Best Shift Patterns
As a professional schedule designer, I felt compelled to respond to this discussion.
In our work with clients, we show the affected workers a variety of scheduling possibilities, e.g., 8-hour shift patterns, 12-hour shift patterns, and 8 and 12-hour combined shift patterns. Roughly 90% of the time, the top-rated schedule uses 12-hour shifts. But the preferred pattern varies.
The reason for no clear winner is that the employees at each facility we work with has a different set of demographics (gender, age, marital status, childcare responsibilities, second jobs, etc.). They also have different experience with shift schedules. As a result, it is inappropriate to think there is a single "best" shift pattern. It really depends on the group you ask.
If you want to choose the "best" schedule, you could either hire a consultant to facilitate the change process, or you could purchase a package of schedule examples and let the group decide which pattern they like best. So, instead of asking for all pilots' opinions, narrow it down to a smaller group and find out what their preferences are.