Fatigue of Pilots in the Cargo Industry
It has been since the early 1940's when pilots flight duty hours started to have limits on their flight hours because of the ability of new aircraft's. Since the crash of Colgan Air in Buffalo in 2009 improved on the previous rules by using the latest in fatigue science and research. (FAA 2011). Availability became a change which depended on when the day started for the pilot. It used to be 9-14 hours but is now 8 to 9 hours in a single day. It has become a rule that the pilot gets at least 10 hours of rest. (FAA 2011).
"Cargo pilots fly under older rules that do not require as much rest, permit longer times on duty and allow them to fly beyond eight hours in certain conditions. and those rules do not impose any special limits on flight time at night, when cargo carriers do much of their flying." (Carol 2014). Some pilots can argue that cargo pilots may be even more susceptible to fatigue because of the long hours they have to flight mainly at night.
I feel that cargo has been exempt from the new changes because of its cost. Also because if they apply these new changes to cargo then it will cause a disaster to many logistics for a various amount of companies all over the world. It will cause companies to hire a lot more pilots in order to keep up with the pilots rest times. cargo isn't like flying passengers because the journeys they usually go on are extreme.
I personally do believe that cargo carriers should be included in this new rule because of the crazy amount of hours they spend in the air. Not to mention that most of those hours are flown at night all around the world. After we had our meeting with Kalitta Air and meeting the inspiring assistant chief pilot Sean Horton we found out they work 17 consecutive days where they can work up to 30 hours straight. I find this to be extremely dangerous to any human and unfair work conditions considering the amount of responsibility these pilots are in charge of. They place their lives at risk to benefit the world of logistics and are forced to work extreme hours in extreme conditions.
If these rules were to apply to cargo then I would definitely be looking for a job in cargo as a pilot. I would have so many more options to choose from rather than just focusing on commercial or even being a flight instructor. I think it would change the game for companies all around the world and the lives of all pilots to be able to work cargo and be subjected to the same fair rules that help ensure the safety of each pilot and member aboard.
References:
It has been since the early 1940's when pilots flight duty hours started to have limits on their flight hours because of the ability of new aircraft's. Since the crash of Colgan Air in Buffalo in 2009 improved on the previous rules by using the latest in fatigue science and research. (FAA 2011). Availability became a change which depended on when the day started for the pilot. It used to be 9-14 hours but is now 8 to 9 hours in a single day. It has become a rule that the pilot gets at least 10 hours of rest. (FAA 2011).
"Cargo pilots fly under older rules that do not require as much rest, permit longer times on duty and allow them to fly beyond eight hours in certain conditions. and those rules do not impose any special limits on flight time at night, when cargo carriers do much of their flying." (Carol 2014). Some pilots can argue that cargo pilots may be even more susceptible to fatigue because of the long hours they have to flight mainly at night.
I feel that cargo has been exempt from the new changes because of its cost. Also because if they apply these new changes to cargo then it will cause a disaster to many logistics for a various amount of companies all over the world. It will cause companies to hire a lot more pilots in order to keep up with the pilots rest times. cargo isn't like flying passengers because the journeys they usually go on are extreme.
I personally do believe that cargo carriers should be included in this new rule because of the crazy amount of hours they spend in the air. Not to mention that most of those hours are flown at night all around the world. After we had our meeting with Kalitta Air and meeting the inspiring assistant chief pilot Sean Horton we found out they work 17 consecutive days where they can work up to 30 hours straight. I find this to be extremely dangerous to any human and unfair work conditions considering the amount of responsibility these pilots are in charge of. They place their lives at risk to benefit the world of logistics and are forced to work extreme hours in extreme conditions.
If these rules were to apply to cargo then I would definitely be looking for a job in cargo as a pilot. I would have so many more options to choose from rather than just focusing on commercial or even being a flight instructor. I think it would change the game for companies all around the world and the lives of all pilots to be able to work cargo and be subjected to the same fair rules that help ensure the safety of each pilot and member aboard.
References:
Stark, L. (2010, February 2). Pilot Error to Blame in Deadly Flight Accident Last February. Retrieved March 9, 2016, from http://abcnews.go.com/WN/Travel/ntsb-pilot-error-blame-colgan-air-flight-3407/story?id=9726879
Carroll, J. R. (2014, March 13). UPS pilots urge more rest for cargo crews. Retrieved March 9, 2016, from http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/03/13/ups-pilots-urge-more-rest-for-cargo-crews/6402615/
Houston, S. (2016, March 1). FAA Final Rule: Pilot Duty and Rest Requirements. Retrieved March 9, 2016, from http://aviation.about.com/od/Regulations/a/Faa-Final-Rule-Pilot-Duty-And-Rest-Requirements.htm
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