Rest Rules Delay and Cargo Cutout
 

Copied this from another forum (did not see it posted here. MODS please delete if its a duplicate post)

Article from WSJ, By ANDY PASZTOR

Last-minute lobbying of the White House by charter and cargo airlines has delayed—and could jeopardize—new regulations to combat pilot fatigue, according to industry officials.

A congressional funding fight halted work in late July on an unfinished FAA control tower at Oakland International Airport in California.

Issuing strict new rules to replace decades-old limits on pilot work hours and rest periods has been a top priority for the Federal Aviation Administration and its chief, Randy Babbitt. Until a few weeks ago, the FAA was on track to release the revamped rules by an Aug. 1 deadline mandated by Congress.

But the timing and details of an announcement are now up in the air, industry officials said, following direct appeals last Friday by representatives of charter and cargo carriers to the White House Office of Management and Budget, which is reviewing the proposal.

Release of the rules could be weeks or months away, according to industry officials and others familiar with the issues. Many charter and cargo airlines, which under the FAA's proposal would remain subject to the same pilot-fatigue rules as passenger carriers, object to tighter limits on maximum daily work hours and imposition of longer mandatory rest periods.

FAA efforts to keep tired pilots out of the cockpit were revved up following the 2009 crash of a Colgan Air turboprop near Buffalo, N.Y., which killed 50 people. Once investigators determined both pilots were sleep-deprived from long commutes on planes before starting work, Congress mandated tougher FAA rules on pilot fatigue and training.

Missing the Monday deadline sparked complaints from some safety experts, lawmakers, pilot union leaders and a group representing crash victims.

In a statement Tuesday, a spokeswoman said the FAA "is committed to ensuring that airline pilots are fit and rested when they report for duty," and is "working aggressively to complete a new pilot fatigue rule." She declined to elaborate.

A Department of Transportation spokeswoman declined to comment, and White House officials have a standing policy of refusing to discuss pending regulations.

Announced by the FAA in 2010 and based on advances in sleep research, the proposed package aims to base schedules and rest periods on variables such as time of day, as well as the number of takeoffs and landings pilots are scheduled to make during each work day.

The FAA's proposal sought to guarantee pilots at least nine hours of rest between shifts, instead of the eight currently mandated. Maximum work days, including tasks on the ground, generally would be restricted to 13 hours, rather than the current 16-hour limit. But commuter pilots who make multiple landings and takeoffs—particularly late at night or early in the morning—could have that work limit cut to nine hours.

Charter and cargo operators, which often fly long routes overnight and don't rely on predictable daily schedules used by nearly all passenger airlines, argue the changes would be expensive and eliminate necessary flexibility to transport commercial goods and even troops for the Pentagon. Some cargo carriers are pushing to be left out of the current regulations, or want the FAA to craft separate restrictions just for them.

Stephen Alterman, president of the Cargo Airline Association, said new rules "should be enacted at some point in some fashion." But he said the FAA wanted to stick with "a one size fits all" approach that fails to recognize that cargo carriers depend on "a completely different operating model" than passenger airlines.

As part of a stepped-up campaign against the proposal, other cargo-airline officials have enlisted the help of the Pentagon. To appease such concerns, according to industry and government officials, the FAA has reassured charter airlines that they could receive exemptions if the rules ended up adversely affecting flights carrying U.S. troops.

A spokesman for the National Air Carrier Association, some of whose members carry troops and military supplies, couldn't immediately be reached for comment on Tuesday. Earlier this year, the association tried but failed to get Congress to exempt such charter flights from pending FAA pilot-fatigue rules. At the time, the group's president said the proposed changes would have a "disastrous" economic impact on nonscheduled carriers, requiring a roughly 40% increase in the number of pilots on their payrolls.

In crafting its comprehensive proposal last year, the FAA sought to give airlines greater flexibility to allow pilots more hours on the clock, for example, in case of unexpected weather delays. Other parts of the proposal, envisioned to kick in by 2013, were intended to provide unions additional assurances that carriers would be required to establish realistic schedules for pilots. But from the beginning, representatives of cargo and charter carriers stressed that they weren't happy with the trade-offs, and some privately threatened to eventually file suit against the FAA.

The Air Transport Association, whose members account for 90% of U.S. cargo and passenger traffic, has objected to the proposal as overly restrictive and met with White House regulatory officials last week. But ATA also has privately signaled that, with some revisions, it could live with portions of the package, industry officials say. An ATA spokeswoman declined to comment.

The largest North American pilot union, a big supporter of the FAA's efforts, on Tuesday issued a statement expressing "serious concern" about what it called the White House's "unacceptable" role in delaying the announcement of the package.

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The White House's Office of Management and Budget can be contacted through an e-mail to the White House (choose 'transportation' as the subject).

Contact the White House | The White House

Sample message:

As a professional cargo pilot, I urge the White House's Office of Management and Budget to issue the new airline flight- and duty-time regulation and minimum rest requirements.

