Pilot Lifestyle Under Threat

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Although I don't disagree with you, I heard on the news that she had texted her friends saying that she was tired and felt like she should call in sick. So, in her own words, she wasn't rested.
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Quote: Although I don't disagree with you, I heard on the news that she had texted her friends saying that she was tired and felt like she should call in sick. So, in her own words, she wasn't rested.
But the tired part is absolutely, to the letter, the same thing she could be texting after the first leg of a six leg day in the northeast after having just come off of a reduced rest layover with a late hotel van, needed to get food, etc. Sick is different but the rest rules often give opportunity for about as much sleep as she got on the commute and not much more.

I agree though, the flying sick part and the sneezing on the transcript is indicative of a massive sick leave problem at Colgan (and the same could be said about other airlines).
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Quote: Would it be out of place to expect that the airlines would have a "sleep room" set aside - maybe a room off of the crew room where pilots could get a quality nap?
Thats a great idea.

Now you have multiple issues to deal with.

1) Get management to contact whoever runs the space to expand the crewroom for this purpose. Bear in mind, it may not be there, the space that is.

2) It will cost money. Why would management want to spend that money? Or, make the existing crewroom smaller t partition it for a quiet area. If you've seen some crewrooms, there are already small enough. Trying to ensure the area is actually quiet enough to get rest is whole other issue. The crewroom in my domicile has a "quiet" area next to the regular area, it's not so quiet.

3) You have to trust the pilots to take care of the area, or have somebody manage/take care of the area. Again, why would management want this additional cost? As far as trusting pilots, most can be responsible, many can not. Somebody is going to screw it up and ruin the privilege for everybody else. This kind of thing happens ALL THE TIME.
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Quote: Would it be out of place to expect that the airlines would have a "sleep room" set aside - maybe a room off of the crew room where pilots could get a quality nap? I've seen this type of operation in the military before. When I was in Kuwait back in 2003 during the summer time - it was nearly impossible to get a good day's rest in the unairconditioned general purpose tents with temperatures reaching over 100 degrees. Eventually they set up an air conditioned crew rest tent.

I agree that flying fatigued is a safety hazard - but not every mishap can be pinned on fatigue either. I'm glad they (NTSB) are looking at it but from reading the transcript they seemed alert (meaning not sleepy) but they had a breakdown in basic airwork.

USMCFLYR
Eagle has "dark rooms". If only they would put a few real pillows or blankets in it. It gets hard to sleep in a 65 degree room with an airline blanket. A few cots would be nice too. Those chairs seem to like to tip over mid-nap.
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Getting sleep on an airplane IS NOT quality rest. That is why the FAA and the DOD does not constitute it as rest. In short, the noises and vibrations keeps a person from enterring the normal rem and deep sleep cycles.

I've flown airplanes which had bunks installed. And even then, assuming I actually fell asleep, I always woke up feeling bad because the quality of sleep wasn't good.

If she was rested, then she probably wouldn't have been texting about how she was tired.
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[quote=dojetdriver;610243]

Quote:
1) Get management to contact whoever runs the space to expand the crewroom for this purpose. Bear in mind, it may not be there, the space that is.
Yes - this would require investment. If there isn't space you may have to carve it out. That is what we did.

Quote:
2) It will cost money. Why would management want to spend that money? Or, make the existing crewroom smaller t partition it for a quiet area. If you've seen some crewrooms, there are already small enough. Trying to ensure the area is actually quiet enough to get rest is whole other issue. The crewroom in my domicile has a "quiet" area next to the regular area, it's not so quiet.
See above answer. If there gets to be enough pressure - it may be the most logical step. Why did the military give up the space and foot the bill for the extra air conditioned tent? Like I said - investment.

Quote:
3) You have to trust the pilots to take care of the area, or have somebody manage/take care of the area. Again, why would management want this additional cost? As far as trusting pilots, most can be responsible, many can not. Somebody is going to screw it up and ruin the privilege for everybody else. This kind of thing happens ALL THE TIME.
LIke many of the signs say around our spaces. Clean up after yourself. A little self-discipline and self-policing will go along way. Who is going to clean it should be be an insurrmountable problem for a bunch of "professionals"

From earlier posts - it sounds like some airlines alreay do this. I'm glad.

USMCFLYR
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Quote: Yes - this would require investment. If there isn't space you may have to carve it out. That is what we did.

See above answer. If there gets to be enough pressure - it may be the most logical step. Why did the military give up the space and foot the bill for the extra air conditioned tent? Like I said - investment.
All I can say is, when you transition to the civilian world, and it's an airline, you'll be surprised about what makes sense and it logical to us, is not the same as how management sees it.

Quote: LIke many of the signs say around our spaces. Clean up after yourself. A little self-discipline and self-policing will go along way. Who is going to clean it should be be an insurrmountable problem for a bunch of "professionals"

From earlier posts - it sounds like some airlines alreay do this. I'm glad.

USMCFLYR
Yep, sounds simple enough, doesn't it? See above, you'll be surprised how things/people behave in this job.
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Or... simply a new FAR that can prevent a 16hr duty day with 7 legs, 8hrs block time, 2 3hr layovers and 4 30min turn arounds all in one day. Maybe something in the line of no more then 1.5hr between flights scheduled and 14hr duty day.
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Quote: Or... simply a new FAR that can prevent a 16hr duty day with 7 legs, 8hrs block time, 2 3hr layovers and 4 30min turn arounds all in one day. Maybe something in the line of no more then 1.5hr between flights scheduled and 14hr duty day.
No need to go that complex, simply shorten the maximum duty day allowed, and lengthen the minimum "rest" period.
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Quote: No need to go that complex, simply shorten the maximum duty day allowed, and lengthen the minimum "rest" period.
It really would be nice to see that happen, but just like everything in aviation there would be an almost uneven trade off. Like pay. They would have to pay us less and hire more people. Bad for us, good for management. Never the other way around. I think it is one of the laws of physics or something.
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