15

Are there any active aircraft still in service (bar for historical air shows etc) that still require the following roles?

  • 2 pilots
  • 1 Flight Engineer
  • 1 Navigator
  • 1 Radio Operator
Cloud
  • 13,280
  • 8
  • 81
  • 150
  • 16
    The radio operator position hasn't existed in decades, the technology has moved on too far for it to be necessary. – GdD Jul 18 '23 at 15:07
  • 9
    Are you asking specifically for exactly a 5 person crew? Or "at least 5" crew count? – Criggie Jul 19 '23 at 02:54

5 Answers5

20

The An-124 is listed as requiring a crew of 8: pilot, copilot, navigator, chief flight engineer, electrical flight engineer, radio operator, and two loadmasters. This includes all of the roles on your list, including 2 flight engineers. The An-225, if it flies again, appears to have a similar crew requirement.

Other aircraft that are still in service with the 5 crew positions you listed:

As noted in the comments, modern technology has made it possible for even large aircraft to be operated by just 2 pilots. The radio operator position is particularly hard to find still being used. You're looking for something both older and complex, maybe not even not technologically advanced for its time, that hasn't been made completely obsolete. That seems to be a specialty of Russian aircraft.

There are also military aircraft with crews of at least 5 but the extras are usually combat positions not directly related to the positions you list.

Notable mentions:

The E-3 has a flight crew of 4 but when flying missions some of the additional crew could be considered radio operators.

The P-3A mission crew of 12 includes the 5 positions listed. US Navy P-3Cs combined the navigation and radio functions. There are still some countries flying the P-3A. Other aircraft with similar missions from that era may include similar positions.

Community
  • 1
fooot
  • 72,860
  • 23
  • 237
  • 426
  • 3
    The An-225 is never going to fly again sadly, unless someone builds a new one from scratch (which doesn't seem likely). – dkwarr87 Jul 19 '23 at 11:03
  • @dkwarr87 Actually, there is a small chance that it will - there is a "half-built" hull already, though last touched quite some time ago, I believe. – MikeB Jul 20 '23 at 14:10
  • 1
    @dkwarr87 last year it was announced that there are plans to replace the An-225, probably by completing the second airframe that is still unfinished. There seem to be varying expectations of cost and schedule so we'll see if anything comes of it. – fooot Jul 20 '23 at 14:58
13

Older C-130's, the H models (with 4-blade props, distinct from the J-model Herks with 6 or 8-blade props) nominally have a crew of 5: 2 pilots, a flight engineer, a navigator, and a loadmaster. That will go up to 6, with 2 loadmasters, for airdrop or certain other missions. The aircraft can also be flown with just 4 - no navigator, but that's limited to fairly short flights, typically "beating up the pattern" for multiple approaches and landings for the pilots.

Once those airplanes are retired and the whole fleet is J-models, the engineers & the navigators will no longer be found in the C-130 community, other than a few special mission birds (i.e. gunships) that will still have navs in their mission crew.

Ralph J
  • 51,356
  • 17
  • 157
  • 249
  • 8
    I'm assuming you could also fly the aircraft without a loadmaster if it was empty? – DJClayworth Jul 18 '23 at 17:08
  • 6
    What makes loadmasters part of the crew in a way that cabin attendants aren't? Because otherwise the A380 is going to beat anything, with at least 23 crew when including flight attendants. – user1937198 Jul 19 '23 at 00:28
  • 2
    @user1937198 good point - the live-load tends to move around and do dumb stuff by choice, compared to cargo which should just stay put. Cabin crew are vital. – Criggie Jul 19 '23 at 02:52
  • 10
    Loadmasters had some duties that you couldn't avoid without rewriting various procedures. The LM closed the last door, because he was outside for engine start. And for certain landing gear malfunctions, the LM had a role nobody else was trained to do. So while you could rewrite things to get the plane in the air with no LM, you'd be open to some bad scenarios. – Ralph J Jul 19 '23 at 07:18
11

The Tupolev Tu-95MS strategic bomber is still in service with the Russian Aerospace Forces. It usually carries a crew of 6 to 7; pilot, co-pilot, flight engineer, communications system operator, navigator, tail gunner, plus sometimes another navigator. Source: Wikipedia.

A. I. Breveleri
  • 3,988
  • 1
  • 21
  • 23
9

B-52 has a crew of 5: pilot, copilot, navigator, weapon officer, and Electronic Warfare officer.

sophit
  • 11,796
  • 1
  • 28
  • 61
  • 3
    You don't need the weapons or EWO positions if you're just flying from one place to another. – Mark Jul 18 '23 at 23:14
  • You would have to have a pilot and a copilot as some controls can only be reached by one or the the other. – Jim Jul 19 '23 at 14:41
  • @Jim: yes sure, pilot and copilot. It would be nice to know if a B-52 was ever flown by one pilot only. – sophit Jul 19 '23 at 14:44
  • 6
    I worked on B52Gs. on those aircraft the copilots had the fuel, starters, generators, and landing gear, but the landing gear could be reached by the pilot as it was just over the throttle quadrant. The pilot had the hydraulics, lighting, anti ice. On long missions they would have an extra pilot sitting in the instructors seat just behind the throttle quadrant to give the pilot and copilot a break. The G models did not have a bunk, but if you were not too tall you could stretch out on the floor behind the IP seat. – Jim Jul 19 '23 at 14:57
  • @Jim: thanks – sophit Jul 19 '23 at 16:04
4

Older Il-76, crew of 5, though loadmaster is included into the crew, I believe

Severin Pappadeux
  • 211
  • 1
  • 4