Hello! This is for the captains & FO’s for the major airlines & regionals. I’m about to start flight school hopefully soon. But my question is during take offs. Let’s say the FO is flying. And he sets the power with the thrust. Does he or she take their hand off and the captain puts theirs on just in case? Because I’ve seen videos from the flight deck of them doing that…
Steven,
This can be airline specific. At my airline, if I am flying (as FO), as I spool the engines up and acquire my desired power setting, I announced “Set Thrust.” Once the captain has verified the thrust setting is acquired, they respond “Thrust Set.” I remove my left hand off the thrust levers, the captains replace mine with theirs until the callout, V1. If for some reason either of us feels the need a rejection of takeoff is needed, either can call it out and the captain would therefore, reduce the takeoff thrust, deploy the reversers, as I hold the yoke forward, calling out the spoilers, 80 (knots), 60 (knots), “Your Aircraft.”
Some airlines, as Alex (an Atlas B747 FO) mentioned the other day, the captain controls the thrust levers during takeoff.
Brady
I’m trying to remember what I did at JSX. I’m pretty sure I was the one who pushed up the thrust to the detent when I’m ready, then the captain puts his hand on it for the reject until V1. Not 100% as I’ve already ejected most of my previous procedures from my brain.
At Atlas the captain sets takeoff thrust no matter who is flying. Also it’s the captain’s call to reject, but we have very simplified reject criteria because Boeing logic inhibits a lot of non critical failure messages until airborne.
Every airline probably has some variation of this. I’ve also seen videos where the PM follows the thrust levers up at the bottom while the PF pushes them forward from the top.
Steven,
I’m pretty certain that’s SOP at virtually ever airline. FO (when they’re PF (pilot flying) will push up the thrust levers until the auto-throttles engage (if so equipped) and then the Capt will keep their hands on the levers during the takeoff roll as it’s the Capt that performs the abort if one is necessary.
Adam
Depends on the operator. All my prior operators let the FO handle the reject as PF. Present carrier has PM verify power setting (with hand on thrust levers) but CA handles the reject (keeps hand on thrust levers till V1) regardless whether he/she is PF or PM.
Steven,
At my airline, the FO sets the thrust, but the Captain then takes it and maintains control of the throttles until V1 is reached. V1 is the maximum speed at which a pilot can safely stop the airplane on the runway, anything beyond that speed and you need to go flying and address the issue in the air. The decision to reject a takeoff, especially in the high speed regime, is a big one and is left up to the Captain, hence why they have their hands on the throttles.
Chris