Flight engineer
The flight engineer on an Avro Lancaster checks settings on the control panel from his seat in the cockpit
A flight engineer (FE), also sometimes called an air engineer, is a member of an aircraft's flight crew and is the person who monitors and operates its complex aircraft systems. In the early era of aviation, the position was sometimes referred to as the "air mechanic". Flight engineers can still be found on some larger fixed-wing airplanes, and rotary wing helicopters. A similar crew position exists on some spacecraft. For U.S. civilian aircraft that require a flight engineer as part of the crew, the FE must possess an FAA Flight Engineer certificate with reciprocating, turboprop, or turbojet ratings appropriate to the aircraft. Whereas the four-engine Douglas DC-4 did not require an FE, the FAA Type Certificates of subsequent four engine reciprocating engine airplanes (DC-6, DC-7, Constellation, Boeing 307 and 377) and early three- and four-engine jets (Boeing 707, 727, early 747, DC-10) required FEs. Later three- and four-engine jets (MD-11, B-747-400 and later) were designed with sufficient automation to eliminate the FE position.
Not all large aircraft were designed and built with a flight engineer's position, and in many, if not most modern aircraft, their complex systems are both monitored and adjusted by electronic microprocessors and computers, resulting in the elimination of the flight engineer's position.
2 Duties
3 Elimination
Historically, as airplanes became ever larger requiring more engines and complex systems to operate, the workload on its two pilots became excessive during certain critical parts of the flight regime, notably takeoffs and landings. Piston engines on airplanes required a great deal of attention throughout the flight with their multitude of gauges and indicators. Inattention or a missed indication could result in engine or propeller failure, and quite possibly cause loss of the aircraft if prompt corrective action was not taken.
In order to dedicate a person to monitoring the aircraft's engines and its other critical flight systems, the position of "flight engineer" (FE) was created. The FE did not actually fly the airplane; instead, the flight engineer's position had a specialized control panel allowing for the monitoring and control of various aircraft systems. The FE is therefore an integrated member of the flight deck crew who works in close coordination with the two pilots during all phases of flight.
Traditionally, the FE station has been usually placed on the main flight deck just aft of the pilot and copilot. Earlier referred to as a "flight mechanic" on the four-engine commercial seaplanes like the Sikorsky S-42, Martin M-130 and the Boeing 314 Clipper, the FE's role was referred to as an "engineer" (much like a ship's engineer) on the first very large flying boat, the Dornier Do-X. On the Do-X the FE operated a large and complex side facing engineering station similar to later large transport aircraft.
The first commercial land airplane to include a flight engineering station was the Boeing 307 Stratoliner, but only ten were built before the onset of World War II. During the war the Avro Lancaster and Handley Page Halifax bombers employed FEs, as these large aircraft employed only a single pilot. The first Allied military operation during the Second World War involving FEs occurred in February 1941 with a Short Stirling; it was the first four-engined bomber raid of the war by the RAF.[1]
Duties[edit]
The cockpit of a non-operational four-engine Ilyushin Il-86, with its flight engineer's station at right
The flight engineer ("Air Engineer" in the Royal Air Force) is primarily concerned with the operation and monitoring of all aircraft systems,[2] and is required to diagnose and where possible rectify or eliminate any faults that may arise. On most multi-engine airplanes, the FE sets and adjusts engine power during take off, climb, cruise, go-arounds, or at any time the pilot flying (PF) requests a specific power setting to be set during the approach phase. The FE sets and monitors major systems,[3] including fuel, pressurization and air conditioning, hydraulic, electrics (engine driven generators, auxiliary power units), gas turbine compressor/air turbine motor (APU, GTC, ATM), ice and rain protection (engine and nacelle anti-ice, window heat, probe heater), oxygen, fire and overheat protection of all systems, liquid cooling system (Boeing E-3), draw through cooling system (Boeing E-3), forced air cooling system (Boeing E-3), and powered flying controls.
FEs are also responsible for preflight and postflight aircraft inspections, and ensuring that the weight and balance of the aircraft is correctly calculated to ensure the centre of gravity is within limits.[3] On airplanes where the FE's station is located on the same flight deck just aft of the two pilots (all western three/four -man deck airplanes), they also monitor aircraft flight path, speed, and altitude. A significant portion of their time is spent cross checking pilot selections. The flight engineer is the systems expert of the airplane with an extensive mechanical and technical knowledge of aircraft systems and aircraft performance.[3] On some military airplanes (C-5, E-3, KC-10) the FE sits behind the co-pilot in the cockpit, facing outboard to operate a panel of switches, gauges and indicators or forward to operate throttles, lighting controls, flight controls. On the Tupolev