The following excerpt from British Airways could make things clear.

Subject: How to Fly - British Airways Flight and Pilot Manual *** British Airways Flight Operations Department Notice ***

There appears to be some confusion over the new pilot role titles. This notice will hopefully clear-up any misunderstandings. The titles P1, P2 and Co-Pilot will now cease to have any meaning, within the BA 0perations manuals. They are to be replaced by Handling Pilot, Non-handling Pilot, Handling Landing Pilot, Non-Handling Landing Pilot, Handling Non-Landing Pilot, and NonHandling Non-Landing Pilot.

The Landing Pilot, is initially the Handling Pilot and will handle the take-off and landing except in role reversal when he is the on-Handling Pilot for taxi until the Handling Non-Landing Pilot, hands the Handling to the Landing Pilot at eighty knots.

The Non-Landing (Non-Handling, since the Landing Pilot is Handling) Pilot reads the checklist to the Handling Pilot until after Before Descent Checklist completion, when the Handling Landing Pilot hands the handling to the Non-Handling Non-Landing Pilot who then becomes the Handling Non-Landing Pilot.

The Landing Pilot is the Non-Handling Pilot until the decision altitude call, when the Handling Non-Landing Pilot hands the handling to the Non-Handling Landing Pilot, unless the latter calls go-around, in which case the Handling Non-Landing Pilot, continues Handling and the Non-Handling Landing Pilot continues non-handling until the next call of land or go-around, as appropriate.

In view of the recent confusion over these rules, it was deemed necessary to restate them clearly.

-- viewer (justp@ssing.by), March 16, 2000

Answers

LOL, Only the british could do this to make a simple subject complicated. I think I'll stick to P - Solo pilot, P1 - Pilot in command, P2 - Pilot not in command.

-- Malcolm Taylor (taylorm@es.co.nz), March 16, 2000.

Thanks, viewer.

I'm a technical writer, so I immediately sent this on the rounds to my colleagues via email. We all collect egregious examples of what not to do and trade them around like bubble-gum cards. This one is a gem, even if it does give me a profoundly sinking feeling at the thought of flying British Airways in the future.

-- Brian McLaughlin (brianm@ims.com), March 16, 2000.

LOL! Abbott and Costello, please step aside.

-- David L (bumpkin@dnet.net), March 16, 2000.

Well, that certainly clears things up for me.

-- semper paratus (here_with@my.pals), March 16, 2000.

Riiight. Uh, Who is this really?

-- Flint (flintc@mindspring.com), March 16, 2000.

There shall be no fondling of a pandering or philandering pilot.

-- Lars (lars@indy.net), March 17, 2000.