Boeing 777 Pilot Dies During Flight

right, Region.

http://www.jalcrew.jp/jfu/english/b747-400/3man01.htm

In 1931, the first regulation concerning crew complement was established in the United States. It required a co-pilot to be aboard transport airplanes with a gross weight of over 15,000 pounds or over 15 passengers.
By 1933, as the two man crew complement became common with the introduction of the B-247 and DC-2, it became customary to have on board maintenance crew for inflight repairs and maintenance at airports in remote locations.

We're a huge country with a small population.

Some regional flights occur with six seaters, some with eight.

Both occasionally have a single pilot, both occasionally have two pilots.

The Kangaroo Island, Riverland and some Mt Gambier flights sometimes have one pilot. I am sure there are others that do.

I used to have to do the Riverland flight for work.

The pilot checked the tickets, loaded the aircraft, and flew it.

One flight we had to stop mid-taxi. The wings of that particular aircraft had luggage lockers.

One of my colleagues looked out the window just as we reached near take-off speed, (heavy briefcase) and noticed that her briefcase was still sitting on the wing.

We stopped, the pilot ran out, stowed the briefcase, leaped into the plane, and took off like a bat out of hell.

According to ABC news this morning, FAA regulations require every flight over 8 hours long to have a relief pilot on them.

And a relief pilot is not the same as a co-pilot so such flights end up with three pilots not two.

Seems, it can be ... well, quite exciting.