Flight Crew Flight Instructor; Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 80; Flight Crew Total 9600; Flight Crew Type 700
Communication Breakdown
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
General None Reported / Taken
Human Factors
While climbing through approximately FL230 at our best climb speed; ATC requested us to increase climb rate as it would help them out tremendously and also gave us a frequency change. I told the FO to reply that we could not increase our rate of climb as we were already doing the best we could. The FO (who is also a company Captain) told the Controller that we would give him the best we could and acknowledged our frequency change. Before the FO contacted the new Controller I reiterated that we needed to let them know that we could not increase our rate of climb. The FO then stated to me 'I'm not going to tell them that. I will tell them that we will give them what we can and let them figure it out.' I was taken aback by his statement and attitude. The FO then contacted the new Controller and told them that we were climbing as fast as we could. At this point; having told the new Controller we were climbing as well as we could; I let the issue drop for the sake of not creating a hostile environment on the flight deck. The Controller did not make any further mention of our climb rate.  I was so taken aback by this Captain's attitude that I did not respond as I would have with a new FO and gotten on the radio myself and made clear that we could not comply with the ATC request to increase climb rate. In the future I will not attempt such diplomacy as I tried on this Captain acting as an FO; but will act as I would normally and make sure there is no confusion between ATC and my aircraft. One very important human factors lesson I have taken away from this issue is the effect that having two Captains on a flight deck can make. Our company routinely uses two Captains and in such cases in the past the other Captains have always deferred to the individual that is designated as the trip Captain. I have also done this when I have been assigned as an FO. I have learned to be vigilant in the future for other's who may not remember that I am the Captain. I will include this reminder of crew roles in all future crew briefings.
BE-350 Captain reported having CRM issues with a Captain-qualified First Officer.