Back in December 2011, U.S.
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood
and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Acting
Administrator Michael Huerta had announced a sweeping
final rule that overhauls commercial passenger airline
pilot scheduling to ensure pilots have a longer
opportunity for rest before they enter the cockpit. This
rule does not apply to pilots operating under cargo
operations.
The key components of this final rule for commercial
passenger flights include:
Varying requirements based on the type of flight and
time of day it begins. The new rule incorporates the
latest fatigue science to set different requirements for
pilot flight time, duty period and rest based on the
time of day pilots begin their first flight, the number
of scheduled flight segments and the number of time
zones they cross. The previous rules included different
rest requirements for domestic, international and
unscheduled flights. Those differences were not
necessarily consistent across different types of
passenger flights, and did not take into account factors
such as start time and time zone crossings.
Flight duty period. The allowable length of a flight
duty period depends on when the pilot's day begins and
the number of flight segments he or she is expected to
fly, and ranges from 9-14 hours for single crew
operations. The flight duty period begins when a
flightcrew member is required to report for duty with
the intention of conducting a flight and ends when the
aircraft is parked after the last flight. It includes
the period of time before a flight or between flights
that a pilot is working without an intervening rest
period. Flight duty includes deadhead transportation,
training in an aircraft or flight simulator, and airport
standby or reserve duty if these tasks occur before a
flight or between flights without an intervening
required rest period.
Flight time limits of eight or nine hours. The FAA
limits flight time when the plane is moving under its
own power before, during or after flight to eight or
nine hours depending on the start time of the pilot's
entire flight duty period. 10-hour minimum
rest period. The rule sets a 10-hour minimum rest period
prior to the flight duty period, a two-hour increase
over the previous rules. The new rule also mandates that
a pilot must have an opportunity for eight hours of
uninterrupted sleep within the 10-hour rest period.
New cumulative flight duty and flight time limits. The
new rule addresses potential cumulative fatigue by
placing weekly and 28-day limits on the amount of time a
pilot may be assigned any type of flight duty. The rule
also places 28-day and annual limits on actual flight
time. It also requires that pilots have at least 30
consecutive hours free from duty on a weekly basis, a 25
percent increase over the previous rules.
Fitness for duty. The FAA expects pilots and airlines to
take joint responsibility when considering if a pilot is
fit for duty, including fatigue resulting from pre-duty
activities such as commuting. At the beginning of each
flight segment, a pilot is required to affirmatively
state his or her fitness for duty. If a pilot reports he
or she is fatigued and unfit for duty, the airline must
remove that pilot from duty immediately.
Fatigue Risk Management System. An airline may develop
an alternative way of mitigating fatigue based on
science and using data that must be validated by the FAA
and continuously monitored. In 2010, Congress mandated a
Fatigue Risk Management Plan (FRMP) for all airlines,
and the carriers have developed these plans based on FAA
guidance materials. An FRMP provides education for
pilots and airlines to help address the effects of
fatigue, which can be caused by overwork, commuting, or
other activities. Airlines will be required to train
pilots about the potential effects of commuting.
Required training updates every two years will
include fatigue mitigation measures, sleep
fundamentals and the impact to a pilot's
performance. The training will also address how
fatigue is influenced by lifestyle — including
nutrition, exercise, and family life — as well as by
sleep disorders and the impact of commuting.
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