Originally Posted by
p7lot
I am not shifting from my zero tolerance stance on falling asleep as pic.
Absolutism is always bad. Falling asleep as a PIC (or SIC) can be the safest course of action in many instances, if done in a controlled manner. Which means for a fairly short duration to prevent deep sleep and sleep inertia, cabin crew has to be informed and regular checks done.
I am not claiming to be superhuman but my skipper and I would always be well rested for a long haul across the pond.
We did have the luxury of a third crew member which allows a rest during the flight but I defy any self respecting commander to sleep when travelling at .75 and having 300 souls on board.
Several things to unpack here. Apparently you have never operated on a narrowbody aircraft and short haul route structure. Which means that you might be on day six or seven of your duty block, having done four or five sectors each day always under considerable time pressure. Which is quite different from leisurely climbing aboard your already prepared widebody aircraft, operating just one sector being fed first class food (sans the wine) and then take a nice nap before doing the only landing for that month and having another day or two to relax afterwards before flying back the same way and then having a week off. And yes, i know reality looks quite differently for most long haul crew anyway.
The only thing is of course, the commander in this case, according to you, would not be able to have that nap as he doesn’t stop being the commander even in the bunk.