If you are too tired after a 15 hour shift then how are you after a 14 hour shift?
Still to tired. This was back in the 70's, the Russians were a credible (so we were told) threat so a lot of things went by the wayside in the drive to produce the wave for the morning flying.
As for flying being easier, as an ex techie and a current pilot, don't believe all the steely eyed killer nonsense....anyone that can count to ten and know where they live can fly. OK I will give the FJ guys their due, running around in the weeds at silly speeds does require a degree of sharpness, fair dues to them and I don't count chopper pilots as helicopters are an affront to decency.
One of the things that really used to annoy me during a tech debrief were pilots who would snag some complex piece of kit and then proceed to tell you what they thought was wrong with it. So, the HNC in Electronic Engineering and the 3 month manufacturers course on
that particular bit of kit are as nothing compared to your A level in Art and two day overview of the system then sir? I see, let me kneel before your superior wisdom. Prat. Please just stick to pushing the buttons that make it work and leave Complicated Things to me, because that's what I'm paid for.