Sleepy Captain

[choppengruven]

I always tell them this

Hey I better not wake up and catch you sleeping.

 

[GEORGE DUBYA]

I have found the best solution. Stick your junk in his mouth and rub your baby batter on his eyelids.

 

[cheyflyer]

I have found the best solution. Stick your junk in his mouth and rub your baby batter on his eyelids.

OOHHH...HHEEYYY...alrighty then. Time to move on. Bottom line...let the guy have his nap provided you're not getting a line check, there are no jump seaters, and the Feds are not onboard.

 

[AgDownUnder]

Sounds like some good bate, but it's a true story.

I'm the PNF on a flight the other day and the Captain falls asleep for about 5-10 minutes in cruise - throw me some suggestions on how you guys would have handled it! Make it as funny or serious as you want. I played the nice guy (forgiving) FO.

Easy, let him/her catch a nap, when something comes up, new clearance, start descent..., get everything prepped for the change over and give em a tap and advise what the change in situation is and what you have done. If it is your leg, just continue on until you reach a point a few minutes before where they are required to be aware so they have a moment to wake up, pee, get a drink, whatever. Remember, what goes around comes around, it's cockpit kharma. Just be professional about it. Remember, this person writes your evaluation. If you have the right type of relationship with the person, you may pull a prank on them, but be very sure about that relationship and their reaction.

 

[enigma]

I skipped over the middle of this thread when it seemed to degenerate into a juvenile pissing contest, so someone may have already said this. I don't know one professional pilot who would intentionally jeopardize his job and the safety of his passengers. So, if your cockpit co-worker happens to fall asleep, realize that it wasn't an intentional act and also realize that if he/she could have stayed awake that they would have. Most likely, the next radio call will rouse them, if not let the poor guy sleep until you need him/her. I figure that a rested pilot does me more good than one who expends all his mental energy in an attempt to stay awake.

That's advice for dealing with someone who just can't stay awake. If you've got someone who habitually drops off, it is your duty to him/her to have a talk with that person.

As for me, If I get so sleepy that I can't keep my eyes open, I will let my FO know that I'm having a hard time staying awake. I ask them to keep their eyes on me and wake me up if they notice that I've conked out. That way, if I nod off for a second they leave me alone, but if I begin to snore (i.e., obviously asleep) they wake me up. I wouldn't want my FO to be sitting there wondering if he/she should wake me up. Nor would I want to try and explain my lack of consiousness to the accident investigators.

I equate the the inability to stay awake to an illness that incapacitates you, but unlike coming down with stomach cramps the inability to stay awake will go away after a very short cat nap. Let him/her snooze, wake them if you need them and then ask them if they are OK after they wake up. There may be more wrong than just sleepyness.

Bottom line. Take care of your partner. He/she would do the same for you.

enigma

 

[Filkster]

I don't know one professional pilot who would intentionally sleep


If you've got someone who habitually drops off, it is your duty to him/her to have a talk with that person.

Ok MR. pro standards... I know many very professional pilots that intentionally take a nap on long legs. Both NASA and the FAA know and have proven that a short nap sharpens a pilot mentally for the approach/landing. After one too many short overnights listening to sirens and gun shots all night, many would rather be sharp for the part of the flight where most of the accidents occur.

just my 2 cents.

 

[F/O]

It's called an "overhead panel inspection."

 

[hawk16e]

Let him sleep until you need him. I would much rather have him asleep at 330 through Houston and Monterrey centers and awake at 12000 on the DME arc into Toluca than the other way around. Thousands are flying pt 135 single pilot. Certainly you can fly an airway.

 

[cxcap]

One time I decided to take a little nap heading from CLE to LGA. I woke up and looked to my right only to find the F/O doing a little "overhead panel inspection" of his own. I looked outside and saw nothing but blue water and thats when I realized we had overflown LGA by about 200 miles. Luckily we were able to bust a U turn and make it back with enough fuel. I still have to wonder if any of the passengers noticed.

 

[Midnight Flyer]

One time I decided to take a little nap heading from CLE to LGA. I woke up and looked to my right only to find the F/O doing a little "overhead panel inspection" of his own. I looked outside and saw nothing but blue water and thats when I realized we had overflown LGA by about 200 miles. Luckily we were able to bust a U turn and make it back with enough fuel. I still have to wonder if any of the passengers noticed.

And you're still employed? I call bull$hit on that story!!

 

[jeroom]

One time I decided to take a little nap heading from CLE to LGA. I woke up and looked to my right only to find the F/O doing a little "overhead panel inspection" of his own. I looked outside and saw nothing but blue water and thats when I realized we had overflown LGA by about 200 miles. Luckily we were able to bust a U turn and make it back with enough fuel. I still have to wonder if any of the passengers noticed.

I wonder what happened to oyu after landing if you tell the truth here...

 

[jeroom]

Remember that story about that single pilot in a cheyenne crossing the gulf of Mexico asleep and waking up without enough fuel to join the shore... When was that??

 

[satpak77]

One time I decided to take a little nap heading from CLE to LGA. I woke up and looked to my right only to find the F/O doing a little "overhead panel inspection" of his own. I looked outside and saw nothing but blue water and thats when I realized we had overflown LGA by about 200 miles. Luckily we were able to bust a U turn and make it back with enough fuel. I still have to wonder if any of the passengers noticed.

ICEMAN - cough cough BS

CLE to LGA is 362 straight line, so you are telling me with you and the "F/O", denoting a likely 121 airline, you flew 200 miles PAST LGA, then 200 BACK, a total of 400 extra miles (the U-turn was longer than the actual trip?) and you had fuel to make it back, and you ask if the passengers "noticed"

whatever, chock this up as Post #48 in your 4 years as an FI member

go back to your cave

 

[speedbird1974]

Nothing worst than waking up to find out the captain and the fe are sleeping too!!

 

[Nancy Pryor]

Nothing worst than waking up to find out the captain and the fe are sleeping too!!

Well, there is one thing worse. Waking up to find out the FO and FE are sleeping too.