jonnyjetprop
Cleared for Takeoff
I think the main point is that humans have limits. At my airline, I've seen folks say that because pilots are paid more, they should work brutal schedules. Fatigue should not be an issue because our aircraft have bunks to sleep in.
In modern life, we are trying to do more with less. There's a limit. The major reason why the regulation change came about in aviation is that most union contracts had far more restrictive limits. As the bankruptcy contracts came and the regionals flourished, more and more it was working to the limits of the regulations. The regulations weren't changed because there was no reason to change them.
While it's all fine and great to say you should fly fatigued, pilots do every day. The real question to ask is why they do. Airlines don't like pilots calling in fatigued. Many think they aren't really impaired. The new regulations are a start, but not a complete solution.
In modern life, we are trying to do more with less. There's a limit. The major reason why the regulation change came about in aviation is that most union contracts had far more restrictive limits. As the bankruptcy contracts came and the regionals flourished, more and more it was working to the limits of the regulations. The regulations weren't changed because there was no reason to change them.
While it's all fine and great to say you should fly fatigued, pilots do every day. The real question to ask is why they do. Airlines don't like pilots calling in fatigued. Many think they aren't really impaired. The new regulations are a start, but not a complete solution.