In aviation, a flight engineer (also referred to as systems operator ) is a member of the aircrew of an aircraft who is responsible for checking the aircraft before and after each flight, and for monitoring aircraft systems during flight. These systems include pressurization, fuel, environmental, hydraulic, and electrical. On some military aircraft (eg. C-20 Gulfstream III and C-37 Gulfstream V) the flight engineer will perform a full preflight inspection. In civil operations and some military aircraft the flight engineer sits behind the pilot and co-pilot in the cockpit, facing a side panel of gauges and indicators. In other military aircraft, flight engineers sit between the pilots (P-3 Orion and C-130H). And on Tupolev Tu-134, the flight engineer sits in the nose of the aircraft. The flight engineer is the aircraft systems expert onboard and responsible for troubleshooting and suggesting solutions to in-flight emergencies, as well as computing takeoff and landing data. Aviation refers to flying using aircraft, machines designed by humans for atmospheric flight. ... Aircrew members may include pilots, flight attendants, flight engineers, navigators, Taccos, signallers, observers, (air) gunners, weapons specialists, loadmasters and various electronics system operators depending on the age during which the aircraft operated and the type of operations. ... An Airbus A380, currently the worlds largest airliner An aircraft is any vehicle or craft capable of atmospheric flight. ... Flight is the process by which a heavier-than-air animal or object achieves sustained movement either through the air by aerodynamically generating lift or aerostatically using buoyancy, or movement beyond earths atmosphere, in the case of spaceflight. ... The C-20 Gulfstream is the military designation of the commercial Gulfstream bizjets used by the US military forces. ... The C-37 is a twin jet-engined aircraft of USAF and a variant of the Gulfstream V. // Mission The C-37A is a twin-engine, turbofan aircraft acquired to fill the worldwide special air missions for high-ranking government and Defense Department officials. ... A cockpit was a pit used for cockfighting, where owners would pit fighting birds against each other for the purpose of gambling. ... The Lockheed P-3 Orion is a maritime patrol aircraft of the United States military used primarily for maritime patrol, reconnaissance, and anti-submarine warfare. ... The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is a four-engine turboprop cargo aircraft and the main tactical airlifter for military forces worldwide. ... Tupolev (Russian: Туполев) is a Russian aerospace and defence company. ... An Aeroflot Tu-134 sits on the tarmac The Tupolev Tu-134 was a Russian twin-engined airliner, similar to the American Douglas DC-9. ... A Ryanair Boeing 737 takes off from Bristol International Airport, England Takeoff is the phase of flight where an aircraft transitions from moving along the ground (taxiing) to flying in the air (see flight), usually on a runway. ... Mytravel Airbus A320 landing Landing is the last part of a flight, where a flying animal or aircraft returns to the ground. ...

The advent of computer technology and the glass cockpit has eliminated the requirement for flight engineers on modern airliners. However, older aircraft (that still fly today) such as the Boeing 747-100, -200, and -300, Boeing 727, Lockheed L-1011, and McDonnell Douglas DC-10 still require flight engineers. Newer aircraft monitor systems automatically, by computer, and report malfunctions directly to the pilot-in-command and the copilot. A Glass cockpit is an aircraft cockpit that features electronic instrument displays. ... The Boeing 747, commonly called a Jumbo Jet, is among the most recognizable jet airliners and is the largest passenger airliner in service. ... The Boeing 727 is a mid-size, single-aisle (narrow-body) commercial jet airliner. ... The Lockheed L-1011 TriStar, commonly referred to as just L-1011 (pronounced ell-ten-eleven), was the third widebody passenger jet airliner to enter operation, following the Boeing 747 and the McDonnell Douglas DC-10. ... The McDonnell Douglas DC-10 is a three-engined medium to long-range widebody airliner, with two engines mounted on underwing pylons and a third engine at the base of the vertical stabilizer. ...

Some air transport organizations refer to the flight engineer as a Second officer if he or she is also a pilot. On many commercial airliners, the flight engineer is third in command, after the Captain and First Officer, and it is not the most senior member of the Cabin Crew. A Second Officer usually refers to the third in the line of command for a flight crew on a commercial or non-military aircraft. ...

Link: Denny Harmon, THE HISTORY OF THE AMERICAN FLIGHT ENGINEER. http://denny-soaring.blogspot.com/2006/11/american-flight-engineer.html