also monitor the weather ahead and assess things like where to land in an emergency.