FAA Misses Deadline for Implementing Pilot Fatigue and Training Rules

[October]

The "rumor mill" is suggesting the likes of Fred Smith (FedEx) being behind this delay -- he wants his pilots exempt. I guess flying on the back side of the clock doesn't make you tired??? <sarcasm>

This is I think the first time the FAA ever missed a deadline!

Fred Smith wants FedEx to be an airline sometimes, when it suits his bottom line -- but not all the time. He named FedEx Field in Washington, DC so as to wine and dine politicians, etc. during the games.

Infuriating!

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http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/business-economy-financial-crisis/flying-cheap/faa-misses-deadline-for-implementing-pilot-fatigue-and-training-rules/


FAA Misses Deadline for Implementing Pilot Fatigue and Training Rules

Just over a year ago, President Obama signed the Airline Safety and Federal Aviation Administration Extension Act of 2010 into law. Key components, which were supposed to be implemented by Aug. 1, include:

+ Requiring all airline pilots to hold an Airline Transport Pilot certificate, which requires a minimum of 1,500 flight hours; the previous requirement was 250 flight hours.

+ Directing the FAA to update and implement new pilot flight and duty time rules that are based on scientific research in the field of fatigue.

+ Requiring the FAA to ensure that pilots are trained on how to recover from stalls and upsets, and that airlines provide remedial training to pilots who need it.

The Associated Press suggests the delay is due in part to pressure from the cargo and charter airline industries.

The bill was prompted by the 2009 crash of Continental Flight 3407 in Buffalo, which killed all 49 people on board and one on the ground. The NTSB determined that the cause of the Buffalo crash was pilot error, experience and fatigue being key factors. Flight 3407′s captain, Marvin Renslow, was hired by Colgan Air — the code-share airline contracted out by Continental to run regional flights — with only 618 hours of flying time. That’s less than half the time required by most major airlines. He also failed five performance tests, known as “check rides” — some of which Colgan had failed to discover. The first officer, Rebecca Shaw, 24, joined Colgan in January 2008. She made less than $16,000 in her first year at Colgan and spent the night before the crash commuting from her home in Seattle.

[HopeHoops]

1. Well I'm just shocked.

:sarcasm:

I worked for a company that did scheduling for the FAA back in the early 80's. It was all pure bullshit - no basis in reality. It just had to look good for the suits. They probably spent more money having that company produce pretty pictures than they did on the actual activity it was supposed to be documenting.