/ TURBINE PILOT / Moving to two-crew Learning the flight deck division of labor BY ROB MARK PILOTS EARN THEIR certificates once they truly understand the magic of how an aircraft flies, whether they're flying on instruments, towing banners, flying multiengine or turbine aircraft, or even helicopters or seaplanes. Understanding that magic is what transforms once land-bound folks into real aviators, men and women who understand that real pilots in command keep the airplane, their resources, and the safety of their passengers or cargo in balance all the time, especially when things go south unexpectedly. If only a pilot had a little help now and again. The idea of another pilot in the cockpit sounded interesting to me when I was hand-flying a Piper Navajo Chieftain around mostly by myself. Then my flying life began to change. After completing a couple of classroom training sessions and a few bumps and jumps to meet FAR 61.55, I was invited to fly right seat in a Cessna Citation II part-time for a small Chicago company. The other guy did most of the flying while I worked the radios and kept track of our position using an endless stream of PHOTOGRAPHY BY MIKE FIZER T-4 AOPA PILOT / December 2023