In
aviation
Aviation includes the activities surrounding mechanical flight and the aircraft industry. ''Aircraft'' includes fixed-wing and rotary-wing types, morphable wings, wing-less lifting bodies, as well as lighter-than-air craft such as hot air ...
, a second officer is usually the third in line of command for a
flight crew
Aircrew, also called flight crew, are personnel who operate an aircraft while in flight. The composition of a flight's crew depends on the type of aircraft, plus the flight's duration and purpose.
Commercial aviation
Flight deck positions ...
on a
civil aircraft
Civil aviation is one of two major categories of flying, representing all non-military and non-state aviation, both private and commercial. Most of the countries in the world are members of the International Civil Aviation Organization and work ...
. In the past years of
commercial aviation
Commercial aviation is the part of civil aviation that involves operating aircraft for remuneration or hire, as opposed to private aviation.
Definition
Commercial aviation is not a rigorously defined category. All commercial air transport and ae ...
, a second officer would be used on international or long haul flights where more than two crew are required for the purpose of
relieving other higher ranked crew members for adequate resting periods.
In some airlines, the second officer acts as a
first officer, but still undergoes training and supervision from a training captain (
Swiss International Air Lines
Swiss International Air Lines AG, colloquially known as SWISS, is the flag carrier of Switzerland, operating scheduled services in Europe and to North America, South America, Africa and Asia. Zurich Airport serves as its sole hub and Geneva ...
,
Lufthansa
Deutsche Lufthansa AG (), commonly shortened to Lufthansa, is the flag carrier of Germany. When combined with its subsidiaries, it is the second- largest airline in Europe in terms of passengers carried. Lufthansa is one of the five founding m ...
,
Volotea
Volotea (stylised VOLOTEΛ) is a Spanish Low-cost carrier, low-cost airline registered in Castrillón, Asturias, Spain, with bases in Spain, Italy, France and Greece.
History
Volotea was established by Alaeo S.L. from Barcelona, a company crea ...
among others use this denomination). Some major airlines in China also use this denomination including
Air China
Air China Limited () is the flag carrier of the People's Republic of China and one of the "Big Three" mainland Chinese airlines (alongside China Southern Airlines and China Eastern Airlines). Air China's headquarters are in Shunyi District, ...
and
China Eastern Airlines
China Eastern Airlines Corporation Limited (), also known as China Eastern, is an airline headquartered in the China Eastern Airlines Building, on the grounds of Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport in Changning District, Shanghai. It is ...
.
See also
*
Pilot in command
The pilot in command (PIC) of an aircraft is the person aboard the 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 ...
*
Second mate
References
* Harris, Tom
How Airline Crews Work HowStuffWorks.com website, June 14, 2001. Retrieved September 2, 2014.
* Smith, Patrick
Patrick Smith's Ask The Pilot: When a Pilot Dies in Flight AskThePilot.com website, 2013, which in turn cites:
** Smith, Patrick
Cockpit Confidential: Everything You Need to Know About Air Travel: Questions, Answers, and Reflections Sourcebooks, 2013, , .
''Flying the World in Clipper Ships''at flightjournal.com, 2007.
Lufthansa website on cockpit careers
{{commercial air travel, state=collapsed
Occupations in aviation