Pilot Napping - CNN
11-11-2009 | 12:24 PM
#42
Portuguese Troubleshooter
Joined: Aug 2007
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From: Burrito Bomber
This is not a "knee-jerk reaction". NASA did the study years ago, and by all accounts the data suggests that short naps improve pilot performance. We're talking about a 10-20 minute nap in cruise while the other pilot is monitoring and an alarm is set. This could be done with a kitchen timer.
It's a safety issue. For the price of a kitchen timer safety could be significantly improved. It doesn't mean that new duty time rules aren't required, but it would supplement them. No matter how the rules are changed there will be times when a short nap would be beneficial. I would like to have a procedure where I could take a nap legally in order to improve performance.
As a side note, this is not a case were a little is good and more is better. Once you enter the REM phase of sleep it is much more difficult to awaken and you will not feel as rested. All of us has experienced this at one time or another when we fall asleep for 45 minutes or an hour and have to wake up. You may feel disoriented and it takes a long time to feel rested, this would not be good and is why it's important to put an alarm in the cockpit.
It's a safety issue. For the price of a kitchen timer safety could be significantly improved. It doesn't mean that new duty time rules aren't required, but it would supplement them. No matter how the rules are changed there will be times when a short nap would be beneficial. I would like to have a procedure where I could take a nap legally in order to improve performance.
As a side note, this is not a case were a little is good and more is better. Once you enter the REM phase of sleep it is much more difficult to awaken and you will not feel as rested. All of us has experienced this at one time or another when we fall asleep for 45 minutes or an hour and have to wake up. You may feel disoriented and it takes a long time to feel rested, this would not be good and is why it's important to put an alarm in the cockpit.
For instance we had an FO who applied electical and hydrolic power to an aircraft that MX had left its gear handle up without doing an acceptance check. Most of us saw the pictures. Now our manuals are innundated with notes to make sure the gear handle is up. We don't need to be told that having the gear handle up on the ground is bad, I sure hope we all have the common sense to understand that. We just need to do our jobs correctly. Same thing with the Northwest pilots.
11-12-2009 | 09:09 PM
#43
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Joined: Jun 2007
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i wouldnt say so, maybe in large groups haha but not the crap that comes outa his mouth, every week in the usa today hes *****ing about us, general aviation, and having to give us any perk we deserve like rest or whatever.
i mean really, he blames ga for all the airline delays? and with buffalo nothing at all could possible wrong with the industry as a whole, i mean its all "industry standard" !
That would be interesting, yet not surprising.
11-13-2009 | 04:39 PM
#45
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 3,847
Likes: 9
i wouldnt say so, maybe in large groups haha but not the crap that comes outa his mouth, every week in the usa today hes *****ing about us, general aviation, and having to give us any perk we deserve like rest or whatever.
i mean really, he blames ga for all the airline delays? and with buffalo nothing at all could possible wrong with the industry as a whole, i mean its all "industry standard" !
i mean really, he blames ga for all the airline delays? and with buffalo nothing at all could possible wrong with the industry as a whole, i mean its all "industry standard" !
11-14-2009 | 08:17 PM
#46
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 187
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From: CL605 PIC
Kiddin'
11-15-2009 | 08:52 AM
#47
Portuguese Troubleshooter
Joined: Aug 2007
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From: Burrito Bomber
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