Notice Of Proposed Amendment (Npa): Flight Crew Fatigue Management

[Guest longtimer]

Here is the goto to the document. http://wwwapps.tc.gc.ca/Saf-Sec-Sur/2/NPA-APM/actr.aspx?id=13&aType=1〈=eng

[boestar]

Really?

[Guest longtimer]

Really?

whoops, link added

[Zan Vetter]

Long time coming. On quick first reading, looks like a few needed changes but also they sound suspiciously watered down in some cases. The concept of a "break" in flight duty...not rest, still on duty, but no 'duties'...will be exploited aggressively, I predict, resulting is some FDP even longer than today. But that's just my very early impression.

Good to finally see some movement on this.

[Moon The Loon]

@ J.O.:

Jeff - any idea of the timeline for implementation of this NPA?

[Critter]

Word on the street is as early as October 2015. First quarter 2016 at the latest.

[J.O.]

I don't know the timeline on it. Since it went through the modified CARAC process already, how long will further consultation last? Anyone's guess, IMHO. Keep in mind there is an election in about a year. If it doesn't make it to the order paper before the end of the spring session, of parliament, it almost certainly won't be passed until the new session sits next fall. So for me, one year from now is best case for an in force date.

[Moon The Loon]

Thanks Critter/Jeff

Big impact all around, to be sure!

[Vsplat]

As they say, the devil is in the details.

From what I have seen so far, there are a lot of things that working group members pushed for, dissented on, and appear to have lost. Unfortunately we may never know why. Without that transparency, we may or may not get an explanation for the changes that are yet to happen to this proposal.

And there will almost certainly be changes. The industry lobby groups have already begun to express "grave concern" despite winning on some rather substantial areas, where Canada's rules will still lag the world standard.

All that said, we, as in the collective WE of this industry, regardless of where we strap in for departure, owe a debt of thanks to the members of the working group that moved the issue this far. From what I understand, the effort and personal toll this long haul has taken on those involved has been extraordinary. Some have been with this for several generations of airline management, Transport Canada management and even union management. Each change has introduced its own waves.

So, a tip of the hat to those who have truly given back to this industry. I hope the final product does your work justice.

Vs

[J.O.]

Speaking of fatiguing scheduling ...

http://aviationweek.com/commercial-aviation/opinion-putting-public-safety-ahead-three-day-weekends-takes-courage?NL=AW-05&Issue=AW-05_20140923_AW-05_880&YM_RID='email'&YM_MID='mmid'&sfvc4enews=42&cl=article_5

Controllers generally work rotating schedules during which start and stop times vary. The schedule under recent scrutiny requires that five 8-hour shifts be worked during a period of 88 consecutive hours. In comparison, the average person will perform the same amount of work over 104 hours. This schedule receives union support because it gives controllers three days off before they begin their next shifts. However, it requires controllers who work from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. on their fourth day, return for work a few hours later to begin their final shift from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.

NATCA defends this scheduling practice, citing results from an unreleased non-peer reviewed 2010 study, which, according to spokesperson Doug Church, “shows that working with proper rest periods produce less fatigue.” It is unclear how such a study can be treated without skepticism given that according to a 2013 report from the Office of the Inspector General, the FAA does not have metrics capable of measuring the effects of its scheduling practices. More importantly, lengthy commutes to and from air traffic control facilities located around major metropolitan areas raise questions about how any type of rest can be obtained between closely spaced duty periods, let alone the “proper rest” needed to perform a job as critical as air traffic control.

[DEFCON]

Ah...the cape bearing crusaders of ATC.

It's hard to take unions seriously when they essentially claim their members ALL possess super-human qualities, a concept employed in support of improved lifestyle / wawcon choices, but will readily advance arguments to the contrary when it serves another objective.

Pilots haven't behaved any differently in this respect; already our version of the caped crusaders are screaming like hell because the new Regs may impact upon their lifestyle.