Pilot Fatigue

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Van Drongelen’s “Development” article points out that pilots, who often cross multiple time zones, endure long and irregular working hours, sometimes encounter lack of sleep, or pilot fatigue. This condition, along with reduced sleep quality and quantity, can lead to what is commonly referred to as jet lag. Fatigue is an issue that has been known to cause health issues among pilots. It is also noted that fatigue can be linked to cardiovascular diseases, gastrointestinal disorders, weight gain, and diabetes. Studies have shown that fatigue can be controlled by certain types of exercises, caffeine, and the intake and avoidance of certain nutrients found in foods. As a pilot in training, I believe exercise and eating a healthy diet is important to help control the effects of fatigue on a pilot. I plan to use this to stress the importance of a healthy diet to fight fatigue. …show more content…
This article documents several accounts of pilot fatigue that caused issues during documented flight times. For example, one pilot did not have the required eight hours of uninterrupted sleep required by the FAA. His sleep was interrupted by a 2 a.m. phone call. Another instance was a pilot that flew past the normal 14 hour daily limit because he was flying an empty aircraft. There is also an example of a pilot working for 16 hours, because he was delayed by unexpected weather. These are all examples of long hours that caused fatigue, but were overlooked, because charter pilots’ rules are not as strict as airline pilots’ rules. I plan to use this information to stress the importance of getting the required amount of sleep each night to fight