Can A First Officer Fly A Plane? | When The Right Seat Takes Control

A first officer can fly the aircraft when designated as pilot flying and the captain remains the pilot in command.

People say “the captain flew us in” like one person drives the whole trip. On most airline flights, that’s not how it plays out. The first officer (right seat) often flies an entire leg, including takeoff and landing. The split is less about hands on the controls and more about who carries final authority.

Below you’ll see what “flying the plane” means in airline language, how crews assign roles, and what changes when the day stops being routine.

What “Flying The Plane” Means In Airline Ops

Airline crews use two working roles: pilot flying (PF) and pilot monitoring (PM). PF steers the airplane and manages the flight path. PM backs up the work with radios, checklists, callouts, and cross-checks.

PF can be either seat. When the first officer is PF, they may taxi (company rules vary), take off, fly the departure, manage automation, fly the approach, and land. When the captain is PF, the first officer does the monitoring work. Crews often swap PF/PM roles from leg to leg so both pilots stay current on takeoffs and landings.

“Flying” covers two kinds of work:

• Control: Hand-flying or directing the autopilot and flight computers.
• Command: Choosing the plan and owning the outcome.

The first part can belong to either pilot when they’re PF. The second part stays with the pilot in command.

Can A First Officer Fly A Plane? What The Law Says

U.S. rules require a designated pilot in command (PIC) for a flight. PIC is the person with final authority and responsibility for the operation. The FAA states that authority in 14 CFR § 91.3, “Responsibility and authority of the pilot in command”.

That does not mean PIC must hand-fly every segment. Airlines can assign the first officer as pilot flying for a leg while the captain remains PIC. The airplane still has one person in charge; the controls can change hands as briefed and confirmed.

The regulations also define “second in command” as a pilot designated to be second in command during flight time. That definition sits in 14 CFR § 1.1, “General definitions”. It’s a legal role label, not a comment on ability.

How Crews Decide Who Is Pilot Flying

Most airlines run a simple pattern: alternate legs unless there’s a good reason not to. Weather, runway conditions, and training needs can shift the plan. A captain might take PF for a gusty crosswind arrival, then swap on the next leg when conditions are calmer.

Before pushback, crews brief who will be PF, which automation modes they expect, and what “stop points” will trigger a go-around or a rejected takeoff. Once PF is set, control transfers are spoken and confirmed: “my controls” and “your controls.” It keeps two people from flying at once.

What A First Officer Does Across A Full Flight

When the first officer is PF, the work is end-to-end. They are not “just the landing pilot.” They run the same profile the captain runs on their PF legs.

Taxi And Before Takeoff

Taxi demands accuracy and pace. The PF focuses outside, tracks the taxi route, holds short lines, and keeps speed under control. The PM runs checklists, handles radio calls that can be safely done heads-down, and watches for runway incursions.

Takeoff And Climb

On takeoff, PF sets thrust and tracks centerline. PM verifies power, calls speeds, watches limits, and calls out deviations. If something fails, PF keeps the airplane flying while PM works the immediate steps and communicates.

Cruise And Descent

In cruise, the airplane may be on autopilot, yet the “flying” work continues. PF sets targets, confirms route changes match clearances, and stays ahead of descent planning. PM backs up entries and watches for mode surprises that can creep in during workload spikes.

Approach And Landing

Approach is a tight loop of setup, cross-check, and correction. PF flies the profile and stabilizes early. PM runs radios and callouts, then speaks up fast if the approach drifts outside company gates. First officers land at major U.S. airports every day. It’s normal line flying.

When The Captain Takes The Controls

Even with a first officer as PF, the captain can take control any time safety needs it. That can happen after a late runway change, during a rushed re-brief, or if an approach becomes unstable. It can happen when a first officer is task-saturated after an abnormal event.

The transfer itself is simple and verbal. The captain states they have control, the first officer confirms, and the captain confirms again. It can sound repetitive, yet it removes doubt at the exact moment doubt is costly.

How Training Proves A First Officer Can Fly

Airline first officers are licensed pilots trained on a specific aircraft type. Before carrying passengers, they complete ground school, simulator training, and a check event where they must perform takeoffs, approaches, landings, and abnormal procedures to standard.

