Sleeping in the cockpit

[pilotyip]

There I was

Sometimes you can not help it, I used fly these 11-12 hour patrols around Viet Nam day and night. The Navy would schedule you a day patrol, followed by crew rest, followed by a night patrol, you were always tired, especially at night. You were busy until you cleared the shipping lanes on the SE coast, then going around the west coast activity dropped to zero, nobody talking, no ATC, nothing going on at 0300 in the morning, so even though you don't want to, you nod off. This is on auto-pilot at 1,500', doing between 270-280 Kts, with an engine shut down to save gas. You wake up, you don't know if you have been out for 2 minutes or two hours, and every one on the airplane you can see is sleeping, the other pilot, FE, radio, Radar. Talk about getting wide awake all at once. That is why planned "cat naps" are better than unplanned naps.

 

[abenaki]

I second the motion for going to the nasa site re' the research that they have done re' fatigue in aviation. I actually took their two-day course in Fatigue Countermeasures in Aviation at NASA Ames Research Center at Moffett Field in Ca.......Fascinating what they found out...

Of course, my airline squelched any material on this getting to the pilot group when I got back and that includes the strategies for dealing with fatigue.......too sensitive a subject for "regional" pilots busting their butts..........The company was afraid what might come of the information so it was never released even though I had written a program for recurrent classroom training for the pilot group based on this material.....

Just shows how concerned airline management can be when it comes to safety if it interferes with $$$$$........

 

[Typhoon1244]

Another question of curiousity...

Aren't all questions "of curiosity?"

True story: This was prior to 9/11, when the F/A could come-and-go as she pleased between the cockpit and the cabin. Our hero heard the brand-spanking-new flight attendant unlocking the door and quickly told his first officer "pretend you're asleep." She finally opened the door and found them both "snoozing" away. What do you think she did?

Yup, she very slowly and quietly backed out of the cockpit and quietly shut the door!

Our hero had to call her back and tell her, "we were just pulling your leg, but if you ever see that for real, for Christ's sake, wake somebody up!"

 

[mckpickle]

Speaking of NASA, I just sighed up to be a volunteer in the latest sleep study. I guess they are going to outfit me with a wrist monitor and palm pilot and monitor my sleep paterns for about 40 days. Should be interesting!

 

[abenaki]

mckpickle....

What, they didn't tell you about the anal temperature probe?????

 

[uavchaser]

this might just lead to a new thread

top ways for keeping yourself awake in the cockpit...

 

[DoinTime]

I've never fallen asleep in the cockpit but I often run pilot incapacitation exercises. Keeps everyone current on single pilot ops. Wouldn't want to let our skills lapse would we?

 

[mckpickle]

mckpickle....

What, they didn't tell you about the anal temperature probe?????

DOH!

 

[e120flier]

Sooo, The Captain says to the F/O "I'm going to take a nap, don't wake me unless it's an emergency............. And if it is an emergency, you da_m well had better not caused it!!!"

(Sorry, I couldn't resist)

 

[TwinTails]

"best ways to stay awake?"


Tune in some good ol' country on the ADF and sing your heart out. It also keeps the bird strikes at a minimum.. or turn off the heater.. Those are natural.

Theres a whole industry of trucker/cargo pilot over the counter's out there that'll keep you on your toes. Myself I prefer some good strong black coffee. To go along with the country music and no heat of course.