Legal Doesn't Mean Safe

Fatigue isn't just having a yawn during the cruise. 

It's a proper safety threat that's hiding on all our rosters.

I had a reminder of this recently - a string of late finishes, some ending at 1 AM, one at 3 AM.

Then of course I couldn't sleep properly, because regardless of when I go to bed, I seem to wake up at 6am when my circadian rhythm tells me to! 

Add minimum rest, and some disruption into the mix and it’s no wonder I could literally feel myself deteriorating.

Fatigue plays a role in around 20% of major aviation accidents - see here. 

Twenty percent! 

It messes with your reaction times, your focus, your memory.

And to make matters worse you often don't even realise how badly you're affected.

I absolutely will die on this hill…

Just because your duty times are legal doesn't make them safe.

I can't stress this enough.

The regulators set flight time limits to stop airlines from completely taking the p**s, but those are absolute maximum limits - not some magical "safe zone."

Research shows you can be properly fatigued well before you hit those legal maximums.

So, for you roster planners sitting in the back, I'll say it again…

Legal does not mean safe!

You might technically be within limits, but if you're on your third consecutive 0400 show, then switch to lates, after a couple of 12-hour days, you're probably not firing on all cylinders.

So whenever I hear the words ‘but it’s legal’ that’s a serious red flag. Normally the next words out of my mouth are ‘thanks, but I don’t feel safe to fly’.

The rules and the roster planners don't feel how fatiguing your roster is so it's down to each of us to know when ‘legal’ is still too much.

Another issue with fatigue is it’s subjective and we all deal with it differently. 

What’s fine for one pilot might be horrid for the next.

What is the same however, is the types of fatigue:

Transient: This is the acute stuff - your sleep has been restricted and you’ve been awake for way too long. This makes it hard for your body to recover, and it feels like you're running on empty.

Cumulative: This is the sneaky one. It's what happens when you get slightly less sleep than you need, day after day after day. This ‘sleep debt’ builds up, and you need several days of proper recovery sleep to get back to baseline.

Circadian: Here your body's natural rhythm is working against you. This is why flying during your "WOCL - window of circadian low" - typically between 2 AM and 6 AM - feels so awful, even if you're well-rested.

Your brain is literally programmed to be shutting down during these hours.

Of course it's possible to get hit by all three at once. A late finish (circadian), followed by minimum rest (transient), on your fifth day (cumulative).

Research shows that sleep debt doesn't just disappear after one good night's kip.

If you've been running short for days, you need multiple nights of proper sleep to fully recover.

Sadly most roster patterns don't give you that luxury.

We can't eliminate fatigue - it comes with the territory. But we can help manage it:

Sleep is king. I know, I know - stating the obvious. But it's the first thing that gets sacrificed when things get busy.

So actually plan your rest and protect it.

If you've got an early show tomorrow, perhaps scrolling through your phone until 1 AM is not the best move.

Use your breaks. If you've got a longer turnaround and you're feeling drowsy, grab a quick power nap. Twenty minutes can genuinely reset your brain. (ok fine - I can hear the low cost pilots laughing from here - a nap? During a turnaround?! 🤣)

But, on longer sectors, if the SOPs allow, controlled rest in cruise can have the same helpful effect.

Stay hydrated and fed properly. Dehydration and low blood sugar will make fatigue ten times worse. Carry water and decent snacks.

Try to avoid big meals during a duty that'll spike your blood sugar then crash it.

Caffeine. A coffee or two early in your duty can help, but don't kid yourself that you can replace sleep with espresso.

Personally I try to avoid caffeine late in the day as I don’t want to wreck my post-duty sleep. 

Talk to each other. This is a two-pilot cockpit for a reason. If you're feeling drowsy, tell your colleague before it gets critical.

Swap roles if you need.

And equally, keep an eye on your partner.

When the short term management techniques don’t work, there really is only one other option - remove yourself from flying.

But sadly there is still a stigma around admitting fatigue.

Too many pilots, especially new ones, think calling in fatigued is somehow a personal failure. There's still this lingering culture that says admitting you're too tired makes you weak or unreliable.

Or they simply fear repercussions from the company they work for.

Bollocks to that.

Recognising and declaring fatigue is professional (unlike my language).

It's responsible.

Your job is to manage risk, and a knackered pilot is a massive risk.

The stats are quite shocking: surveys show 70-80% of pilots have kept quiet about fatigue because they're worried about getting in trouble.

And a third of UK pilots said they have woken up to find their colleague asleep next to them!

Personally I find that terrifying…

No decent airline wants a dangerously fatigued pilot at the controls. Fatigue reporting systems exist for exactly this reason - to catch problems before they cause accidents.

So use them!

If you're approaching your personal limit, call crew scheduling early. Don't drag yourself in out of stubborn pride.

You'll be showing that you understand what safety-first actually means.

And if you do get called in to explain your actions to management remember, the regulations explicitly require you to be fit for duty. 

It's your legal and moral obligation to refuse to fly if you're not fit, whether from illness or fatigue.

Your license and other people's lives depend on your judgment, not your ability to ‘tough it out’.

It’s not like you can just ‘try harder’ to not be tired.

So don't treat calling in fatigued as a personal failing.