Jumpseat: Copilot Shell Game

Les Abend

Thursday, January 27, 2011 at 07:12 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

The author experienced an unprecedented "copilot shell game" across multiple flights, where unforeseen circumstances led to frequent, last-minute copilot changes.
Reasons for the copilot swaps included injuries, severe traffic delays, a missing pilot credential wallet, and mechanical issues affecting connecting flights.
Despite the constant changes in personnel and initial delays, the airline's standardized training and the professionalism of the flight crews ensured seamless operational continuity throughout the journey.

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(January 2011) — I had just begun to fill up the tank on my truck for the drive to JFK when my cell phone rang. The caller ID displayed “Crew Sched.”

“Great,” I thought. I was probably going to be told that my trip to London was delayed. Nope. The news was something that I hadn’t expected. My copilot had managed to sprain his ankle before leaving home. A reserve copilot had been called. Unfortunately, the reserve copilot was 30 miles from his house at the time he was contacted. He needed to return home in order to change and pack. And then he faced a two-hour drive to JFK. I would discover later that this was to be the first round of a copilot shell game.