To follow up on a message I sent you about an hour ago. I sent an
email to a friend (Jay Apt) who did four shuttle missions. In his
reply he said that the commander of the shuttle sits in the left front
seat and physcially flies the spacecraft on descent and landing. The
"pilot" sits in the right seat and is effectively the copilot.

(Sounds like an "interesting" way of naming the positions to me.)

Another example of political correctness, no doubt. Airlines, as you
know, typically call the copilot a "first officer." Derived from the
nautical "first mate," I suppose.

vince norris