I'm sure we've all wondered how pilots maintain levels of alertness in the cockpit after three, six or more hours of flight.
People as opposed to machines, we lack an enormous capacity to maintain levels of concentration and alertness, after a period of repetitive activitysuch as: checking speed, altitude, heading... and even communications with ATC, we simply cease to be effective for functional reasons, lowering our level of attention.
On long flights there are a number of rules and recommendations that aim to ensure that the crew is rested and the aircraft is well looked after at all times.
With all this, airline operators have developed mechanisms to relegate flight activity to a single pilot, while the other pilot can disconnect in a controlled manner, by controlled rest in the cockpit, or Flight Crew In-Seat Rest. That is, in this process pilots may have short periods of sleep (naps) or simply have time to read or disconnect from the operation, while being relieved of their operational duties.
The procedures for "controlled rest". are applicable to being part of a two-man flight crew of an aircraft in flight. However, not everything is valid in their application, depends among many factors on the type of operation (commercial, executive, military), long or short radius, aircraft, flight conditions, whether the operator has an approved procedure, etc. And last but not least: the pilot who will remain in command will get a good look!
On long-haul flights, rest shifts in reinforced crews (3 or 4 pilots) are perfectly planned, however, nowadays it is extremely common to have operations with 2 pilots on 3 to 7 hour flights.This is therefore a further mitigation measure for the effects of decreased alertness in the cockpit.
Controlled in-flight rest allows crews to rest and disengage from the operation in a controlled manner.The procedures are defined by the airline operators. Not all airlines have such procedures in place and are not obliged to do so, however, aviation authorities recommend their implementation, for the following reasons. benefits to both the technical crews and the operation itself, as pilots are "fresher" for the most critical stages, such as approach and landing.
How is the controlled rest in the cockpit activated?
When cockpit seat rest is approved as "controlled rest", airline operations manuals must contain procedures for its use.
If there is no such guidance and there is no explicit prohibition of the practice, the following practical considerations when planning and implementing such a break can be useful in helping to maximise benefit and minimise risk.
They are based on the procedures developed by ICAO / IFALP / IATA which are published as Appendix B of the ICAO Doc 9966 "Fatigue Risk Management Systems for Regulators"..
What things should a pilot consider when considering a cockpit nap?
- Rest should be planned and be carried out in cruise only and an AP (Autopilot) and A/T (Autothrottle) usable must be available and committed.
- The aircraft commander must ensure that awake crew members are properly briefed and that, if the commander is napping and more than one pilot is awake, a senior pilot is designated.
- The senior cabin crew member must be informed of the following of intent and instructed to ensure that contact is made with the flight deck by telephone at one or more prearranged times to verify that the awake pilot remains awake and is requested to wake the pilot nap at the time the agreed sleep period has been reached.
- The siesta pilot should move his seat away from the controls to avoid interference. involuntary, any aircraft management activity requiring cross-checking by another pilot will not be carried out unless a second pilot is available to do this, meaning that the decision to allow the seat rest to commence must have been preceded by a realistic assessment of such activity likely to arise.
- In the case of two pilot crewsthe awake pilot must not leave his seat for any reason whatsoever at any time. throughout the controlled rest period, where actual sleep has occurred, a recovery period commensurate with the sleep time should be allowed before operational tasks are performed, including the receipt of an update report, so that the effects of sleep inertia are recognised.
Many airlines provide cabin crew with useful sleeping aids such as earplugs, sleep masks, or sleep supports.
The details in the advice provided by regulators or operators on seat-rest vary, but the maximum sleep period is generally recommended to be between 30 and 40 minutes.
On the other hand, many operators suggest that when planning to rest in the seat, the total "duty-free" period (within which a nap in the seat should occur) should be up to twice the time actually slept.
This allows an initial period of 5-10 minutes for sleep preparation and a period of at least 20/25 minutes for recovery. Here, it should be noted that the effects of sleep inertia vary from person to person, many will feel fully recovered in less time.
Finally, controlled rest periods must end at least 30 minutes before the start of the descent to the destination airport.
Within the reference regulations, the following should be highlighted Doc 9966 (Appendix B) and ICAO guidance materials, as well as ICAO EASA GM1 CAT.OP.MPA.210-Mitigating Measures controlled rest. In addition, Appendix C of the IFALPA/ICAO/IATA "FRMS Implementation Guide for Operators" reiterates the main points to be considered by crews.
In conclusion, it can be said that when we travel on a long-haul flight we can rest assured that the crew will be rested and the aircraft well looked after at all times. Have a good trip.
