Originally Posted by
raven11
Will IB Fayed
Controlled rest is a euphemism. It is completely unsafe and defies common sense. It is single pilot IFR in a large commercial jet. The idea that one pilot can sleep in the cockpit was instituted by management to forego three man crews. If you can't stay awake after five Gs there is something wrong with you....open the cockpit door and take a look at the faces of the several hundred passengers whose lives are in your hands.....go to the washroom and throw some water in your face.
The fact that it is unsafe is borne out by the stream of constant news stories about pilots that are falling asleep in flight while the airplane and passengers are careening through the sky, changing altitude or over flying their destination.
What about the flight attendants and the other pilot who must stay awake while little bear sleeps?
Just because multiple crew are required for climbs and descents doesn't mean that enroute can't safely be done by one person most of the time. Have you ever used the washroom in flight. That would be completely unsafe if we go by your thinking. Circadian lows happen and I will continue to make sure that I am alert for the approach as I have done for years like so many others.
Frequently, flight attendants have rest facilities as well by the way.