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Well, they did a rewrite of Hours of Service rules to the trucking industry several years ago and just got to really enforcing it a few years back. It was an adjustment but we got used to it.The 10 hr rest will be welcome but I doubt that 2 hrs will make that much difference. The 14 rather than 16 hour stand up will probably be appreciated and will mean more, but at the risk of pissing a few people off, somewhere in there, deadhead time is going to have to be factored in. They used the Buffalo crash as impetus here and as an example, the Co=Pilot dh across from Seattle
This is me not pissed off... just thinking out loud. I am all for the new rules on duty time and rest requirements between duty time. However, what pilots do on their own time is their own decision. The First Officer did not "dead head" all the way across the country. She commuted to work. While I don't agree that it was a smart thing to do on her part, the government cannot control every aspect of our lives so that we are their robots.
You are correct that deadheading time should be accounted for and it is accounted for in your normal duty day. We are all responsible adults and should make responsible decisions on how we will get to work and be properly rested when we get there. Putting a regulation on commuting will turn this industry upside down.
The reason the First Officer was commuting to work is because she made less that $20k per year and could not afford to live on her own. Maybe here lies the problem? There are many pilots out there in the same position. What should they do? Quit?
You are correct that deadheading time should be accounted for and it is accounted for in your normal duty day. We are all responsible adults and should make responsible decisions on how we will get to work and be properly rested when we get there. Putting a regulation on commuting will turn this industry upside down.
The reason the First Officer was commuting to work is because she made less that $20k per year and could not afford to live on her own. Maybe here lies the problem? There are many pilots out there in the same position. What should they do? Quit?
Your last paragraph is especially truthful. Now as for the 2nd, I mispoke a little. You are correct in that company DH is part of the duty day, but I guess I must talk about the COMMUTE. Because Airlines have done so much changing in years past, hubs have moved around and not necessarily where pilots have homes. Look at Sully; one thing he never talked about much; he lived in California which was pretty close to where he started flying. As it wound up, he was out of CLT. How you think he got over there?
I'm sure he commuted across the country. Hopefully he showed up rested and fit to start his duty day. But again, that is the pilots responsibility not the governments to make sure of this. The government should stay out of my time off, yours, his and every other pilots. If I am too tired to perform my duties when I get to work then it is MY responsibility to call in sick or fatigued and not put MY life or the other crew/passengers lives at risk.
Btw, I live in base and do not commute. But if I have to someday, I don't want any more regulations telling me when to eat, when to sleep, and when to commute to work.
Btw, I live in base and do not commute. But if I have to someday, I don't want any more regulations telling me when to eat, when to sleep, and when to commute to work.
Well, I too was fortunate. Flew big iron 135 all my life out of KFSM, only living 70 miles away. I had a 4 hour call in my contract for non scheduled stuff, and 2 weeks notice on our regular trip schedule so it was just like going to work regular and knowing what you were doing and the 4 hr call gave me decent notice. You are correct about that commute and offtime though, it isn't anybody else's business what we do with. It's just that there have been plenty of horror stories in the past about a pilot NOT being rested and contributing to something on account of their commute or no rest.
Good points, as always, Wayne. I guess we'll just have to see what happens with the UPS appeal.
http://flightaware.com/squawks/link/1/24_hours/popular/23803/UPS_Pilots_File_An_Appeals_Challenge_To_FAA_Final_Flight_Duty_Rule
As one who has worked swings and nights for coming on 10 years, I can say you learn to tolerate it but never conquer it. Life happens in the daytime and I often went several days on 3-4 hours a night. Id imagine this is a typical story. I'd like to believe the same isn't true for cargo pilots.
http://flightaware.com/squawks/link/1/24_hours/popular/23803/UPS_Pilots_File_An_Appeals_Challenge_To_FAA_Final_Flight_Duty_Rule
As one who has worked swings and nights for coming on 10 years, I can say you learn to tolerate it but never conquer it. Life happens in the daytime and I often went several days on 3-4 hours a night. Id imagine this is a typical story. I'd like to believe the same isn't true for cargo pilots.
Well, I think TOLERATE is the key here. I know when they redid the HOS for truck drivers a few years ago, it was a heck of an adjustment, both for the companies and drivers, not to mention shippers. The Airlines have 2 years to get it implemented. Trucklines woke up one morning and "whoop, dere it was."(we had time to get ready for it but it was industry wide on the same day). You are correct in that life happens in the daytime, especially if you have kids involved. My son works in night and weekend dispatch, pulling a 12 on Saturday and Sunday nights, doing 8 on Thursday and Friday, and he is always up by at least noon on Saturday, then pretty much sleeping all day Sunday to catch up. One size in this thing will not fit all, but at least it's a start and brings some recognition to the problem.