Recurrent simulator sessions continue through their career. They practice engine failures, rejected takeoffs, low-visibility approaches, wind shear escapes, and system malfunctions. In many scenarios, the first officer is the pilot flying while an instructor monitors and grades.

Authority Versus Control In One Sentence

The captain is the legal commander of the flight. The first officer can be the hands-on pilot for a leg. That split lets two qualified pilots stay engaged, cross-checking each other instead of one pilot doing all the flying and the other waiting.

What The Captain Does While The First Officer Flies

When the first officer is PF, the captain is still working. Their job shifts from steering to guarding the whole operation. They’re listening to every clearance, watching the flight path, and checking that the automation is doing what the crew thinks it’s doing.

That monitoring work has a few repeat patterns:

• Cross-checks: Verify speeds, altitudes, and headings against the clearance and the flight plan.
• Threat spotting: Notice changes in weather, traffic flow, runway switches, or late gate information.
• Time management: Keep the descent and approach from turning into a rush by pushing briefings and setup early.

If the first officer makes a small mistake, the captain is the backstop. If the captain makes a small mistake on their PF leg, the first officer is the backstop. That two-way safety net is one reason airlines work hard to keep both pilots engaged on every leg.

Table: Who Flies What In Common Airline Scenarios

This table shows how the PF role and the captain’s command role often line up on a standard two-pilot airline flight.

Scenario	Who Can Be Pilot Flying	What Usually Stays With The Captain
Routine takeoff and climb	Captain or first officer (briefed PF)	Final go/no-go call and plan changes
Enroute cruise with autopilot	Captain or first officer (briefed PF)	Fuel, weather, and diversion decisions
Standard instrument approach	Captain or first officer (briefed PF)	Acceptance of approach plan and minima calls
Crosswind landing near limits	Often captain, sometimes first officer if current and briefed	Decision to continue or go around
Rejected takeoff	PF initiates; either seat can be PF	Command decisions after stopping
Engine failure after liftoff	PF flies; many airlines keep PF unchanged at first	Captain leads the overall plan and task split
Medical issue in the cabin	Either seat can be PF	Captain decides divert and coordinates with company
Captain becomes unwell	First officer flies and may assume command per procedures	Command transfers to the remaining qualified pilot

What Changes When Things Go Sideways

When something breaks or time gets tight, crews fall back on priorities: fly the airplane, keep it going where it should go, then talk. PF keeps control. PM runs checklists and radios. The captain, as PIC, chooses the runway, diversion option, and risk tradeoffs.

If the first officer is PF when the problem starts, the cleanest move is often to keep them PF so the airplane stays steady while the captain runs the plan. If workload spikes, the captain may take the controls and put the first officer on radios and checklists. That swap is about task load, not pride.

When A First Officer Flies The Plane During A Flight

On a two-leg day, a common pattern is captain PF on leg one, first officer PF on leg two. That gives both pilots regular repetitions at busy airports and keeps skills balanced. On longer trips, crews may keep the same PF for the whole leg, then swap on the next takeoff and landing.

From the cabin, you usually won’t notice the handoff. Smooth teamwork is meant to be quiet.

Table: Better Ways To Read Flight Deck Announcements

Cabin announcements can be shared or done by habit, so they’re a weak clue for who is pilot flying. These cues are more realistic.

What You Hear	What It Usually Means	What It Does Not Prove
“This is your captain speaking…”	The captain is speaking as the flight’s PIC	That the captain will hand-fly the takeoff or landing
First officer gives the arrival weather	Crews split cabin updates	That the first officer is PF for that segment
“We may need to hold for traffic”	ATC sequencing is tight	Who is managing automation settings
“Flight attendants, be seated”	Safety call as ride quality drops	That anything is wrong up front

What To Take Away

Yes, first officers fly airliners. They’re trained and checked for it, and they do it on normal scheduled flights every day. The captain stays the pilot in command, monitoring and ready to take control, while the first officer runs the leg as pilot flying when assigned.