Taking Precautions Against Fatigue in Aviation Pilot fatigue is a significant problem in modern aviation operations, largely because of the unpredictable work hours, long duty periods, circadian disruptions, and insufficient sleep that are commonplace in both civilian and military flight operations. The full impact of fatigue is often underappreciated, but many of its deleterious effects have long been known. Compared to people who are well-rested, people who are sleep deprived think and move more slowly, make more mistakes and have memory difficulties. These negative effects may and do lead to aviation errors and accidents. In the 1930s, flight time limitations suggested lay-over durations, and aircrew sleep recommendations were developed in an attempt to mitigate aircrew fatigue. Unfortunately, there have been few changes to aircrew scheduling provisions and flight time limitations since the time they were first introduced, despite evidence that updates are needed. Although the scientific understanding of fatigue, sleep, shift work, and circadian physiology has advanced significantly over the past several decades, current regulations and industry practices have in large part failed to adequately incorporate the new knowledge.
Nearly everyone experiences fatigue, but some professions--such as aviation, medicine and the military--demand alert, precise, rapid, and well-informed decision making and communication with little margin for error. The potential for fatigue to negatively affect human performance is well established. Concern about this potential in the aviation context extends back decades, with both airlines and pilots agreeing that fatigue is a safety concern. A more recent consideration is whether and how pilot commuting, conducted in a pilot's off-duty time, may affect fatigue during flight duty. In summer 2010 the U.S. Congress directed the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to update the federal regulations that govern pilot flight and duty time, taking into account recent research related to sleep and fatigue. As part of their directive, Congress also instructed FAA to have the National Academy of Sciences conduct a study on the effects of commuting on pilot fatigue. The Effects of Commuting on Pilot Fatigue reviews research and other information related to the prevalence and characteristics of commuting; to the science of sleep, fatigue, and circadian rhythms; to airline and regulatory oversight policies; and to pilot and airline practices. The Effects of Commuting on Pilot Fatigue discusses the policy, economic, and regulatory issues that affect pilot commuting, and outlines potential next steps, including recommendations for regulatory or administrative actions, or further research by the FAA.
Fully updated and expanded, the second edition of Human Factors in Aviation serves the needs of the widespread aviation community - students, engineers, scientists, pilots, managers and government personnel. Offering a comprehensive overview the volume covers topics such as pilot performance, human factors in aircraft design, vehicles and systems and NextGen issues. The need for an up-to-date, scienti?cally rigorous overview is underscored by the frequency with which human factors/crew error cause aviation accidents, pervasiveness of human error in safety breakdowns. Technical and communication advances, diminishing airspace and the priority of aviation safety all contribute to the generation of new human factors problems and the more extensive range of solutions. Now more than ever a solid foundation from which to begin addressing these issues is needed. - New edition thoroughly updated with 50% new material, offering full coverage of NexGen and other modern issues - Liberal use of case examples exposes students to real-world examples of dangers and solutions - Website with study questions and image collection
Does the thought of flying fill you with dread? Do panic attacks leave you feeling scared and vulnerable? If so, this book could change your life. Written by top flying experts from British Airways’ Flying with Confidence course, this reassuring guide explains everything you need to know about air travel alongside techniques for feeling confident and in control from take off to landing. In easy-to-follow sections, you'll learn how to recognise cabin noises, manage turbulence and fly in bad weather conditions. As your knowledge grows, so will your confidence, with the fear of the unknown removed. · Takes the terror out of common flight fears · Includes techniques for controlling anxiety, claustrophobia and panic · Will help you feel safe, calm and secure when you next take to the skies.
Medical residents in hospitals are often required to be on duty for long hours. In 2003 the organization overseeing graduate medical education adopted common program requirements to restrict resident workweeks, including limits to an average of 80 hours over 4 weeks and the longest consecutive period of work to 30 hours in order to protect patients and residents from unsafe conditions resulting from excessive fatigue. Resident Duty Hours provides a timely examination of how those requirements were implemented and their impact on safety, education, and the training institutions. An in-depth review of the evidence on sleep and human performance indicated a need to increase opportunities for sleep during residency training to prevent acute and chronic sleep deprivation and minimize the risk of fatigue-related errors. In addition to recommending opportunities for on-duty sleep during long duty periods and breaks for sleep of appropriate lengths between work periods, the committee also recommends enhancements of supervision, appropriate workload, and changes in the work environment to improve conditions for safety and learning. All residents, medical educators, those involved with academic training institutions, specialty societies, professional groups, and consumer/patient safety organizations will find this book useful to advocate for an improved culture of safety.
The behaviour of helicopters is so complex that understanding the physical mechanisms at work in trim, stability and response, and thus the prediction of Flying Qualities, requires a framework of analytical and numerical modelling and simulation. Good Flying Qualities are vital for ensuring that mission performance is achievable with safety and, in the first edition of Helicopter Flight Dynamics, a comprehensive treatment of design criteria was presented. In this second edition, the author complements this with a new Chapter on Degraded Flying Qualities, drawing examples from flight in poor visibility, failure of control functions and encounters with severe atmospheric disturbances. Fully embracing the consequences of Degraded Flying Qualities during the design phase will contribute positively to safety. The accurate prediction and assessment of Flying Qualities draws on the modelling and simulation discipline on the one hand and testing methodologies on the other. Checking predictions in flight requires clearly defined ‘mission-task-elements’, derived from missions with realistic performance requirements. High fidelity simulations also form the basis for the design of stability and control augmentation systems, essential for conferring Level 1 Flying Qualities. The integrated description of flight dynamic modelling, simulation and flying qualities forms the subject of this book, which will be of interest to engineers in research laboratories and manufacturing industry, test pilots and flight test engineers, and as a reference for graduate and postgraduate students in aerospace engineering. The Author Gareth Padfield, a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society, is the Bibby Professor of Aerospace Engineering at the University of Liverpool. He is an aeronautical engineer by training and has spent his career to date researching the theory and practice of flight for both fixed-wing aeroplanes and rotorcraft. During his years with the UK’s Royal Aircraft Establishment and Defence Evaluation and Research Agency, he conducted research into rotorcraft dynamics, handling qualities and flight control. His work has involved a mix of flight testing, creating and testing simulation models and developing analytic approximations to describe flight behaviour and handling qualities. Much of his research has been conducted in the context of international collaboration – with the Technical Co-operation Programme, AGARD and GARTEUR as well as more informal collaborations with industry, universities and research centres worldwide. He is very aware that many accomplishments, including this book, could not have been achieved without the global networking that aerospace research affords. During the last 8 years as an academic, the author has continued to develop his knowledge and understanding in flight dynamics, not only through research, but also through teaching the subject at undergraduate level; an experience that affords a new and deeper kind of learning that, hopefully, readers of this book will benefit from.
