"Mike Rapoport" wrote
I agree. When I have another pilot in the airplane they are a passenger. I
might ask them to set the pressurization since it is on their side but that
is about it. All my flying and all my simulator training has been single
pilot and I don't think that changing for one or two flights a year is
safer. If it is a VFR trip then that is different.

I used to have the same attitude, and for the same reasons. Working
on my ATP changed my views; it may change yours.

Offloading tasks is fundamental to managing (rather than simply
handling) workload. Yes, a second pilot in the cockpit is not
absolutely reliable, and yes offloading tasks does not actually allow
you to offload responsibilities for those tasks. On the other hand,
the same is true of the autopilot, only more so. For example, a
second pilot asked to hold heading and altitude may flub the task -
but he's not going to go hard over on the ailerons and not say
anything. An autopilot might. Is that a reason not to use the
autopilot?

For all that we train for all sorts of system failures, the number one
cause of IFR accidents is still pilot error. The more you have to do,
the more likely you are to make that error. It therefore makes sense
to reduce your workload. Of course there is the flip side - if you
fly at reduced workload all the time, you may lose the ability to
handle an increase in workload. You need to strike a reasonable
balance between training yourself for dealing with the workload
(maneuvers training) and for managing workload (CRM).

The DE who gave me my ATP ride told me up front that if I did not use
him as a cockpit resource, we would have a long debrief. He said he
wouldn't actually flunk me for not using all available resources
(including him) but that the tolenraces on the ATP ride were such that
doing everything yourself made it somewhat unlikely that you would
remain within tolerances at all times - and there would be no slack.

At the airline level, an ATP/type ride is now handled in two sections
- the maneuvers training (where all sorts of stuff is thrown at you
and you have to demonstrate your ability to fly and deal with it) and
the LOFT (where you have to demonstrate your ability to manage the
cockpit workload). At least this is the description I get from a
former DE in transport category jets and captain for a major airline -
who also says that over 99% of the flying failures occur on the LOFT
portion rather than maneuvers training.

Michael