[aeronautics] In commercial aviation, the first officer is the second pilot (also referred to as the `co-pilot`) of an aircraft. The first officer is second-in-command of the aircraft to the captain, who is the legal commander. In the event of incapacitation of the captain, the first officer will assume command of the aircraft. Control of t... Found on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_officer_(aeronautics)