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Third officer is a rarely usedcivil aviation rank. It was primarily used byPan Am,[1] particularly on itsClippers flying boats during the infancy of extended range airline routes. The third officer would serve as arelief pilot andaircrew member, and could move between pilot,co-pilot, radio officer, andflight engineer positions to provide a rest period for the primary crews.
The position of third officer is rare in modern civil aviation. Modern airliners only require two pilots, the captain and thefirst officer.[2] Whererelief crew are required forlong haul flights, additional captains and first officers will be carried. Junior first officers undergoing training are sometimes known assecond officers.