At first glance, my schedule for the month of January indicated that I was to give a line check for the captain named on a particular date. I was wrong. The named captain was actually the one giving me the line check. I had forgotten that my check airman requirement was every 12 months as opposed to the 24 months required for a regular line pilot.
What exactly is a line check? Simply stated, a line check is an actual flight observed by a supervisory pilot to ensure that company procedures are being performed to the standards of the company and the FAA. The captain is technically the one that requires the qualification, but the check includes the entire cockpit crew. The captain is not required to fly. He or she is judged on the ability to safely command the flight. If the captain has always adhered to procedures, the flight is a nonevent.
