Fighting Fatigue


Pilots Hail Bill to Advance One Level of Safety for Passenger and Cargo Airlines
The Safe Skies Act of 2012 Would Apply Pilot Fatigue Rule to All Airline Pilots

April 17, 2012 - Capt. Lee Moak, president of the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), Int’l, issued the following statement on the introduction in the U.S. House of Representatives of the Safe Skies Act of 2012 (H.R. 4350).

“The Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l, hails the introduction of the Safe Skies Act of 2012 as serious action to enhance the safety of air transportation by ensuring that all-cargo airlines meet the same high safety standards as the passenger airlines with which they share airports and airspace.

“Airline pilots strongly commend Rep. Chip Cravaack (R-MN) and Rep. Tim Bishop (D-NY) for their leadership in introducing this bill. If passed, the legislation would direct the U.S. Department of Transportation to apply the Federal Aviation Administration’s flight- and duty-time regulations and minimum rest requirements to all-cargo airline operations in the same way that the science-based regulations currently apply to passenger operations.

“All airline pilots are human beings, and all airline operations should benefit from the same high safety standards. This bill would achieve what Congress intended when it passed the Airline Safety and Federal Aviation Administration Act of 2010 (P.L. 11-216), by mandating that the FAA’s regulations apply to all commercial airline pilots, regardless of whether they fly passengers or cargo. ALPA urges Congress to take up and pass the Cravaack-Bishop bill as swiftly as possible.”

Introduction of Safe Skies Act Advances ALPA’s One Level of Safety Drive
Bill Would Apply Pilot Fatigue Rules to All-Cargo and Passenger Operations

April 17, 2012 - During his keynote address at ALPA’s Air Cargo Safety & Security: Closing the Gaps Conference this morning, Rep. Chip Cravaack (R-MN) announced that he was joined by Rep. Tim Bishop (D-NY) in introducing the Safe Skies Act of 2012 in the U.S. House of Representatives on Monday evening.

If passed, the legislation would advance ALPA’s drive for One Level of Safety for all airline operations by directing the Department of Transportation to apply the Federal Aviation Administration’s flight- and duty-time regulations and minimum rest requirements to all-cargo operations in the same way that the science-based regulations currently apply to passenger operations.

“The Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l, hails the introduction of the Safe Skies Act of 2012 as serious action to enhance the safety of air transportation by ensuring that all-cargo airlines meet the same high safety standards as the passenger airlines with which they share airports and airspace,” said Capt. Lee Moak, ALPA’s president, in a statement.

Capt. Moak noted that ALPA pilots played an important role in underscoring the serious need and demonstrating strong support for the aviation safety legislation. Over the coming weeks, ALPA will work with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle and across Capitol Hill to urge Congress to take up and pass the Cravaack-Bishop bill as swiftly as possible. Watch for an ALPA Call to Action later this week.

The Airline Pilots’ Guide to Fighting Fatigue is a Jepp-sized publication with straightforward information that will help you get the most out of your sleep opportunities, both at home and on the road. It chronicles the hazards of fatigue, the physiological aspects, and fatigue mitigation do’s and don’ts. Any use of this material must be attributed to ALPA.