FO taxiing

[goingnowherefast]

Do you trust the cabin crew with their duties? Do you trust the mechanics? How about dispatchers, ATC, groomers, gate agents, ramp staff, etc.

It doesn't take long to figure out the capabilities of the other pilot. It's part of the captain's job to allow the FO to learn and expand their abilities. Certainly don't let them overspeed the airframe, or bang a wing tip. But to discuss deviations from the ideal, and safely learn. It's a team effort, the FO has a baseline of training and experience. Some experiences are different than that of the captain. Sometimes the FO will even have better ideas than he captain! If FOs are trained to taxi, and the SOPs allow it, then it's no different than in flight.

[infiniteregulus]

Also a valid point ^
Many times the FO can have more experience on type than the Capt. Could have a senior, high-time and experienced FO sitting for lifestyle with a junior brand new Capt. Just because there's 3 stripes on their shoulder DOES NOT immediately rule them out as capable or trustworthy, and sure as hell not obliged to demonstrate flawless performance to an overzealous 'pilot in the left seat'.
I totally agree though - if ONGOING performance is consistently below par, then yes absolutely, limit the duties. Goes both ways. Could be a shit pilot or even just an off day - people have lives too (though they should be self-diagnostically professional and call sick in that case). The key is communication and working together as a team. Strengths and weaknesses. Authoritarian Commander Hitler in the left seat with nerves shot and a paranoid, uneasy attitude....dangerous CRM and terrible leadership qualities in the normal environment.

[complexintentions]

Trust is a significant part of our job. Not “blind” trust, but a “base level” of trust which then can be extended, or reduced, as appropriate. As pilots, we trust that the many folks involved in getting the aircraft safely to the point of departure have done their jobs. That includes the other pilot(s) we’re working with on a given day.

^ ^
This.

And some context for my outlook might help soothe the more agitated posters. (Godwin's Law? ) I've worked in companies where the experience in the right seat was very high, ones where it was very low. Places with massive cultural differences from Canada, in places where English isn't the primary spoken language, and SOP's that were 180 degree different from one company to the next.

I've always respected both SOP's and colleague's abilities, but it's also true I've had to babysit pretty closely at times. That's fine in some ways, it's partly why the paycheque is higher. But if it's my signature that goes in the logbook, of course I take a defensive position at all times, because that's what I'm defending, not my FO's feelings. 99% of the time there's no issue whatsoever, but I still have to guard against the 1%. I can't tell if someone is "a shit pilot or just an off day", as infiniteregulus puts it it, hence I adopt a healthy skepticism to identify the potential threat. When did this become a bad thing in aviation? It's pretty drama queen to characterize that as "paranoid" or "uneasy". And the reverse is true, any of my colleagues are free to assess my performance at any time, hell I expect it!

Perhaps if I only flew with other Canuckistanians for my entire career I could afford the luxury of a more complacent attitude. But one thing's for certain: if I catch a whiff of entitlement - and the stench is strong is several posts here - it raises red flags, instantly.

digits_, I suggest in your next CRM recurrent you ask the instructor to do a section on the phenomena "excessive professional courtesy" and the accidents its caused.

Until then, fly safe and don't taxi above 10 knots in the 90 degree turns!

[FADEC]

I was a Training Captain for nearly twenty years.
On aircraft with no tiller, I would have the F/O exit the runway if the taxiway could be negotiated with rudder pedal steering.

On aircraft with a tiller on the right side, (when training F/O's) I would get the F/O to taxi after the appropriate checks were done on departure, and when appropriate on arrival; clearing the runway etc.

Most gates were set up to be entered with guidance from the left seat so that wouldn't work.

My point was that if the Captain was incapacitated, or the left tiller failed it shouldn't be the first time the F/O taxied a big airplane.
In my experience, those Captains or Managers who didn't want that to happen were those who were barely competent themselves.

The other point is that taxiing a big airplane is a special skill. The F/O should understand why it is important for both pilots to be paying full attention to taxi instructions and routing as well as having eyes outside the cockpit.
I would encourage F/O's to make sure they were aware of the taxi routing so they could speak up if things were going awry.

[floatplanepilot]

Took me one sector to figure out taxiing with the tiller on the left side. Very different feel from the sim. Of course Murphy's Law, the first maneuver I had to make in the plane was a 180 in confined space and I was a bit agressive nearly knocking over the FAs in the back. Ever since that it's been smooth taxiing.