Longhaul Cargo vs. Pax Ops - Jetlag
Just wondering. I've been flying now B747-400 cargo for many years and seem to have lately increased troubles with jetlag and general sleeping patterns.
Generally, we tend to have lay-overs of two or more days at destinations of different time zones, so that there is just about enough time to get the acclimatized in one time-zone, before heading off to the next one. This way, the body-clock is always behind.
Once getting back to base after several days, one has to get acclimatized yet again, sometimes just barely enough, before heading out again, with very little quality time in between.
In the old days, we used to get 2 weeks/month off, which allowed for some reasonable quality time at home. Now 4-6 days between trips is the norm.
Just wondering, if there are any pax-drivers out there, who have normally short layovers (24hrs), allowing them to stay on home time and have the same troubles with jet-lag.
Maybe there is a need to regulate Cargo flights differently than pax, in terms of rest periods after long trips (more than say 48 hrs away from base).
Any thoughts on this ???
Avius