For those who are not pilots or at least have not been in the industry for a long time, I welcome your thoughts and comments as I am sure others (including the ATC cohort) do. Might I ask however, that trying to compare what we undergo on the flight deck (whether short or long haul) with other lines of work is a bit high and wide of the mark. This is not to say that it is invalid or that others might have it far worse, but rather it is contextually difficult for comparison.
I will be the first to advocate that many other lines of work entail serious disruption to the circadian rhythm. I think only of the number of bus crashes across Europe in days not so far in the past. Lorry/truck drivers and medical staff are two other fields that leap out at me. I have a friend that is an anesthesiologist and I winch at some of the work that he has put in over the years--and I mean wince at it is frightening in some cases. Teachers, butchers, bakers, and candlestick makers all face their own challenges when it comes to dossing down. That they face these challenges does not however, logically link to the discussion of the cockpit. Not to be pedantic (seriously!) but it does not work out logically very well. In other words because someone else has a tough schedule does not obviate fatigue in the airline industry.
What many pilots are doing in the discussion is giving voice to something that has been an extent problem for years. Again, this does not mean that other employees in other fields do not suffer equally.
Speaking up and, even more emphatic, standing down is often is much easier said than done. Remember, the great flaw in the fatigue mitigation approach is that the impaired individual must know that he/she is impaired and initiate corrective action.
I ask that you dwell on the fragile underpinning of that last point. The impaired individual is saddled with the responsibility to know that he is impaired. This hearkens back to the idea of how can you know you have lost SA if you have lost SA? Why do we ask others to keep an eye on your guests at the Christmas party?
In nearly 30 years (and many here have much more than that) of flying I have found an insignificantly small number of pilots to be whiners. To a man or woman pilots like to seek responsibility and work hard whilst on the job site. Therefore when I hear others rumble about scheduling difficulties and very real fatigue my ears perk up. In other words if even the impaired are noticing it then something is askew.
Work is work as well all know and it can often be cold/hot, brutal, laborious, thankless, and all the rest. Yet in the 21st century I would wish that anyone in a safety sensitive job is monitored through intelligent FTD. I extend that wish to any other employee in any line of work. We should be raising the bar on this topic across all.
Last edited by Uncle Fred; 12th May 2015 at 01:52.