Exhausted pilots reveal risky nodding off

[MrPink1911]

Exhausted pilots reveal risky nodding off

10:15 PM CST on Wednesday, November 8, 2006
By BYRON HARRIS / WFAA-TV

As passengers rest in their airline seats....

Careful who you give interviews to, Big Brother is watching.....

 

[yaya]

Reading all of this has made me sleepy.

The real eye-opener would be if we took a reporter as a ride-along for an entire 4 day trip. This would include:

1- The illegal parking scheme to save the fees from the hotel across the street from the airport.

2- The 3 hr commute in a CRJ going across 3 states trying to keep your feet off of the FMS.

3- The unending description of the daily lives of the four cats owned by your flight attendant. (One really used to be her ex-boyfriends but apparently he's gay now and she's stuck with the cat)

4- Waiting for a gate in EWR.

5- Waiting for the crew van for 40 minutes. (Three nights in a row.)

6- Thinking you are going to become injured or killed while riding in the crew van. (Thee nights in a row.)

7- Missing your wide open commute home because your waiting for a gate in EWR.

8- Getting bumped off every other flight that night that is oversold.

9- Spending the night on the crew couch.

10- Commuting home on Saturday in the same underwear you wore on Friday.

11- Coming home to be greeted by your wife and informed that you are never home, the furnace is broke, and there is no money to fix it.

The next day....do it all over again.

Not really, you choose to commute. Its a choice. Sounds like your wife has some good points.

 

[OPECJet]

I think these guys are being a bit too dramatic. Besides there should never be a pilot falling asleep at the controls. As a professional it is your duty to call in fatigued if your that tired. When the comair flights crashed people wanted it to be fatigue related so badly. It wasn't though, both pilots had adequate rest periods. If you do not get enough rest on reduced rest call in fatigued. It is your duty as a pilot. Instead of complaining on here and in the media you have to do something about it. If enough people do then maybe the schedules will have to change.

Just a little naive..... Doesn't work that way kid.......

 

[OPECJet]

Not really, you choose to commute. Its a choice. Sounds like your wife has some good points.

I get so sick of hearing this from you holier than thou, FOM banging, company man ass nuggets I could puke.

When an airline will guarantee that the domicile I'm based in won't close next month I might not have to commute.

Until then, YES, people are FORCED to commute. You are now free to roll that comment, and shove it up your jetpipe sideways.

 

[DrewBlows]

"If at any time during that trip they don't feel rested, they can tell that carrier," said Deborah McElroy, Regional Airline Association.

When a call is made, the pilot is called in to discuss the situation with management.

Gee wiz, I wonder why more people don't call in fatigued. It must be because no one is flying around fatigued.

 

[CA1900]

Not really, you choose to commute. Its a choice. Sounds like your wife has some good points.

Bite me. My last company closed five domiciles on me. Just how many times to you expect someone to move?

 

[yaya]

I get so sick of hearing this from you holier than thou, FOM banging, company man ass nuggets I could puke.

When an airline will guarantee that the domicile I'm based in won't close next month I might not have to commute.

Until then, YES, people are FORCED to commute. You are now free to roll that comment, and shove it up your jetpipe sideways.

Well, then, quit making fatigue about your commute. Because it has nothing to do with it. They are separate issues.

 

[DirkkDiggler]

I have had four domiciles in three years at my current company. I understand that people commute because they have to. However, when I commuted, I took it upon myself to make sure I was still fit for duty when I showed up for work. If I had ever felt like any fatigue as a result of my commute, I would have changed my commuting strategy. Commuting sucks, but you have a responsibility to take care of yourself and your passengers.

 

[DOVPILOT]

tomorrow is going to SUCK!"

I catch myself thinking this the night before I need to commute to work

wake up at 4am
catch the 6am
start my day at noon
sit at some God foresaken hell hole for 3-4.99 hours
fly some more
released at 2359

real safe to be up flying after being up for 20 hours straight

 

[IamHYPOXIC2]

"Was that for us?"

 

[southernpilot]

What are you guys complaining about? I make some of my best mistakes when I'm tired!

 

[OPECJet]

Well, then, quit making fatigue about your commute. Because it has nothing to do with it. They are separate issues.

Hablo Ingles por favor.......?

 

[no1pilot2000]

Safety first! If airline pilots need to complain about not getting the proper sleep between flights, it's their obligation to report this to management before a plane crashes and people die.

 

[DrewBlows]

Safety first! If airline pilots need to complain about not getting the proper sleep between flights, it's their obligation to report this to management before a plane crashes and people die.

Management makes the schedule and knows full well that fatigue is an issue. We just got a memo last month that said the dramatic increase in scheduled reduced rest over-nights was actually good for crews, because the alternative was stageing two crews at hotels and an increase of 24 hour-plus lay-overs. What they didn't mention was that it is good for the company, because they don't have to pay for more hotel rooms and per diem for over-nighting crews.

We can try to negotiate for better rest rules, but there will always be crap-hole companies who use the FAR limits (or close to them) to gain an advantage over the competition. Nothing will change until the FAA changes the rules, which won't happen without outside pressure (Congressional hearings, 60 Minutes reports, et cetera). I'm not holding my breath for that to happen.

 

[yaya]

Bite me. My last company closed five domiciles on me. Just how many times to you expect someone to move?

Bite yourself, you are a burden to your crew.