Go Back  Airline Pilot Central Forums > Airline Pilot Forums > Regional
WSJ - Changes coming to commuter schedules >

WSJ - Changes coming to commuter schedules

Notices
Regional Regional Airlines

WSJ - Changes coming to commuter schedules

Old 08-05-2009, 11:14 AM
  #1  
Gets Weekends Off
Thread Starter
 
Joined APC: May 2007
Position: CFI
Posts: 416
Default WSJ - Changes coming to commuter schedules

The story flashed across the screen on CNBC not too long ago. Randy Babbitt told the WSJ that major changes were coming regional pilot schedules in an effort to reduce fatigue. I went to the site and saw the breaking news banner, but found no story as of yet.

Business News & Financial News - The Wall Street Journal - WSJ.com
Whacker77 is offline  
Old 08-05-2009, 11:48 AM
  #2  
Line Holder
 
hdale's Avatar
 
Joined APC: Jan 2008
Position: 737 RIGHT SEAT
Posts: 92
Default

Originally Posted by Whacker77 View Post
The story flashed across the screen on CNBC not too long ago. Randy Babbitt told the WSJ that major changes were coming regional pilot schedules in an effort to reduce fatigue. I went to the site and saw the breaking news banner, but found no story as of yet.

Business News & Financial News - The Wall Street Journal - WSJ.com
Try this link: FAA Chief Vows Rewrite of Pilot-Safety Rules - WSJ.com
hdale is offline  
Old 08-05-2009, 11:51 AM
  #3  
Gets Weekends Off
 
Joined APC: Nov 2008
Posts: 299
Default

WASHINGTON—Federal Aviation Administration chief Randy Babbitt, in his most detailed comments yet about combating pilot fatigue, vowed to tailor future regulations to better reflect the safety challenges facing commuter pilots.
In a speech to the country's largest commercial-pilot union, the agency's administrator said the current "one size fits all" regulations don't adequately take into account fatigue typically experienced by commuter pilots, some of whom fly five or more segments per day.
"It's absolutely unsafe to think," Mr Babbitt said, that such cockpit crews can fly as many hours or stay on duty for as long as pilots who may fly one long-range and execute a single landing route during the same day.
Mr. Babbitt's comments indicate that the FAA, as part of its proposed sweeping rewrite of crew-scheduling rules, wants to mandate that commuter pilots get more rest, while probably allowing longer workdays on some long-range flights.
Mr. Babbitt blasted the current rules as dating from "the propeller era."
And in a pointed reference to complaints by airline-industry groups that the FAA is moving too fast in this area, the FAA chief vowed to continue pushing for accelerated effort. If labor and carrier representatives fail to reach consensus on scheduling-rule changes, he said, "we will close the gap and we will have a rule."

Sounds like a lot of tough talk. I'll believe it when I get calls from friends on their third 10+ hour overnight in a row...
Theonemarine is offline  
Old 08-05-2009, 11:53 AM
  #4  
Gets Weekends Off
 
shimmydamp's Avatar
 
Joined APC: Jul 2007
Posts: 202
Default

Here is a link to Babbitt's address at the ALPA Air Safety Forum.

Speech
shimmydamp is offline  
Old 08-05-2009, 02:01 PM
  #5  
Gets Weekends Off
 
Joined APC: Jun 2009
Position: http://rahcontractnow.org/
Posts: 206
Default

Didn't Babbitt just tell the press within the last week that change is not needed.. that the current rules are fine?
StrikeTime is offline  
Old 08-05-2009, 03:38 PM
  #6  
Gets Weekends Off
 
Joined APC: Nov 2008
Posts: 299
Default

Originally Posted by StrikeTime View Post
Didn't Babbitt just tell the press within the last week that change is not needed.. that the current rules are fine?
No, he said that government regulation would not be needed. That the FAA could take care of these problems in house. How much of that you believe is up to you...
Theonemarine is offline  
Old 08-05-2009, 03:51 PM
  #7  
Gets Weekends Off
 
Rightseat Ballast's Avatar
 
Joined APC: Oct 2005
Position: E170/175 CA
Posts: 334
Default

So if the regional airlines order more Q400's, does that mean we get to keep our "propeller era" regulations? Didn't the accident at the root of all this involve a prop?
Rightseat Ballast is offline  
Old 08-05-2009, 04:31 PM
  #8  
Gets Weekends Off
 
contrail67's Avatar
 
Joined APC: Oct 2006
Position: 737
Posts: 590
Default

The new rules will not only go into play for the regionals...although they will be the ones most effected by them.
contrail67 is offline  
Old 08-05-2009, 05:03 PM
  #9  
Gets Weekends Off
 
Joined APC: Feb 2008
Posts: 161
Default

Originally Posted by StrikeTime View Post
Didn't Babbitt just tell the press within the last week that change is not needed.. that the current rules are fine?
He said you can't "simply raise the hours" and expect to fix the issue.
Clocks is offline  
Old 08-05-2009, 05:15 PM
  #10  
Gets Weekends Off
 
Joined APC: Jan 2009
Position: 737 Left
Posts: 1,824
Default Raising hours

You can't just raise hours and expect everything to be o.k. Our industry needs to realize that, unless we do something about this ourselves, we will wind up with increased governmental regulation that will only assist in furthering the demise of the airline industry. We need to self regulate or self repair.
AtlCSIP is offline  
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
APM145
Regional
7
05-22-2009 04:01 PM
CaribPilot
Regional
9
08-27-2008 04:23 AM

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On


Thread Tools
Search this Thread
Your Privacy Choices