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FAA’s new rules aim to prevent airline pilots from flying while dangerously fatigued
New Rules for Pilot Fatigue (www.washingtonpost.com) More...Sort type: [Top] [Newest]
Well, I think TOLERATE is the key here. I know when they redid the HOS for truck drivers a few years ago, it was a heck of an adjustment, both for the companies and drivers, not to mention shippers. The Airlines have 2 years to get it implemented. Trucklines woke up one morning and "whoop, dere it was."(we had time to get ready for it but it was industry wide on the same day). You are correct in that life happens in the daytime, especially if you have kids involved. My son works in night and weekend dispatch, pulling a 12 on Saturday and Sunday nights, doing 8 on Thursday and Friday, and he is always up by at least noon on Saturday, then pretty much sleeping all day Sunday to catch up. One size in this thing will not fit all, but at least it's a start and brings some recognition to the problem.
Well, again I may piss some people off, BUT, maybe there should be some distinction between Cargo and PAX pilots. Probably the only mitigating factor here, if there is one, is that a majority, not all, are flying at night, not changing around shifts day & nite like say, a regional pilot. AND, while there are surely exceptions, most are flying one run or turn per day and not subject to the rigors of a 16 hour stand up in some crew hole. Now there will be plenty of exceptions, but it may be, for the benefit of both pilots and companies, that the cargo folks need to be looked at separately as this issue is not a one size fits all.Individuals are all different and 2 hrs in a crew hole somewhere does not give much rest between flights.
I agree, 10 hours includes getting out of the airport, checking into the hotel plus driving, subway or if its right on the field. And also getting back to the airport by 5am for example. With jet lag included, best case would be about 7-8 hours? I still think we can do better than that. Not to mention with the commuting factor, living near hubs as a regional pilot is expensive, cities like Chicago, Houston, LA, Newark, etc, so this extra time wont help those who have to fly to their hubs.
There should be no distinction between passenger ops. vs cargo ops. If the Buffalo accident had been a "feeder flight" for either FedEx or UPS, would that have mattered? It still went down in a neighborhood. The rule change is good, but doesn't go far enough. Part 135 crews, still get, a "reduceable rest period". If 121 all freight or 135 crews are so great at not ever being fatigued, then I guess they are the best, safest crews. Yet again, the FAA has shown, they don't care or protect the crews, just the pax's. Cope a clue, if you protect the crews, it protects the pax's/cargo. The crew is always the first one's to arrive at the scene of an accident. Instead of "different" levels of safety, why isn't there ONE level of safety? FAA...Fail.
Interesting the distinction between passenger pilots and freight pilots.
This could be a bad trend I believe; sepereate rules for cargo airlines and passenger airlines. Given that a flight carrying 300 passengers has much more lose than a flight full of flowers, does making the distrinction bode well for pilot fatigue? Are cargo pilots that much better at fighting fatigue? Are they use to flying at night without sleep? Are they any less human? (don't answer that)
Overall, I agree with the changes. I think the distinction is stupid however.
This could be a bad trend I believe; sepereate rules for cargo airlines and passenger airlines. Given that a flight carrying 300 passengers has much more lose than a flight full of flowers, does making the distrinction bode well for pilot fatigue? Are cargo pilots that much better at fighting fatigue? Are they use to flying at night without sleep? Are they any less human? (don't answer that)
Overall, I agree with the changes. I think the distinction is stupid however.
http://flightaware.com/squawks/link/1/24_hours/popular/23803/UPS_Pilots_File_An_Appeals_Challenge_To_FAA_Final_Flight_Duty_Rule
As one who has worked swings and nights for coming on 10 years, I can say you learn to tolerate it but never conquer it. Life happens in the daytime and I often went several days on 3-4 hours a night. Id imagine this is a typical story. I'd like to believe the same isn't true for cargo pilots.