Two Pilot Operations

Our two-pilot operations are working out okay. I land, park at the fuel pumps and I only see my co-worker during fuelling. I give her the keys, or more accurately, she reminds me to give her the keys, and I report anything irregular that happened during the flight. One of us cleans the windows and then I say "have a good flight" and go to the hotel. I will be asleep by the time she lands, and she will be sleeping when I take off the next morning.

It's a little odd when I'm used to having the airplane be my exclusive domain for a rotation, to have someone else in it all the time. It's mostly just a matter of rearranging the cushions and remembering to be very consistent with where I put charts, checklists and other accessories. I also have to check everything over carefully, because it might not be the way I left it. Fortunately she isn't one of those people who turns the intercom off at the end of the flight. That gets me every time when maintenance does it. I can feel righteous when she leaves the transponder on. It so doesn't matter, as no radar will sweep us on the ground here.

I take my headset with me at the end of my shift, perhaps because I'm used to working in extremes of climates and have had a headset frame crack from the cold and another time had the ear seals come off when the glue melted in the heat. I know the airplane contains a spare headset for the customer intercom, and I observed the customer bring his own headset on board. So I didn't think too much of stowing the extra headset in a box in the back. I thought so little of it that I forgot where I had put it when my co-worker called to ask if I had seen her headset.

"Yes! I put it ..." Damn, where did I put it? Fortunately she is clever as well as talented, and found it promptly. She is also forgiving.

I have it good.