Over the last few years, as the population has shot up in the SE, I'm flying with Captains that are breeding further and further from LHR. It is not unusual these days to fly with a guy who has young children in Wales, Devon, Manchester or even Newcastle. We also have lots of second marriages.
BA seems to turn a blind eye to these practises and even helps promote procreation by supplying part-time working. I have every sympathy with guys with young children BUT I feel that you are not fully rested if you have just done 3hrs sleep or a spent 6 hrs tending to a poorly child before you report for duty. The last guy I flew with had just driven in from the school run, a 3 hour plus car journey. This is just not on especially with some of the long duty days we have. Is this the same in other airlines? Is there not any legislation that restricts the number of kids you can have before you go to work? Or restricts the attention you pay them before you operate? It is not uncommon to see guys get off overnight teething duty then do a 10:30 report to operate back out again. Apart from being extremely tiring do the pax not have a right to expect a pilot to turn up to work fully rested. Maybe it's time for the CAA took a long hard look at the some of the nippers pilots are having away from their regular places of work.
PS I take it JustbelowCAP doesn't live far south of the M25 roadworks by T4 or his home might just have moved outside the 1.5 hour band and he'll have to sell up and move north!
PPS I'm sure all the Picadilly line commuters will be thrilled at JBCs implicit suggestion that the company busses from the Central area to Compass should be removed. Then they can all drive in and JBC can add yet another 30 minutes to his journey time in order to find a space in our overcrowded car park.
PPS If I ever fly with you on an early remind me to tell you just how knackered I am after getting up at 03:30 to drive 120 miles to work, aaah........ sorry what was I saying?........ yes tiredness.....zzzzzzzz