Duty and Flight Times
CASA is going down the track of removing operators specific dispensations or variations they have to CAO 48 and asking them to develop their own fatigue management system.
The purpose is as stated by a CASA consultant is so CASA no longer has any legal responsibility for your operation in this area. You have an accident related to fatigue it rests and stops with the company itself. It would appear that in the process, CASA due to a lack of other fatigue management system are persuading operators to accept a program called FAID which was developed following research into truck drivers fatigue levels in South Australia.
It is based on the fact that since you are allowed to drive you car at .05 blood alcohol level and be legal then that is the fatigue level that you should be able to extend to. In their defense you don't have to use FAID but from what I understand nothing else exists or is acceptable to the CASA CONSULTANT.
When CAO 48 may limit you to 8-9 hours of flying when you use FAID starting a shift at 0700hrs could see you extend your duty/flying hours for 17-18 hours. For those not interested in CASA's character to "promote safe skies" would welcome this new system and find it very likeable. Think of how many pilots you could get rid off, how many more hours you could fly. For those who can see the bigger picture think of the potential short and long term problems from increase accident rates and potential fatalities. Wonder what the hull insurers will think?
It allows an EMS pilot who works a 4 on 4 off roster to do something like.
day 1 0800 to 1800 (10hours) and fly the whole period.(even fly up to 17-18yrs)
day 2 same again
night 1 1800hrs through to 0800 hrs next day. (14hours) fly the whole period.
night 2 1800hrs of the same day you just finished of that morning and still do another 10-12 hrs flying.
This is something like 200 -300%more than what most dispensations would allow you to do now, and certainly would have been thrown out by CASA if you had even proposed such before But as the CASA CONSULTANT states its better because it will manage your fatigue levels.
Any one out there who thinks they can be safe with this level of flying operations single pilot IFR, night scene primaries and the rest particularly at night??? How many crew will you find who want to fly with you???
If that doesn't spell stupidity in the first order I don't know what does!!!!!!!!!!! Maybe after CASA screw it up they may find out that NASA has already done all the work correctly via their Fatigue Countermeasures Group. No doubt commercial operators will love the concept, no more CAO 48 to worry about, but what will the paying passengers think when they find out their flight crew are aloud to do that level of duty/flying without a rest.
[ 18 December 2001: Message edited by: Nichosh ]
[ 18 December 2001: Message edited by: Nichosh ]