Fatigue Management System

[Sperm Bank]

Ladies and Gents.

I am trying to source (from all over the world) various FMS's to compare and hopefully learn something new. I want to use the information gathered to assist in building a new rostering protocol in our company.

I am very interested in any of your experiences and attitudes towards the systems currently in use in your company's. If possible please just the facts of how your system works (or doesn't) and any amendments/adjustments you consider appropriate to a viable alternative.

Thank you very much in advance.

[Genghis the Engineer]

Not my mastermind specialist subject but I may be able to offer a few pointers.

Much of the modern fatigue theory was developed at what when I started there as an apprentice was still called the Royal Aircraft Establishment at Farnborough. Much of this was about the same time as, and in response to the Comet disasters. This doesn't mean that fatigue wasn't understood before then, just that much of the modern approach was developed then.

The UK (mainly military) approach that came out of this involved the use of a device called the "RAE meter" which essentially consisted of a clock, a g-meter and a recording device. A fatigue index (FI) was calculated based upon the time spent at various g-loadings, and this was for convenience described in nominal hours - if you accept that a particularly exciting sortie could put 3-4 fatigue hours on the airframe, and 10 hours in perfectly smooth air cruise maybe half a dozen you get the idea. With modification, this is pretty much still the RAF's approach.

For both the original theory behind this and how various organisations have developed and applied it, I'd recommend looking in several places, firstly I'd talk to the technical librarians at the Qinetiq information centre at Farnborough (inheritor of RAE) and also the the RAeS and ask for a library search. Secondly look through Def-Stan 00-970 which is the UK MoD's airworthiness standard for aircraft (part 1 is fixed wing, part 2 is rotary), lurking somewhere in there should be chapter and verse on the RAF's current best-practice (and should include transport aircraft as well as FJ if you're looking w.r.t. airline ops). The Def-Stan index is at www.dstan.mod.uk and there's a searchable index.

Hope this helps a bit,

G

[sky9]

Gengis

Not fatigue; FATIGUE as in individual not a spar!! : or I think that's what he means.
Reminds me of the 2 Ronnies joke about O's

[Genghis the Engineer]

You could be right, I did wonder why he hadn't posted to tech-log. Oh well, I'll leave my first post up, it might be interesting to somebody. Come to think of it, the libraries I recommended are probably still a good starting place.

G

[Sperm Bank]

Genghis thank you for your time, although this time I was referring to what sky9 alluded to. I am sourcing a fatigue management system for airline pilots which can be used to write an effective rostering protocol. Something to stop the company working us so hard!

Your contributions are always an excellent read so I do apologise for not being more specific in my original post.

Any pilots who can provide a heads up of your companies current FMS module would be sincerely appreciated. Thank you.

[compressor stall]

A fatigue management system will NOT see a decrease in hours you can fly. Under the Australian model (see Fatigue Audit Interdyne System - do a google search and you can download a trial model) which has been CASA approved, you could see yourself working 365 days a year from 0630 to 1330 and still be under the limit. Or work a 22 hour shift with no rest. Or work a 10 hour shift, have a 4 hour break and work another shift.
There is no limit on flight time. Only duty time. And it appears to assume that whenever you are not at work you are asleep.:mad:


Here's the link http://www.interdynamics.com.au/FAID/faid_prod.htm

[Tinstaafl]

UK CAA sent out a CD-ROM with a DERA developed FMS on it a year or so ago. If you can't extract one from them I'll see if I can find it at work & burn it to a CD for you.

[Sperm Bank]

Compressor tks for that.

Tinstaafl I am very interested to see that also. If I can't find it I will let you know.

Thank you for the responses.