Flight engineers

A flight engineer (FE), also sometimes called an air engineer, is a member of an aircraft's flight crew who is responsible for monitoring and operating its complex aircraft systems. In the early era of aviation, the position was sometimes referred to as the "air mechanic". Flight engineers can still be found on some larger fixed-wing airplanes and helicopters. A similar crew position exists on some spacecraft. In most modern aircraft, complex systems are monitored and adjusted by electronic microprocessors and computers, resulting in the elimination of the flight engineer's position. In earlier days, most larger aircraft were designed and built with a flight engineer's position. For U.S. civilian aircraft that require a flight engineer as part of the crew, the flight engineer must possess an FAA Flight Engineer Certificate with reciprocating, turboprop, or turbojet ratings appropriate to the aircraft. Whereas the four-engine Douglas DC-4 did not require a flight engineer, the FAA type certificates of subsequent four-engine reciprocating engine airplanes (Boeing 307 and 377, DC-6, DC-7, Constellation) and early two-, three- and four-engine jets (Boeing 707, 727, early 747s, DC-8, DC-10, L-1011, early A300s) required them. Smaller twinjets (DC-9, 737, BAC 1-11, Caravelle, ) were never complex enough to require a flight engineer, while later large two, three, and four-engine jets (Airbus A310, A300-600, Boeing 767, MD-11, 747-400, and later) were designed with sufficient automation as to eliminate the need for the position.