Sleeping in the cockpit

[Edward Summer]

Another question of curiousity...

Is is often that flight crews take "cat naps" while enroute (or during any other phase of flight) whether it be part 91, 121, 135?

I flown with guys and instructors who would fall asleep and I'd swear they were suffering from nacolepsy (sp?).

Thanks for any replies...
ZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Ed

 

[dsee8driver]

Never....

Often we have 16 and sometimes longer duty days specialy in International routes. Sleeping in the cockpit is not allowed. We do often lay back and study the light patterns of the overhead during various degrees of eyelid closure.

 

[T1bubba]

Check out this site for more than you ever wanted to know about flying and sleep:

http://olias.arc.nasa.gov/zteam/

In one study on planned naps, the control group of long-haul pilots (who were told not to sleep) had several folks nod off despite being hooked up to all kinds of sensors and having two researchers watching.

T1bubba

 

[Fr8Dog]

I have never actually fallen asleep while I have been flying, but I will admit to watching the backs of my eyelids in a reclined position. I have seemed to get the timing just right because a couple of weeks ago early in the morning I decided to stop watching my eyelids 15 miles before my destination airport, after perfectly timing the eyelid watching for about 150 miles!!! Good thing I knew the approach freaq of the destanation airport.

 

[AZaviator]

Is is often that flight crews take "cat naps" while enroute (or during any other phase of flight) whether it be part 91, 121, 135?

I've seen it happen, from the comfort of a jumpseat. About two years ago I was jumpseating on a red eye flight out of Las Vegas. After climbout, the Captain looked over to the FO and said, "take 15 mins." and the FO reclined his seat back and proped his feet on the console and dozed off for a little bit.

After about 15mins, the FO woke back up, and the Captain took a short nap. I found it rather humorous. I had never seen it before.

 

[flyboy]

Some aren't just sleeping. When I'm cleaning the overnight aircraft I find all types of literature in the cockpit. Everything from nudy magazines to the Times to Golf Digest. You name it, I've probably seen it. I can't blame them for sleeping or reading (hopefully that's all that is going on). While running the same route day in and day out things have to get old.

 

[waka]

Sleep in the cockpit? Are you nuts?



Why sleep in the cockpit when you can go to the back and make a very comfy hammock out of a cargo net? If you're lucky, there will be just enough turbulence to set a rocking motion. This works nicely in DC-3s.

 

[mckpickle]

The worst is taking a brief cat-nap and waking up to find your F/O doing the same.

 

[TwinTails]

I heard about a dude at Airnet this last summer was watching his inner eyelids a little too long. He finally decided he'd seen enough and opened em. Only to find out he'd overflown his destination by several miles. Ouch. It's a funny picture when you think about him snoozin away, cruisin' right smack dab through the middle of class B or C. Any starcheckers that can back this this up?

 

[hyper]

Ummm, yeeaa. (in the tone of "Office Space") It happened, and we have had one incident years ago when a PA-60 went in. Actually this recent one was about due since it had been a while since we had an "overflight".

It's surprising that it doesn't happen more often. Backside of the clock, 13-14 duty day with 5-8 hrs. of flying, mostly IFR, no autopilot, monotonous route, insidious drone of the engines, warm cabin from the heater (if it works) and probably not good rest the day before if you have a family. Red Bull should be company issued like charts