The new rules for pilots combine all 121 flights except cargo, which include domestic, international, and unscheduled. The new rules changed the work rest cycle of pilots so that they could be safer while carrying passengers. The change include affirmation of documents stating that the pilots are fit for duty, and if they are not fit to fly then the airline would be required to drop them from the flight. The new rules provide for 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep of the 10 hours off for rest. Which is a significant because the before the rest period was 9 which could be reduced to 8 hours but that also included travel to the hotel and could result in 6 hours of sleep. With the new rules only certain hours can be flown per week, month, and year.
The cargo pilots are exempt so they fall under the old rules of 8 hours between flight duty times. During the formation of the new rules the cargo carriers had the weight to swing the rules in their favor by saying it was going to be such a financial burden to enforce the new duty rules that they were exempt. Unfortunately, the up and coming pilots do not have the same weight to through around for exemptions of financial hardships for learning to fly and reach 1500 hours before becoming a pilot for an airline.
I’m sure the reasons for not implementing the rules for cargo operators included such reasons as value of life, public perception, and cost. Cost is usually the most important factor when it relates to a business so this is one factor that does have a lot of weight. Businesses do not survive if they are not competitive, and sure they could all be competitive on the same field if rules were implemented, but they are not just competing with themselves they are competing with different modes of transportation that is far less regulated. To that extent the other modes of transportation are also far less safe per mile than aviation so to say that all rules should be applied to all aviation pilots is unfair, because passengers are far more important than cargo, but cost is more beneficial to shippers of cargo than extra rest that requires more pilots in a decreasing pilot pool. Therefor I do not believe cargo operators need to be subjected to the same rules.
Managers would be required to manage more pilots that work less hours which would negatively impact the business. If work rest periods for all forms of transportation were on the table to increase the safety of the nation then that would be a regulation to get behind because it would be fair. A pilot is not like a bus driver he/she has vast amounts of training and is paid a large wage comparatively so to reduce his hours while increasing a bus drivers hours at a lower wage and reduced safety is a very competitive business I would hope to avoid.
http://aviation.about.com/od/Regulations/a/Faa-Final-Rule-Pilot-Duty-And-Rest-Requirements.htm
The cargo pilots are exempt so they fall under the old rules of 8 hours between flight duty times. During the formation of the new rules the cargo carriers had the weight to swing the rules in their favor by saying it was going to be such a financial burden to enforce the new duty rules that they were exempt. Unfortunately, the up and coming pilots do not have the same weight to through around for exemptions of financial hardships for learning to fly and reach 1500 hours before becoming a pilot for an airline.
I’m sure the reasons for not implementing the rules for cargo operators included such reasons as value of life, public perception, and cost. Cost is usually the most important factor when it relates to a business so this is one factor that does have a lot of weight. Businesses do not survive if they are not competitive, and sure they could all be competitive on the same field if rules were implemented, but they are not just competing with themselves they are competing with different modes of transportation that is far less regulated. To that extent the other modes of transportation are also far less safe per mile than aviation so to say that all rules should be applied to all aviation pilots is unfair, because passengers are far more important than cargo, but cost is more beneficial to shippers of cargo than extra rest that requires more pilots in a decreasing pilot pool. Therefor I do not believe cargo operators need to be subjected to the same rules.
Managers would be required to manage more pilots that work less hours which would negatively impact the business. If work rest periods for all forms of transportation were on the table to increase the safety of the nation then that would be a regulation to get behind because it would be fair. A pilot is not like a bus driver he/she has vast amounts of training and is paid a large wage comparatively so to reduce his hours while increasing a bus drivers hours at a lower wage and reduced safety is a very competitive business I would hope to avoid.
http://aviation.about.com/od/Regulations/a/Faa-Final-Rule-Pilot-Duty-And-Rest-Requirements.htm
I agree that the cargo carriers were exempt because of money, but that’s not the only reason. After all, Delta, United, and American have lots of money to persuade policymakers too. Public perception played a large part of this. People were crying for safer passenger airlines after the Colgan crash, but the public was not asking for safer cargo carriers.
ReplyDeleteMoney, I feel, was a huge factor in why cargo carriers were exempt. I do think though that cargo carriers should also fall under the same rest rules for the simple fact of fatigue. A lot of cargo operations happen over night, regular sleep patterns I feel are more rare in the cargo operations.
ReplyDeleteCost probably was the number one reason that cargo carriers were exempt from the new rules. Although I think these rules should apply to carriers even though they don't carry passengers they are susceptible to fatigue and can cause a crash.
ReplyDeleteAlia Elon makes a very good point in his comment...these regulations are very heavily influenced by who has the most money to lobby.
ReplyDelete