Pilots admit they took a nap on air
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I was on a ferry flight YYZ to CBG, we had been in the are about several hours (it was about 3:00am) and I went up to the flight station; the pilot was asleep, the flight engineer was asleep and the co-pilot was reading a magazine. Everything was under control.
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Quote: Brian Abraham
"One skipper used to carry a 30 minute egg/cooking timer which he used to clip to the glareshield so if everyone dropped off the most they would get was 30 minutes."
Some airlines have built in such "egg timer" in the cockpit, and take it as part of their procedure, that you are only allowed to do control rest if you set your alarm clock (so you're not going to exceed the 20/40 min). Very useful!"One skipper used to carry a 30 minute egg/cooking timer which he used to clip to the glareshield so if everyone dropped off the most they would get was 30 minutes."
Dani
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BA Pilots stand up to fatigue
Here is a good articlle http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070417/...light_sleep_dc
I told one employer I was too tired to do another trip. They were quite upset
. But after calling the FSDO the following morning, management quickly had a memo supporting fatigue awareness.
PAX may complain, but family members suing you after the airliner crashes is a bit more costly.
I say good on the BA mates
I told one employer I was too tired to do another trip. They were quite upset
. But after calling the FSDO the following morning, management quickly had a memo supporting fatigue awareness. PAX may complain, but family members suing you after the airliner crashes is a bit more costly.
I say good on the BA mates
Yes it does...on at least some 744's. It's called the 'Pilot Response" function. Can't remember the timings but do know it starts with a gentle reminder on the Primary EICAS with a "pilot response" message..if you don't respond it escalates the warnings to all the bleeps/ horns etc.
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I think it's every 20 minutes.
Some see how many times they can get the caution to sound on a sector - you can just about manage 2 per 10 degree of longitude across the pond. If you have CPDLC can you get more?
Some see how many times they can get the caution to sound on a sector - you can just about manage 2 per 10 degree of longitude across the pond. If you have CPDLC can you get more?
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It seems that not only do the FDTL's need to be re-evaluated and pilot's schedules arranged accordingly in the case mentioned, but i tend to agree with what has been said regarding the taking of controlled naps. I think in the public eye it is not viewed in the context of what it is.. pax hearing a pilot took a nap would be alarmed naturally, thinking the plane is unmanned, without actually realising that there is another fully qualified pilot at the controls at the same time. However if the other crew member is in control during a cruise phase of flight (understandably not during takeoff/landing), everything should be fairly routine.
I can understand the long haul flights getting tedious when you have 5 hours till you land, but i would be interested to hear how the short-haul pilots doing several legs a day manage to cope with their fatigue. Flying, regardless whether long haul or short haul, can be draining.
I can understand the long haul flights getting tedious when you have 5 hours till you land, but i would be interested to hear how the short-haul pilots doing several legs a day manage to cope with their fatigue. Flying, regardless whether long haul or short haul, can be draining.
The Analog Kid
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I'm a bit puzzled as to why a couple of people have criticised the author of the original article. Read his concluding (and it is indeed a conclusion that he's worked towards in the rest) comment:
"the British Airways (BA) pilot who refused to
fly because he was sleepy after a disturbed night at the hotel may have
inconvenienced a lot of passengers, but was reinforcing high standards of
air safety."
Sounds like precisely the sort of journalist you need "onside".
"the British Airways (BA) pilot who refused to
fly because he was sleepy after a disturbed night at the hotel may have
inconvenienced a lot of passengers, but was reinforcing high standards of
air safety."
Sounds like precisely the sort of journalist you need "onside".
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I talked to a wide-body F/E several years ago. His regular run was from NYC to the Pacific. He said "Many's the time..." (repeat, "Many's the time") he awoke to realize he was the Pilot Iin Command.
Great Jumpin' Jehosephat!
Great Jumpin' Jehosephat!
Dream Buster you keep saying short haul pilots don't nap can't nap, well I'm with a short haul airline and we are allowed to take a controlled nap! It's in our SOP no more than 20 minutes at a time and the reason that it is 20 minutes is that the cabin crew are supposed to check on us every 20 minutes.
When I say short haul I mean bucket and spade flights to the costa's or do you mean domestics? Domestics there is not enough time but going to Malaga there is plenty of time.
When I say short haul I mean bucket and spade flights to the costa's or do you mean domestics? Domestics there is not enough time but going to Malaga there is plenty of time.
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Actually the true professional does not even take a cat nap... they merely stare at the overhead panel to ensure that no switch moves on its own. Some times you need to look at those switches for almost 2 to 3 hours.
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Stone Cold II,
I never said that short haul pilots don't crave a bit of shut eye, just like everybody else - it's just not quite as easy to shut those eyes and maybe we fly in a slightly different ATC environment where, if you happen to have them shut and your brain turned off at the wrong time - you could be in for a real nightmare - on waking up.....
I never said that short haul pilots don't crave a bit of shut eye, just like everybody else - it's just not quite as easy to shut those eyes and maybe we fly in a slightly different ATC environment where, if you happen to have them shut and your brain turned off at the wrong time - you could be in for a real nightmare - on waking up.....
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I find the definition of long/short haul somewhat misleading. It takes 6 to 7 hours to get to JFK (that's long haul). It takes 5+ to get to Cyprus, an hour to turn round and 5+ to get back and that's short haul! This used to puzzle me as we struggled to keep our eyes open at 0400 somewhere over Austria or Hungary. In the end we (in our particular airline) decided to take power naps on the grounds that they were preferable to involuntary microsleeps on the approach. Boy did it work. 20 minutes kip was worth an extra 3 hours alert consciousness. It was a wonderful feeling. I am very glad that it now seems to have a degree of formal sanction. I cannot recommend the technique strongly enough.
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Took a nap last night, works great
I took a nap last night on a long return flight back to Europe. Works great, and certainly alot better than trying to stay awake till 0400 when your body just doesn't want to. Egg timer in cockpit, FA's aware, wide awake copilot. No weather issues, no turbulence, 385 nm direct across Romania. Why not?
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Long-haul, short-haul, makes no difference.
45 minutes on an eight hour flight, great.
5 minutes on a 55 minute flight, the last of four or whatever, also great.
I have done them all and if you need to sleep, sleep. Even 5 minutes will make a difference.
btw, I find that it is easier to nap when you are PF. The other guy is doing the paperwork and the 'phone so all you need to do is turn down your radio volume and kick back for a while.
Provided that you warn him/her to wake you if he/she feels tired or sleepy, all should be fine.
45 minutes on an eight hour flight, great.
5 minutes on a 55 minute flight, the last of four or whatever, also great.
I have done them all and if you need to sleep, sleep. Even 5 minutes will make a difference.
btw, I find that it is easier to nap when you are PF. The other guy is doing the paperwork and the 'phone so all you need to do is turn down your radio volume and kick back for a while.
Provided that you warn him/her to wake you if he/she feels tired or sleepy, all should be fine.