submission - Independent Pilots Association

lntroductioo
An Overt'iew of the Sc¡entif-¡c Literatr¡¡e
Concerning Fatiguc. SleeP, ¡nd the Circadian C.r cle
This docunrnr providcs a bricf rcvicw o{ tbc scicntific rcra¡ch rclating to issucs of piJa fatiguc
arising from crew scbcduling practiccs. A oassivc ¡únounl of rcsca¡ch has bccn coodr¡cæd on
c¡ch issrs ¡s thc covironræntd cooditions tbar cootribuæ to thc occtureocc of fatiguc. rq¡te and
chrooic slccp dcbx and tbci¡ cffcctç oo pcrforrnancc, a¡rd tltc inflr¡cncc of thc ci¡cadiao cycle on
rtcrbes. This papcr ancepts to idcotify nþr treods in this üæratr¡¡e that might bc of vd¡¡c i¡
ddressing scbcduling re¡uluory issls'
Tbc
proy
cons
sectioos. Tbc ñrst scaioo. -\Vhu is Fatigræ," attcmpts o
f¿igræ ùa scrves to dcf¡¡c tbc scopc of issr.rcs thu nced to bc
a¡ contributc to the occr,¡¡rencc of fatigrrc and nrcthodologies for
asrssing the impact of fuiguc on huma¡ functionrng'
Scctioo two, "Indicatioos and Etrccrs of Farigr.rc," bricfly revicws the hurnar¡ pcrformancc and
pbysiologic¡l i¡dicaros of fuiguc. Tbc inaot is to idcntiÛ Possible de¡rccns in pcrfonrnncc
that cor¡td bave a efe¡y irnpect. This scctioo also bricfly add¡esscs thc complexitics involved in
rrrcasuring farigue levels. As this scctioo cxplains, fuigue is a complex cooc€P{ that does not
aJuays produce erpected me¿surable dc¡rcrnenLs in pcrformancc
Secrion tbrÊ€. 'lFauguc and tbc Aviatioo Envuonment." add¡esscs tbc issue of faugrr slthrn the
avrarion enr.úonrr¡ent. Beforc changes a¡e madc to existrng rcgu,laltcrns. ùc qr.rcstioa of *hcthcr
rherc rs a problem that ne¿ds to bc rcsolved should bc addrcsscd. Ata:lable rcsearcb on the exlent
oI farrgue urth-tn the aviation envi¡oonrnt Ls rcvicr ed In addrtron. fa.-tors ùar compbcate the
asscssrîenr of rhe extent of thc fatiguc problem in an operatlonal en\úonmcnt a¡e aJso descnbcd
A pilor's lcr.el of alermess ar any tirrr dcpcnds upoo a complcx interactton be t*6¿¡ a numbcr of
variables. For¡¡ va¡iablcs. i¡ particular, nccdtobc considcred: tinrc on task. ti¡nc sincc a*'ake. any
existing slecp dcbt a¡d tbe pilot's own ci¡cadian cycle. Scclion'for¡¡. "St¿ndard Dury Period,"
dcscnbes the resc¿rcb rends pcrrairung to EtrE on tâsk and Ùnrc sLnce a'*alie *hile scction fir'e.
"sranda¡d Slccp Rcquirerænts," sddræscs ¡rcutc and ch¡onic slecp dcbt, including
recorur¡endations for stccp delx recovcry. Scction si¡, "The Cúcadiar¡ C¡cle and Farigue," r¡'hich
looks at thc rcsca¡ch on ci¡cadia¡ cycles a¡d thci¡ implications for back-of-thc-clock and
ransmcridian fìying. Finally, scction scye¡. "Augmented Crc*'s." looks at the limited data on the
usc of augmented cnews to extcnd duty pcriods.
Lite rature Reyiex
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