http://drowsydriving.org Stay Alert, Arrive Alive Thu, 29 Jul 2010 19:25:07 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8 en hourly 1 http://drowsydriving.org/2009/06/new-rules-needed-to-reduce-pilot-fatigue/ http://drowsydriving.org/2009/06/new-rules-needed-to-reduce-pilot-fatigue/#comments Fri, 26 Jun 2009 18:06:18 +0000 sleepfoundation http://drowsydriving.org/?p=62 The Federal Aviation Administration stated on Wednesday that recommendations for new rules aimed at limiting pilot fatigue need to be submitted by Sept. 1, according to a recent USA Today article. In a recent string of crashes — including the accident in Buffalo, NY, last February that killed 50 — pilots stated they had not received a full night’s sleep. Airlines are currently operating under 50-year-old rules allowing pilots to fly up to eight hours a day. Including ground time between flights, their day can extend up to 16 hours. Curtis Graeber, a researcher of pilot fatigue for nearly 30 years and a National Sleep Foundation board member, told USA Today that research is a better predictor of how long pilots should work rather than limiting hours. Graeber stated factors that should be considered by the governing bodies, including how many days in a row a pilot may work and allowing for an adequate rest period to ensure pilots have a good night’s sleep. Some believe that a consensus between airlines and pilot unions will prove challenging.

• Read the USA Today article.

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