Delta receives approval to exceed pilot flight time limits.

[SlapShot]

I honestly think that the General has a bright future in management. He should be working in the crystal palace on the north side of ATL. He has the uncanny ability to put a positive spin on anything involving his company. Meanwhile if the exact same thing happens at any other airline, they are bringing down the industry.

Apparently what is good for the goose is only good for the goose. The gander is SOL.

 

[Occam's Razor]

Gents, (and SWA/FO) we're in fertile territory here.

1. Is it a good idea to extend the maximum period at the controls (pronounced, "eff - em -ess") for more than 8-hours in a duty period, even with a rest facility on board?

2. Did the FAA Administrator sign-off on this, or was it done by a POI lacking a clear understanding on the limits of his authority?

As we used to say in the old days: "Burners...tanks...armstrong!"

 

[JohnQ]

You spend the prosposed 17 hours in the plane and get back to us on it. I HAVE spent 18 hours on a plane (operating) and it stinks.

All I get out of your post is that you are never wrong. You can write your posts about how JetBlue guys are bringing down the industry and here you have a clear case of Delta doing the same (creating more productivity by extending FAA limits and reducing the number of pilots required). Why can't you see Delta's kinship with JetBlue on this one?

Let me ask you this. When you spent 18 hours on a plane, did you have a separate crew rest facility with two business class seats, two horizontal bunks, separate reading lights, curtains, a sink, and a dumb waiter?

We at DAL have ALL these things. I can assure you that the FOUR pilots (two of whom are always sleeping/on break) flying this leg are far more rested than any JB guy flying transcon turns, or any pilot flying redeyes in the middle of the night.

 

[Andy]

Put a fifth pilot on the friggin' flight. I can't believe that DALPA and ALPA are going to allow this.
What's next - an 8 1/2 nonstop without augmentation?
If DALPA agrees to this, the Pandora's Box will have been opened, never to be closed again.

If UAL ever tries to pull this, I will be at every union meeting violently opposing such a measure.

 

[Andy]

We at DAL have ALL these things. I can assure you that the FOUR pilots (two of whom are always sleeping/on break) flying this leg are far more rested than any JB guy flying transcon turns, or any pilot flying redeyes in the middle of the night.

Pandora's Box, pal. Open it and your worst nightmares will be unleashed. Just allow some twisted management puke 5 minutes to figure out how to manipulate this change and you'll see what I'm talking about.

 

[brainhurts]

DELTA SNEAKS IN FLIGHT TIMES CHANGES! PRICELESS!
John Q:
Let me ask you this. When you spent 18 hours on a plane, did you have a separate crew rest facility with two business class seats, two horizontal bunks, separate reading lights, curtains, a sink, and a dumb waiter?
We at DAL have ALL these things. I can assure you that the FOUR pilots (two of whom are always sleeping/on break) flying this leg are far more rested than any JB guy flying transcon turns, or any pilot flying redeyes in the middle of the night.
Holy Crap,
What a twist. Nice copywrite though. John, is there enough privacy to whack off?

 

[FDJ2]

Pot meet kettle,

- that's General kettle to you.

Not quite, but nice try.

Pilot unions "are very upset with the FAA" because there was no opportunity to formally comment on the decision, said Don Wykoff, a Delta captain and spokesman for the Air Line Pilots Association. The union "would have liked to have a second opinion" from another expert, he said.

Captain Wykoff, who heads the union's group analyzing flight time issues, said that while the FAA informed pilots about the change it didn't do enough to seek meaningful input from them. As carriers enter new territory with flights longer than 16 hours, he said, pilots should be given "more of an opportunity for dialogue."


Special overhead sleeping berths are available to provide rest for pilots and flight attendants.


The moves comes after years of work by the FAA and pilot groups to create a uniform set of enhanced maintenance, operational and equipment requirements for all jetliners flying long-distance routes. Those rules are expected to become final around the end of the year.

 

[brainhurts]

John Q:
"We at DAL have ALL these things."
I just like the way this sounded

 

[JohnQ]

DELTA SNEAKS IN FLIGHT TIMES CHANGES! PRICELESS!
John Q:
Let me ask you this. When you spent 18 hours on a plane, did you have a separate crew rest facility with two business class seats, two horizontal bunks, separate reading lights, curtains, a sink, and a dumb waiter?
We at DAL have ALL these things. I can assure you that the FOUR pilots (two of whom are always sleeping/on break) flying this leg are far more rested than any JB guy flying transcon turns, or any pilot flying redeyes in the middle of the night.
Holy Crap,
What a twist. Nice copywrite though. John, is there enough privacy to whack off?

Well I don't fly the 777, but when you are all alone on your break flying to Europe...who knows what goes on?

Look, there are two sides to this, and I am not even saying that the right decision is being made here. But you have to look at all sides. Believe it or not, I initially was somewhat sympathetic to the JB study, though I am not so much now. I can assure you that our safety and crew rest committees are all over this. Much goes on behind the scenes that speculators on anonymous message boards...hey they would be me!...are unaware of.

 

[mooney flier]

Correct me if I'm wrong but didn't the L-1011 fly ATL-HNL and FRA-DFW with just the standard crew, Capt., F/O, & S/O ?