It may be beneficial to the masses if someone would be prepared to post what they consider a typical months fatiguing roster on here.
How about seven on, one off, four on. As a norm somewhere each month.
Five eleven hour dutues, with only eleven hours break between each.
Thirty six flights in a week, two days off, and another thirty six flights the next week.
Overnight flights that end at 05:00, followed by another at 22:00. Several times each week. Try resting for those. There are many permutations on the 'impossible rest break' theme, and sometimes I think that rostering deliberately seek them out.
Three 16 hour duties in one week, much of which is sat on a wooden plank (jump seat) with zero leg room, no possibility of rest, no possibility of sleep, and no chance of even standing up (ceiling height 1.5m), let alone any exercise.
There are many aspects of aviation that would never be allowed in any other professional industry. And yes, I understand there are other difficult jobs out there, like trawlermen, miners and junior doctors, but that is not exactly the point. As a professional I cannot be expected to perform at my best when I have barely had any sleep, have no idea which airport I have just landed at, or have severe cramp from sitting on a wooden bench for ten hours with enough leg-room for a six-year old. When the engine failure crunch-time comes the SLF will expect me to perform to the highest standards, not have a shaky cramp-wracked and DVT-wracked leg trying to control the yaw.