Flight Engineer Job

Definition and Nature of the Work

Flight engineers, sometimes called second officers, play almost as important a part in flying large aircraft as do pilots and copilots. Although they rarely take the controls to fly planes, flight engineers have many other responsibilities both on the ground and onboard aircraft.

Before a flight, the flight engineer inspects the outside of the plane to make sure there are no fluid leaks and that tires are inflated properly. If any problems are found, the engineer calls in mechanics to repair the plane.

Inside the aircraft, the flight engineer helps the pilot and copilot check the operation of more than a hundred instruments, including fuel gauges, oil pressure indicators, and switches to control wing flaps and landing gear. The flight engineer must also review the flight course and weather patterns to determine how much fuel should be loaded on the plane. If a plane is going to fly with a tailwind, it will need much less fuel than if it is going to be flying into a strong head wind.

Once the plane is airborne, the engineer advises the pilot, or captain, of any problems. The engineer monitors the instruments and may make minor repairs, such as replacing fuses. The flight engineer also records fuel consumption during the
flight and makes note of the performance of the engines.

After the plane has landed, the flight engineer inspects the plane again to make sure all equipment is functioning properly. If problems arose during the flight, the engineer reports them to the mechanics. The last task is to turn in the flight log of the trip.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) now requires that most three- and four-engine airplanes and two-engine jet airplanes have flight engineers. Therefore, almost all flight engineers work for the major airlines that fly many large planes. Flight engineers are usually based in large cities that have major airports. Many are stationed in New York, California, Florida, Illinois, and Texas.