Pilot association speaks out about FAA sleep rules
September 17, 2010, 02:09 pm
The Federal Aviation Administration made a proposal earlier this month that would have give pilots nine hours of rest between work days. The thought behind the proposal was that the additional hour of would provide more time for sleep that would ultimately make flights safer.
The proposal, however, would also allow pilots to be in the cockpit for 10 hours at a time, which is two hours more than current laws permit. The Allied Pilots Association president captain David Bates says that some of the new rules won't help increase safety.
"In APA's view, any change in the rules must be designed to enhance safety," says Bates. "For example, the FAA's proposal to reduce total time on duty during back-side-of-the-clock operations clearly meets that standard. Unfortunately, there are some important areas where the proposed new rules fall well short and instead appear to be catering to industry cost-cutting pressures."
The Sleep Foundation says most adults needseven to nine hours of sleep a night. They say a lack of sleep has been linked to safety issues, decreased productivity and health problems.
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