What is "third officer"

n. A relief aircrew member, often used on long-distance flights.

Third officer is a lesser used civil aviation rank. It was primarily used by Pan American World Airways, particularly on its " Clippers" during the infancy of extended range airline routes. The third officer served as a relief pilot and aircrew member and could move between pilot, co-pilot, radio officer, and flight engineer positions to provide a rest period for the primary crews (Flying The World In Clipper Ships). Third officers in modern civil aviation are often not formally titled as such. Rather, these relief pilots take on a junior first officer rank or in some cases a second officer rank.

Third officer may refer to:

• Third officer (aeronautics), a rarely used rank in civil aviation companies
• Third mate, a merchant marine rank
• A rank in the Women's Royal Naval Service corresponding to sub-lieutenant in the Royal Navy
• A rank in the Air Transport Auxiliary corresponding to pilot officer in the Royal Air Force
• The third-highest rank in some pre-war British fire brigades