Originally Posted by
cargosales
I couldn't agree more about fatigue.
I was driving us home late one night after an airshow we'd been working at (and had absolutely no alcohol whatsoever plus ate sensibly), the long hours suddenly kicked in. And I couldn't stay awake / felt myself nodding off at the wheel. I pulled off at the next exit and turned off the engine. Mate next to me apparantly then woke up and asked where we were but I didn't answer ... because I was already asleep!!
When you're flying an aircraft you simply don't have the 'luxury' of being able to pull over at the next exit and take some time out.
These are scary times when airlines push the limits on crew hours. And equally when struggling with fatigue, why some people still report for duty when they are over the alcohol limit.
CS
I expect many of us know pilots who have crashed - sometimes fatally - driving home due to sleep deprivation. There have been 2 studies that relate fatigue directly as a measure against alcohol level and current regs allow crews to operate perfectly legally with fatigue levels equivalent to alcohol levels that are illegal. It's in the "too difficult/expensive" box and neither authorities nor companies will deal with it.