Definition
A flight crew member who travels as a passenger on a flight, either to position for an upcoming assignment or to return home after one. The crew member is on duty and being paid, but is not operating the aircraft.
Plain English
A pilot or flight attendant riding along as a passenger so the airline can get them to where they need to be for their next flight, or back home after finishing a trip.
Context Anchor
Seen in airline, charter, and crew scheduling operations when crews are being moved between airports.
Derivation
From the old transport-industry use of 'deadhead,' meaning a vehicle moving without paying cargo or passengers — it carries only itself. Applied to crew, it means the person is being moved without working the flight.
Why Pilots Care
Deadhead time counts toward duty limits and affects fatigue, pay, and scheduling decisions.
Intuition Check
“Deadhead” does not mean a dead engine or an unsafe aircraft. In this context, it means a crewmember or company employee riding as a passenger instead of working the flight.
Example Sentence 1
The first officer deadheaded from Denver to Seattle to pick up an evening departure.
Example Sentence 2
The captain deadheaded home on a red-eye after his last trip canceled.