Pilots need plenty of sleep - Flights,Travel Airport News

Airport news for Flights,Travel on 18/05/2009.

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Most people know the importance of getting a good sleep. Without it, we simply don’t function as well as we should, which affects relationships with our friends, our family and especially how we perform at work.

The same is certainly true for those behind the wheel, as fatigue can damage problem-solving and motor skills. Because of this, most professionals who have to spend a long time behind the wheel such as truck drivers and taxi drivers have enforced rest breaks and minimum required sleeping hours between shifts.

However, recent reports have shown that pilots and co-pilots often don’t get enough sleep before starting work as they have to travel long distances to get to airports. A recent report has shown that pilot fatigue is linked with around 250 plane deaths over the last 16 years, proving it to be a big problem.

The problem came to light recently after Co-pilot Rebecca Shaw was aboard a commuter plane that crashed near Buffalo, New York, killing all 49 passengers. She had been travelling all night to get to work and was severely fatigued.

As a result the Federal Aviation Administration or FAA are limiting pilots to eight hours of flight time in any 24-hour period and insisting that the rules are enforced by individual airports and airlines.

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