Congress mandated an August 1 deadline for the issuance of these important safety regulations. This delay places the safety of airline operations at risk. A cargo jet is no less dangerous when flying fatigued than is a passenger jet. Do not attempt to exempt certain pilots or companies simply based on what they are carrying in the cabin.

Already contacted the White House. During the crewroom meeting today, SS mentioned the possibility that they would send out a "call to action" regarding this.

sent my letter in. this is getting ridiculous

Did anyone really believe this stuff was going to happen as promised?? Perhaps we can get another "bridge" until this all gets sorted out:D........

Done......

Maybe we can work "AGE 70" into this legislation also!*? Because it would be the right thing to do? :eek::eek::eek:

That's a good idea...let's exempt charter pilots who carry our troops to/from the combat zones.

Talk about shooting yourself in the foot.

U.S. Senate: Senators Home

https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml

This is a complete surprise.

The U.S. Department of Transportation today revised the projected release date for pilot flight and duty rules—the new date is November 22, 2011.

What a joke!

The old saying" Money talks and Bull**** walks" comes to mind?

Another win for management! How long do we keep taking it in the shorts before we stand up for ourselves and as a collective and stop flying?

Management and corrupt politicians have scared us so bad into submission that just the mere idea of a collective stop-fly; will send the FBI to your front door, please! Sad part of it is that none of us (by us I mean the unions) have any balls organize collective walk-off!

The only way the climate will change and bring light to how far our profession has regressed, is by stop flying. When the cargo and passengers stop moving maybe we will have our issues brought to the fore front of conversation and actually start being heard. Otherwise all this (NPRM) is just a joke and not worth the paper the New Rules are written on!

It used to be referred to as a SOS (Suspension Of Service) in the halls of ALPA, the ultimate nuclear weapon ...

Only management is allowed to use nukes !

FedEx ALPA
 

Looks like it's time to open up SECs 4 and 25!

LOL. Indeed.

I'm sure this is a misprint. Nov 11, 2022 is probably more accurate.

you got a press release or official link to this?

The date came from a news item in the UPS pilot union's August 4th newsletter.

The only thing that will work is if everyone says enough is enough and stops work for 1 day. Or even 12 hours. All pilots passenger and cargo, charter and air traffic control. That would really get their attention. But it will never happen so stop dreaming. They will get their way they have more money and lobbyists.

Stop work:rolleyes: We can't even have some of the guys not working over time (JA/OPEN TIME) as it is. Airline pilots by vast majority are thier own worst enemy. The managment don't have to do much to us because we do enough damage by ourselves.:rolleyes:

I expected nothing other. ups, the thugs that they are probably threw millions of $$ to get this for the cargo side.

Remember you can't spell StUPid without ups!

So technically on MIA approach any given day we could have a properly rested flight crew flying in front of a not properly rested Cargo, Suplemental flight crew. Where is the safety enforced here? Could somebody enlight me?... Is having some pilots rested is safer than having all? I am getting old I can't differ anymore between good Good vs. Bad.

Muslim????

Matches the general tenor of his avatar.

Who are you referring to in the White House? What does it matter what religion he is? Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Buhdist, Hindu, etc. Someone who is for the people and by the people is what matters. IMHO, ofcourse.

Presumably if the flight time and duty regs change, for domestic and supplemental, there would be a need to recall some of the thousands of furloughed pilots and straight out hire some. Obama is out there on the road right now with his "jobs thing". We'll see how he balances that with the ATA visiting the White House. If this comes up in favor of the ATA, ET AL, I guess I'll be enjoying two more years of furlough/unemployment.

,,,,,,,,,,,

To some people it doesn't matter wether you're black white muslim jew
or a christian. bigot and ignorant can't differentiate when they've been blind folded all thier life with stupidity.

This may be the dumbest post of the year.....and that is sayin' sumthin...
:(

Why? The one he was responding to seemed slightly out there.

Really?? Why???

Nope. I think you beat it with that.

Whether you voted for the President or not...whatever your politics. He is the President and deserves some respect.... An using religion cheapens any argument. And the President is not a "Muslim".... Just the facts...

I reread the thread...must have missed what the response was to?

Sorry for the drift....resume the daily programming.

Age 70? That would be great! Who do I see to make that happen. Is there a PAC starting on this. Yea Baby! Extra cash in the bank before I have to retire!!!!!

Forget about labels for a second. No office confers respect, the only thing that deserves respect is performance. Just the facts...
Ipso facto. Nothing else ever really matters, and it just cheapens the argument to pretend it does.

Sorry...have to disagree with you. The office of the President deserves respect. Your chief pilot may be a D-bag but deserves a little respect. Or are you saying you would walk up to either one and be disrespectful? :confused: Somehow I don't see you walking up to your chief pilot and letting him know he was/is a D-bag....and I see that little scenario even less with the President.

So yes, the office deserves respect even if you don't like/disagree with the man currently holding it.

Just my 2 cents....and worth less

Exactly....

6, I agree with you.

I, for one, was missing me some latin and smugness. :)