Crew Duty Limitations

[megan]

There is much talk today of the fatiguing rosters that crews today are subject to.

Anyone have any idea (I've searched to little avail) what the airline crews were subject to back in the '40s and 50s when flying international routes? In particular, non augmented trip crew duty time (did they in those days have augmented crews), monthly flying total.

[zlin77]

Google the accident involving G-ALAM in Singapore 13 March 1954, Captain had been on duty over 20 hours from Sydney, most likely via Darwin & Jakarta, misjudged the approach and contacted the seawall before the runway, I remember seeing the cloud of black smoke rising from the airport from my vantage point of the swimming pool area of The British Overseas Club...

[OUAQUKGF Ops]

As far as I can remember when I was producing the crew rosters for Autair in 1966 the maximum flying duty period at that time was sixteen hours with no sector limitations. For example we would schedule a crew of 2 Flight Deck 2 Cabin on a HS748 Luton-Corfu-Luton (with tech stops) for a 15.35 hour FDP.

The safety record of British Independent Airlines was not good during the nineteen sixties and I believe the FTL regulations were then reviewed and the maximum FDP was reduced. Subsequently (1975) and not before time the publication of The Bader Report resulted in the whole business of UK Flight Time Regulations being overhauled with, among other regulations, Sector Restrictions, Minimum Rest Periods and max FDPs being tightened up.

[Rosevidney1]

Not flying, but....

A driver on a Ramadan fast had not eaten for 16 hours before his train was derailed, a report has found.

The crash, near Paddington Station, affected services for days.

A Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) report said it was "unable to determine" whether fasting and interruption to sleep was a factor in the crash.

But the investigation recognised there was research showing fasting can affect people's concentration levels.

The train, which was not carrying any passengers, was automatically derailed after passing a red signal at about 18:30 BST on 16 June.

Fasting and driving

The Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB) has published research on the effects of fasting on fitness to drive.

It says fasting can have a range of effects including tiredness, dizziness, dehydration, headache, and a reduction in concentration, prompting safety concerns.

[Pontius Navigator]

Megan, there was a novel by Neville Shute concerning a passenger airliner captain, The Rainbow and the Rose. He talks of the Captain responsibilities to his crew which IIRC included a navigator, engineer and radio operator and stewardess. While this is only part of the story it relates to long range, multi-stage flights without the benefit of slip crews.

Remember speeds were slow, flight times long and turn round times long too. I recall Flight (International) in the 60s recording the record annual aircraft utilization. The aircraft was a BEA Viscount achieving 3,600 hrs. This was exceptional then and I suspect routine now.

[pilot8]

All this Elf & Safety these days is sickening!
After all it never effected me playing with tin soldiers painted with lead paint?:E
Eating copious amounts of food with dripping & lard in them?:eek:
My Gran(Dont knock her!) put large amounts of salt in everything food wise!:eek:
And watched the petrol pump attendant smoking!:eek:

Now even I know as ADR Class 3 Tanks, that's a no, no even in those day!!:ok:

Oh and before you ask I have some many credit card style cards/certificates theses days; ADR/ALLAMI/Driver CPC/Digi Card/RTITB/ID etc etc!!:D

[Pontius Navigator]

Pilot8, don't forget the fllt gun. Still in use in Egypt in thge 90s. Did we use neat DDT or did we have to dilute it?