Congress to Hold News Conference to Announce Air Safety Improvement 2:30EST

[BLUE BAYOU]

No crew rest requirement will change the fact that said F/O on Colgan flight commuted in from the west coast on a Redeye and worked the very same day. Maybe the next legislation is going to be living in base....

 

[Lear70]

No crew rest requirement will change the fact that said F/O on Colgan flight commuted in from the west coast on a Redeye and worked the very same day. Maybe the next legislation is going to be living in base....

Unlikely.

 

[ArmadilloJackal]

I listened to the webcast. The subcommittee is chartering a study of commuting for later review. It won't make this bill but they are going to gather research and look at it.

 

[jmreii]

It's better this way. You don't want congress making the rest rule changes, what the hell do they know about it? Nothing. There giving it to the FAA to make the right changes as it should be. More than likely they'll take care of all those duty hour regs and such that everyone wants. Hey I'm furloughed too and want to go back just as bad as the next guy out on the street, and so I'm glad the FAA is handling this and not the other way around. Tougher rest rules will require more staffing. If they implement new rules by the beginning of next summer, then the airlines will be forced to recall and have everyone trained BEFORE the rule is in place.

If you say so! how big a bonus you get joe, I got a whopper so dinner is on me.

sign

Management

 

[Nevets]

I listened to the webcast. The subcommittee is chartering a study of commuting for later review. It won't make this bill but they are going to gather research and look at it.

• (c) Effect of Commuting on Fatigue-

• • (1) IN GENERAL- Not later than 3 months after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall enter into appropriate arrangements with the National Academy of Sciences to conduct a study of the effects of commuting on pilot fatigue and report its findings to the Administrator.

• • (2) STUDY- In conducting the study, the National Academy of Sciences shall consider--

• • • (A) the prevalence of pilot commuting in the commercial air carrier industry, including the number and percentage of pilots who commute;

• • • (B) information relating to commuting by pilots, including distances traveled, time zones crossed, time spent, and methods used;

• • • (C) research on the impact of commuting on pilot fatigue, sleep, and circadian rhythms;

• • • (D) commuting policies of commercial air carriers (including passenger and all-cargo air carriers), including pilot check-in requirements and sick leave and fatigue policies;

• • • (E) post-conference materials from the Federal Aviation Administration's June 2008 symposium entitled `Aviation Fatigue Management Symposium: Partnerships for Solutions';

• • • (F) Federal Aviation Administration and international policies and guidance regarding commuting; and

• • • (G) any other matters as the Administrator considers appropriate.

• • (3) PRELIMINARY FINDINGS- Not later than 120 days after the date of entering into arrangements under paragraph (1), the National Academy of Sciences shall submit to the Administrator its preliminary findings under the study.

• • (4) REPORT- Not later than 6 months after the date of entering into arrangements under paragraph (1), the National Academy of Sciences shall submit to the Administrator a report containing its findings under the study and any recommendations for regulatory or administrative actions by the Federal Aviation Administration concerning commuting by pilots.

• • (5) RULEMAKING- Following receipt of the report of the National Academy of Sciences under paragraph (4), the Administrator shall--

• • • (A) consider the findings and recommendations in the report; and

• • • (B) update, as appropriate based on scientific data, regulations required by subsection (a) on flight and duty time.

• • (6) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS- There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out this subsection.

 

[BlackPilot628]

If everyone is going to be required to have an ATP, you would have think they would have touched on the pay issue.

 

[ArmadilloJackal]

The pay question was raised by a member of the press. The answer was that Congress doesn't legislate pay directly but that with the ATP requirement market forces will bring the pay up. They also made a comment that low pay has deterred qualified pilots from the industry, and that it needs to change.

 

[NEDude]

I still fail to see how they could regulate commuting other than (God forbid) to take away the jumpseat.

But that does not take away pass riding or driving long distances. Even if there was some way to regulate that a pilot "live" within a certain distance of their base, crashpad addresses, or a friends address could skirt around that.

And how are you going to regulate compensating someone who has to live in New York City?

I just do not think it is feasable or practical.

 

[lionflyer]

I still fail to see how they could regulate commuting other than (God forbid) to take away the jumpseat.

But that does not take away pass riding or driving long distances. Even if there was some way to regulate that a pilot "live" within a certain distance of their base, crashpad addresses, or a friends address could skirt around that.

And how are you going to regulate compensating someone who has to live in New York City?

I just do not think it is feasable or practical.

Exactly! It will probably be swept under the rug when they find out:
1. How many commuters there are in the system.
2. How difficult it will be to regulate it.

 

[ACL65PILOT]

If anything they will not get rid of commuting, they will jet require a "rest" period in domicile prior to report. It sucks, but this is what happens when you let congress get their hands in to your industry. They do it to the truckers, etc. 10 hrs max duty. Max 500 miles a day, Only one gas fill up a day. That is why most truckers have two sets of books. One for them and one for the feds.
It is the only way they survive.

Like last time with age 65. The FAA will rush to beat congress to the punch on this regulation. I am happy to see that at least congress is not pushing for specifics, but letting the FAA do their job. That is an impressive first.

I do not see them tackling commuting yet. Rest and Duty day yes.
IMHO I do not think that they can contribute the BUF crash to commuting. It was total lack of SA, and even poorer training. When reading the CVR transcripts and watching the data stream, it appeared to me that the FO reacted as one would in a go around, not an upset recovery. That is not commuting, that is improper training which should have been rote by the time any of us got to the airlines.