posted on November 20, 2010 08:42
Pilot Fatigue
The lack of regulation or consistency for the number of hours business jet pilots work is to become an issue in the Middle East, with the professional association, MEBAA at the heart of discussions.
The issue of flight hour restrictions for business aviation pilots has been raised in the USA and will have implications – and standards – for operators in Europe and the Middle East.
For Ali Al Naqbi, MEBAA’s founding chairman, this a key part of the drive to greater safety that MEBAA needs to support.
“Operators need flexibility but not at the cost of safety,” Al Naqbi said. “Research has been showing the impact pilot fatigue has on safe operations. While much of this work has been in the air transport sector the same principles must apply. But we need to get a consistent approach across all of the region when it comes to business aviation.”
Airlines in the US have to adhere to strict rules about hours their pilots can work but at NBAA in October 2010 it was revealed that pilots who fly passengers on private jets and charter flights lack protection against fatigue that airline pilots have and sometimes work long days with only a few hours of sleep.
The pilots have complained about being forced to work beyond the normal 14-hour daily limit because of loopholes in federal regulations, and they fear reprisal for declining to fly when they are too tired, reports filed with the NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System show.
Pilot fatigue has been one of America's top safety issues since the crash last year of a commuter plane near Buffalo, New York in which 50 people died and The FAA has unveiled a sweeping proposal to reduce airline pilots' fatigue. However the rules do not yet apply to business jet operators. FAA chief Randy Babbitt urged other business jet operators to adopt stricter airline rules voluntarily. “Pilots need not just “more rest but better rest," he said.
Speaking at the NBAA Convention in Atlanta, Georgia at which MEBAA participated, Bobbit said: “Professional pilots are among the most methodical and focused people I know. Yet, even after flying more than 40 years, I still ask myself the basics before I enter the cockpit. “Is it a good idea to fly in this weather? Am I too tired to fly this last leg?”
Bobbit said that the new rules will mean airline pilots, cargo pilots and others will be fully rested and alert “because we’re requiring more rest and better rest before flying. “This proposed rule would apply to Part 121 carriers now, but pilot fatigue is a serious issue for all of us.
“We’re proposing new methods for measuring a pilot’s rest period and we’ll take into account cumulative fatigue and a pilot’s circadian rhythm when calculating needed rest.
“I’d ask each of you to consider the approach we’ve taken in our proposal as you set your own flight schedules. If you’re starting early in the day – or ending late in the day – or flying lots of short legs in the same duty period – limit the amount of flight time and the length of time you’re on duty.”
Al Naqbi has long been an advocate for recognizing the additional challenges business aviation has for pilots.
“Unlike airline pilots who tend to go to the same places as a matter of course, business aviation pilots are often going to secondary airports and places where they have never been before. This puts a lot of different stresses on the crew,” he said.
Bobbit backs that view. “The science of fatigue applies to everyone – and following the principles in the rule we’ve proposed will enhance the safety of business and corporate operations.”
America’s NetJets, which has almost 500 aircraft that are jointly owned by its customers in the US, Europe and the Middle East said fatigue is one of the top issues raised by pilots.
Mark Luthi, president of the NetJets Association of Shared Aircraft Pilots said the issue is "far more of a problem elsewhere" at firms that lack the protections given to NetJets' 2,600 pilots. NetJets encourages pilots who feel tired to opt out of flights.
Companies flying business aircraft have taken many steps to confront fatigue, said Steven Brown, senior vice president of the NBAA – the American business aviation umbrella group. Often, they have tighter restrictions than federal rules, he said. The industry's top training facilities all provide pilots with measures to minimise fatigue.
MEBAA is looking for feedback from the membership about hours scheduled by the region’s operators ahead of meetings with the civil aviation authorities.
“It is important we understand what the issues are in our region and equally important that we have a voice at the table when the subject is discussed. Sometimes the rules set for airlines are not workable for business aviation operators and so we need to be completely clear about what we do now and whether that needs to change with regulation.”