Flight and Duty Changes Excluding Cargo Carriers

In today’s post, we’ll be examining the somewhat recent changes to Flight and Duty regulations, and also look at the cargo industry’s exemption from said changes.

What are these Regulations?

The regulations were added to help address the issue of pilot fatigue, following the Colgan Air Flight 3407 accident in 2009. Some of the changes included:

Varying flight and duty requirements based on what time the pilot’s day begins

      The FAA explains that this rule “incorporates the latest fatigue science to set different
            requirements for pilot flight time, duty period and rest based on the time of day pilots
            begin their first flight, the number of scheduled flight segments and the number of time
            zones they cross” (“Press Release”, 2011).

The old requirements were based on “different standards applied to domestic and international flights… scheduled and unscheduled flights. The new rules eliminate these distinctions and apply to all flights” (Joyner, n.d.)

10-hour minimum rest period:

This requires that the pilot have a “10-hour minimum rest period prior to the flight duty period”, in which the “pilot must have an opportunity for eight hours of uninterrupted sleep” (“Press Release”, 2011). Not only is this rule a two hour increase over the old regulation, but it also “guarantees” the pilot 8 hours of actual rest time. Under the old regulations, “pilots could spend those eight hours getting to and from the hotel, showering and eating” without actually getting any sleep (Trejos, 2014).

New cumulative flight duty and flight time limits:

This rule implements limits on “the amount of time a pilot may be assigned any type of flight duty”, and also limits actual flight time (“Press Release”, 2011). The rule “also requires that pilots have at least 30 consecutive hours free from duty on a weekly basis, a 25 percent increase over the old rules (“Press Release”, 2011).

What are the Current Flight and Duty Limitations for Cargo Carriers?

Cargo operations can voluntarily follow these new regulations; however, they are not required to do so. James Carroll explains, “Cargo pilots fly under older rules that do not require as much rest, permit longer times on duty and allow them to fly beyond eight hours in certain conditions. And those rules do not impose any special limits on flight time at night, when cargo carriers do much of their flying” (2014).

Why are the Cargo Carriers Exempt from these Rules?

One of the primary reasons cargo carriers are exempt from these rules is the associated cost. The FAA excluded the cargo industry “because their compliance costs significantly exceed the quantified societal benefits” (Carey, 2011). The FAA claimed that “the projected cost for cargo operations is $306 million; the benefit of avoiding one fatal all-cargo accident ranges from $20 million to $32 million (Carey, 2011).

Should the Cargo Carriers be Included?

As we just discussed, cost is a major reason for the cargo industry’s exemption. Which is subsequently placing a monetary value on a person’s life and safety – something which is also done in insurance policies and other such documents. Whether or not this is “right” is a question which I will not attempt to cover here; however, suffice it to say that I understand the need for a standard or cutoff point. Where I understand that implementing the same rules to cargo carriers may not be feasible due to cost restraints, I feel that some form of change is possible and required. Passenger flights may require more regulations due to the higher life count and accompanying risk; but cargo flights still involve human lives, and as such, pilots operating such flights should not be in a fatigued or overworked state.

From a Future Pilot’s Perspective, How would these Changes Affect my Career?

For me personally, I do not believe that whether or not cargo carriers are included in these regulations will have a significant effect on my career. I still intend to fly for a passenger airline, and as such, would not directly be affected by any regulation changes to the cargo industry; however, as I stated above, I believe some level of change is required.

References:

Carey, B. (2011, December 23). FAA Issues Pilot Duty Rule, Excludes Cargo Carriers.
            Retrieved from http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/2011-12-23/faa-issues-pilot-
            duty-rule-excludes-cargo-carriers

Carroll, J. R. (2014, March 13). UPS pilots urge more rest for cargo crews. Retrieved from
            http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/03/13/ups-pilots-urge-more-rest-for-
            cargo-crews/6402615/

Joyner, J. (n.d.). Duty Limitations of an FAA Pilot. Retrieved from http://work.chron.com/duty-
            limitations-faa-pilot-17646.html

Press Release – FAA Issues Final Rule on Pilot Fatigue. (2011, December 21). Retrieved from
            https://www.faa.gov/news/press_releases/news_story.cfm?newsId=13272

Trejos, N. (2014, January 03). New pilot fatigue rules go into effect this weekend. Retrieved
            from http://www.usatoday.com/story/todayinthesky/2014/01/03/pilot-fatigue-mandatory-
            rest-new-faa-rules/4304417/