You interpreted someone sharing what they do to prepare for an international trip as his opinion on how everyone should do it? It's not always about you, but in the case of incorrectly reading into things, it is

Fair enough. But I’m usually well below the pick up limit. You could still get a GS or pick up off the swap board. Even a month or two later, picking up an extra trip would make you whole for the year.

Man, I’d love to hear this story.

Your interpretation was not valid. At all. Don't put words in my mouth. I was talking about me and only me. In no way did I IMPLY that my methods for being ready for a trip should apply to anyone else. I'm not a doctor, and I know everyone has their own sleep patterns. I have found what works for me. You said "I'm just stating the facts". No. You were making a judgment. An incorrect one at that.

This made me laugh!! Sounds right...

New DALPA email out. Not accepting extension still going to require fatigued paperwork.

Kind of a bummer, it would've been nice to do away with the FRB when refusing an extension.

I don't know if it's training or individuals who think they're trying to save the world, but I always feel very heavy pressure in the moment to continue the operation regardless of circumstances. Dispatch, scheduling/tracking, gate agents, passengers, and sometimes even the other pilot can often apply direct or indirect pressure to tough it out and keep going. That said, I've fatigued out and sicked out mid-trip and I've never had an ounce of push back from the duty pilot and I've never had to explain my actions to a chief pilot. So yes, I feel like there is external (and maybe even internal) pressure to fly fatigued but when push comes to shove, I feel like Flight OPS has my back. Even if it didn't, I'd still owe it to myself, family, and passengers to make an unpopular decision when its the right one to make.

Exactly. I think for the vast majority of Delta Pilots the most pressure to press on is internal.

Scoop

Agreed. Look, I want to get Ma and Pa Kettle to Orlando. I really do. They saved their money, they booked their vacation, and they're counting on me. Here's the thing, though: they don't realize it, but what they're really counting on me to do is keep them alive. Sometimes I extend; sometimes I don't. If I don't think I'm 100% ready to do right by passengers, my family, and myself, I don't go.

And no one has ever taken me to task for calling it a day.

To add to that, it's not a Delta thing. That has been the case for every company I worked at. Most gate agents think we are under-worked, over paid, and treated like royalty by the company.

Their days are limited, so why should ours be? Once that door is closed, they assume everything will be just fine. They don't ever see the close call we had due to fatigue, the ASAP we had to write as a result, or the phone call with the chief pilot. From their point of view, the previous crew extended in a similar situation, so why can't you?

For me, it is a hell of a lot easier telling the gate agent, the passengers, the other pilot, or anyone in the OCC that I am fatigued than it is doing a carpet dance in the chief pilot's office or getting a phone call from the ALPA gate keeper due to FOQA data.