fatigue

Flying fatigued, from 1890

By Dave English

On 12 July 1890, in Eastleigh, England, the London & South Western Railway had a collision that resulted in one fatality. A light engine ran some stop signals at North Junction and then crashed into the rear of a freight train. The accident report cited the cause as the engine driver and stoker failing to “keep a proper look-out”. Pilot error you might say. However, it was speculated in the report that both men were “asleep, or nearly so”, having been on duty for over sixteen hours. So while the driver was the immediate cause of the crash, the deeper, … Continue reading Flying fatigued, from 1890

Tired Cathay Pacific pilots

By Dave English

One of the hardest things to do as a pilot is to not go flying. To tell your boss, your passengers, or your brother-in-law that no, I’m not flying today. Because I’m tired. It’s macho to say “need a straw?” (So you can suck it up.) It pays more to fly more. And unless you are absolute worn-out, it’s a tricky second-guessing judgement call. So good luck to the Cathay Pacific pilots who are taking a stand on tiring schedules. Are you mentally tough enough to say no?