The hour vs safety issue is a complete red herring. Even as a part time First Officer with BA Jessica will probably fly more hours and sectors than a contemporary flying a B757 with DHL. Most of us take holidays and do not fly for a week or two. Half an hour in the books going through recall drills and profiles is enough to refresh your mind the night before flying.
Of all professions airline flying is the easiest one in which to accommodate part time working. Southwest have an arrangement, I believe, where you can structure the amount of work and pay according to personal requirements.
The issue we really should be worried about is not pilots who return to work feeling rested after a break but those who are worked to the maximum legal limit.
The BA A320 fleet at Heathrow is well known for being a tough call. Maximum possible flying hours, roster changes, long duty days, aircraft swaps, congested airspace, the Heathrow hassle factor and a demanding commute to work.
It's a highly stressful job. But companies like BA will always say that pilots work within the limits set by the CAA and, therefore, their working practices are safe.
They cannot now claim that the CAA's rules on currency are unsafe.
The real, and very well hidden, safety issue is cumulative pilot fatigue. I bet that is an issue Captain Douglas won't address.
Last edited by Yarpy; 23rd Apr 2005 at 06:49.