1.
co-pilot; first officer; second-in-command pilot of an aircraft
The pilot who assists and serves under the captain on the flight deck. In commercial aviation the 副操縦士 is the licensed pilot who occupies the right-hand seat, shares flying duties with the 機長 ('captain'), and is qualified to take over the controls if needed. English 'first officer' and 'co-pilot' both correspond to this term.
Compound of 副 ('assistant; deputy; vice-'), 操縦 ('piloting; operating'), and 士 ('-ist; licensed practitioner'). Literally 'deputy pilot'.
Usage
- Standard term in Japanese aviation, used in official contexts such as airline documents, news reports, and air-traffic recordings.
- The counterpart is 機長 ('captain'). During flight, the two form a pair referred to collectively as 乗務員のコックピットクルー or simply パイロット.
- In casual speech, パイロット is often used without distinguishing rank; 副操縦士 is preferred when rank is relevant.
Common collocations
- 副操縦士を務める: to serve as co-pilot
- 機長と副操縦士: captain and first officer
- 副操縦士席: co-pilot's seat
- 副操縦士に昇格する: to be promoted to co-pilot
- ベテランの副操縦士: veteran first officer
Similar words
- 機長: captain — the pilot in command, seated on the left.
- パイロット: pilot — loanword; a general cover term that does not specify rank.
- 操縦士: pilot — the formal Japanese word for a licensed pilot of any aircraft; 副操縦士 is its deputy counterpart.
- 航空機関士: flight engineer — a third flight-deck crew member on older aircraft; rare on modern two-person cockpits.