Thank goodness it was scientifically proved that you're just tired, and not fatigued.
Geezajob; When on earlies getting up at 4am or earlier 5 days on the go, no matter how noisy the neighbours were during the night, then doing an 11 plus hour day, well, it just does me in. When asked in the crew room on a crews return where they have just been that day most are so knackered that they genuinely struggle to remember!
I can understand your sceptism about the level of tiredness, it's just a combination of things. I guess it's down to things being pretty hectic preparing the flight and throughout the day; time pressures along with ATC slots, working in an office at 8000 ft in glare conditions with continuous white noise in the background and then busy periods of prolonged concentration. x 4 relentless times a day. Some days go smoothly, others have all sorts of problems that may be technical or otherwise. All require total application of mind and body at a very high professional standard. Lest you f**** up!
Having said that I do like my job, and I'm normally openly positive about it. I loved it when I only had to do 3 early departures in a row. I do like it when on lates, but they are again 5 long days. I think it unsafe doing 5 earlies in a row, and that someone in rostering could be doing a lot better how they spread the load for the early starters. But I'm no scientist, and the scientists say that my feelings of fatigue are just illusionary and that really I'm just tired. In the few months I've been on the new 5/2/5/4 I have seen way more boo-boos, both on the handling side and on the radio than all the years on 6/3. Just an observation with no scientific backing, but true and real none-the -less.
At the moment the job has become a means to an end= paypacket verses sleep. I think it will be horrendous in the winter
but that's another bridge to be crossed.
The moans I have is directed toward the people who changed my job from a nice one to a not so nice one. But they made the changes because they didn't like it as it was, so it just goes to show that everyone is different and you can't please 'em all.