Originally Posted by
Tankertrashnav
I remember remarking to my captain (a flight commander) that I was already unfit to fly having had virtually no sleep for the previous 24 hours . . . I should just buck up (this was an exercise remember, not a shooting war).
Same time frame and not even an exercise but a period when we were chasing the chinagraph line. It was also a case where we had very specific fatigue rules - no more than 3 x 10 hr sorties in 5 days. Four x 9 hr was no problem.
Over 10 days and we were crisp crackered and this was
peacetime. Absolutely no leadership to preserve fatigue. Read APACHE, they had very strict control of crew rest and the OC had a minder to ensure he complied too.
A good number of years ago there was an RAAF AvMed report that noted that fatigue was accumlative. A good night's rest was OK after a prolonged duty day. Where the prolonged days were not followed by proper rest so fatigue would accumulate and after a few days (can't remember the exact stats) you needed first 24 hr and then up to 72 hr proper rest.
On one sqn we could take up to 14 days leave, ie Saturday to Friday fortnight. On Monday or Tuesday following, most people could not remember having been on leave. That was fatigue.