Proposal Gives Pilots More Rest In Between Flights.

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New rules would be big change for pilots' scheduling
Airline pilot schedules would undergo the most sweeping changes in more than 50 years under a proposal intended to prevent fatigue from undermining safety.
Pilots would work shorter schedules and get longer rest periods, the Department of Transportation said in proposed rules announced Friday.
The plan would for the first time set stricter limits on how long pilots can work in fatigue-inducing environments such as overnight. Because the pilot workday would be shorter, the government is proposing greater freedom for airlines to let pilots fly slightly longer legs in the middle of the day if they are not under the stress of numerous takeoffs and landings.
NEW RULES: Officials hope to ease pilot fatigue
"For far too long, we have acted as if all flights are created equally," Federal Aviation Administration chief Randy Babbitt said. "Well, they are not."
Some pilot groups signaled unhappiness over airlines' proposed flexibility to have pilots fly longer and to waive the rules if they proved they have alternate ways to minimize fatigue.
"The purpose of this was to make sure pilots were better-rested," said Jeffrey Skiles, the co-pilot of the US Airways "Miracle on the Hudson" flight who is now vice president of the Coalition of Airline Pilots Associations. "To have them fly more hours just doesn't make sense."
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) cited pilot fatigue in several recent accidents and has long listed the issue as one of its "Most Wanted" safety enhancements.
The crash Feb. 12, 2009, of a commuter plane near Buffalo that killed 50 people, renewed momentum for change. A probe raised questions about pilot scheduling and fatigue.
Existing rules have a maze of loopholes. Pilots may work overnight shifts as long as 16 hours. They are guaranteed eight hours off each day, but those eight hours can include eating, showering and getting to a hotel, leaving far less than that for sleep. Carriers can extend the workday longer if a pilot is flying an empty plane.
The government will accept public comment on the proposal and consider changes. The rules must be completed by Aug. 1. As proposed, they would make the most far-reaching changes in pilot scheduling since the dawn of the jet age:
Pilots would get at least nine hours off between shifts instead of the current eight-hour minimum. The rest period would begin once they got to their hotel room instead of when they leave the airport.
Pilots could work no more than 13 hours a day, including time on the ground. The current maximum is 16 hours. Pilots who flew overnight or made numerous landings and takeoffs would be restricted to as little as nine hours on duty.
The amount of time pilots could be behind the controls of an aircraft would increase slightly from the current eight hours a day to as much as 10 hours in some circumstances.