In aviation, the first officer (FO), also called co-pilot, is a pilot in addition 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. Requirement. Historically, large aircraft had several personnel on the flight deck, such as a navigator, a flight engineer, and a dedicated radio operator. Improvements in automation and reliability have reduced this to two. Many aircraft require a minimum of two flight crew. The minimum crew requirement will be stated in the aircraft manuals by the manufacturer.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_officer_(aviation)